MY initials SWEATER!!!!

I found this summer a special to me varsity sweater!!!

But why so special???

Because it have my initials: Laurence B...!!!

So I had to buy it, of course!

Varsity sweaters are always fun but are often in small sizes...

but this one was my destiny... perfect size, pristine condition!

But mustard yellow and brown are really not colors that I'm used to wear...

First opportunity to go out with those NOS 40's french shoes still with tag!!!!

Matching 40's leather purse...

I wanted to re-create the style of a student in the 40's...

even if I left University long time ago!

I have a lot of pairs of vintage shoes but don't wear them a lot...

sometimes too fragile, some other times not so comfy

but they look better than repros for sure! 

After a really warm fall, winter cold arrived this week-end.

Yes, my winter coats have not gone out yet...

Sylvain's jacket is a find from our last trip in Seattle!

Plaid wool, a classic for this season.

A Pendleton's flair but with a Ricky jacket cut!

It's becoming harder and harder to take outside pictures...

at 4PM, the dark is already coming.

The light is quite white and don't give true colors on pictures....

Sylvain's jacket is really a deep forest green... here it's kind of blueish.

But even if it's colder and darker,

now that Xmas is just around the corner...

I really feel better!

We are planning a lot of fun things to do in December!

Do you have some Varsity sweaters?

Have you already planned something special for December?

FRENCH CORNER

Lorsque je suis tombée sur ce pull universitaire cet été, je me suis tout de suite dit qu'il m'était destiné! Vous allez me dire... mais pourquoi? Tout simplement car l'écusson donne mes initiales! Ce genre de pulls sont toujours sympas, mais souvent durs à trouver dans une taille raisonnable et en bon état... Première opportunité de sortir de belles chaussures 40's neuves d'époque et créer un style étudiante 40's (même si mes années universitaires sont bien loin derrières...). Le froid arrive enfin après un automne plutôt clément... l'occasion de re-sortir nos petites laines! Maintenant que Noël approche à grand pas, ce temps me pèse moins... pleins de projets motivants pour Décembre et le moral revient!

- J-25 -

ERSTWILDER ADDICT!!!!!!

I don't know if I have ever mentionned it in this blog but Sylvain and I really LOVE animals.

But as we have both a full time job and like to travel a lot...

it's not easy to have one at home!

So when I discovered the brand ERSTWILDER 2 years ago,

 I really felt that I found the perfect animals to be with!

As a huge part of my vintage costume jewels are made of plastic, lucite and bakelite, Erstwilder creations match perfectly!

I have quite a full collection of these cute pets...

that I wanted to share with you!

and I also asked to Erstwilder if they would agree to answer a few questions because I was quite curious about their brand.

How all started for Ertswilder ? 

"Erstwilder began when, one day in the studio, our head designer Louisa did a few really quirky sketches of animals, and we instantly fell in love with them. We launched a very small range initially with just a handful of designs, but it was a huge success. Luckily there were many people who fell in love too!"

In which year? Why the name “Erstwilder”?

"It all started in 2011, originally the name was actually "Erstwhile" - which refers to a time in the past - but we thought that it didn't quite capture the 'wildness' of the designs, so the natural progression lead us to "Erstwilder"

What was the first design ever produced? 
Can you show pictures of the early designs? 

"The first few designs were created at the same time. It's difficult to recall which was the first one that came out when the pencil hit the paper. But here are a few of examples of our first creations back in 2011."

And what about now? How many people work for the brand?Where is it based? 
Are all brooches made in Australia?

 "Erstwilder is base in Melbourne, Australia. We now have a team of 6 working for the label including a team of 3 designers. All of our products are designed here in Melbourne and made overseas across India, China and Hong Kong."

How many models do you create for one collection? 

"It can vary but generally we release around 80 designs in a collection."

Your designs are limited, how many pieces do you create for one design? If a model is really successful, is it possible to make more of it? 

"We orginally created 300 of each design for sale in Australia, but with our global expansion we have decided to create 100 for international markets, a total of 400. To maintain the limited nature of the product we do not re-order. It is a tough call where styles are very popular and still in high demand but it is important for our brand and equally for our collectors to remain true to this. But, the most popular styles often come back 'refreshed' with a new theme, pattern or colour."

How do you find inspiration to create these beauties? 

Can you share some sketches of your new designs? 

"Our inspiration comes from a wide range of sources. We're constantly exploring themes of nature (animals and plants), vintage and rockabilly motifs, childhood memories and stories and so on. As for sharing new designs... okay, we'll give you a sneak peak at some early design sketches to give you an idea of what's coming as part of our 'American Diner' range for the Autumn 2015 collection. We hope you and your readers like them!"

Do you often consult your fans to find new ideas or names for you cute characters? 
Are you often planning giveaway for your followers? 

"Oh yes! A significant part of our inspiration now also comes from our fans. The images and stories they share with us everyday on Facebook, Instagram and through email provide an endless supply of wonderful ideas for us to build on. We love our community online and will be leaning on them more and more to play a part in the design and story of our products. Everyone loves a giveaway - including us! We just ran one recently for Halloween 2014 and have something else in the pipeline for December so we invite everyone to join us on Instagram and Facebook and be the first to know about it!"

I’m a vintage addict and I think that a huge part of your fans love vintage and retro style, are you inspired by this vintage community to create? 

"Absolutely! It's such a fun, lively and exciting community and a vital part of our personality as a label too."

Your brooches are all handmade, how many time is needed to create one? Can you tell us more about the material you use? 

"There are actually a number of processes involved in creating our products - brooches, necklaces or earrings. The designs are created from layers of resin which need to be laser cut first, then all assembly and painting of the detail is done by hand. Each product take around 3 hours to produce."

When I discovered your brand many years ago, it was sold only in Australia and now I see some stockists in the USA, in the UK and Japan. Are you still working to add some more stockists to the list? Perhaps one in France? 

"We are always looking for great new stockists around the world. Right now we're focused on finding like-minded, quirky, and vintage-inspired retailers in the US and Europe. If you know of any stores in France that you think Erstwilder would look just perfect in, be sure to let us know Laurence!"

So if you have a shop and want to be a stockist of ERSTWILDER,
 just contact them here!

I wanted also to answer to many of you who wanted to buy these so CUTE brooches but didn't know how to purchase them.

If you are searching for a special design, feel free to contact them at: [email protected] 

But you can also directly contact their closest stockist HERE.
Some even offer free shipping!

So you know what to ask to Santa Claus this year...

it can be also a good idea for a present!

I'm hopping that my collection will grow for Xmas!!!!

Will you put a few ERSTWILDER designs on your Xmas wishing list?

Do you want to share your own collection with me?

FRENCH CORNER

Sylvain et moi sommes vraiment fous d'animaux, mais pas facile d'en avoir à la maison quand on travaille à plein temps et qu'on aime beaucoup voyager! J'ai trouvé le parfait substitut avec les créations ERSTWILDER, des tas de broches plus mignonnes les unes que les autres! Bref, cette marque très rétro m'a fait le privilège de répondre à quelques questions... donc utiliser google.translate pour en savoir plus. Bonne idée cadeau pour Noël ou comme moi vous pouvez en ajouter quelques unes sur votre liste au Père Noël!!!

- J-25...-