If you don’t see me around here much lately, you can probably guess that we’re a lot alike. Like you, I’m very busy these days. With the holidays just around the corner it seems there’s a never ending list of things I must do.  More than that, sometimes, I just don’t have a lot to gab about on my blog. I’ll think of something to post (like birthday presents my cool friends gave me last week) then I’ll realize my readers might not necessarily fascinate on how lucky I am. Take for example my new little feathered hair comb-dollop, or Baking Illustrated, or La Mer skin cream samples. These things may not be terribly exciting to most.

Aside: Now I have to rob a bank to buy some of that La Mer shit. Holy cow. No wonder women are bonkers over it. In just a few days, I’m pretty sure my haggy face looks slightly better.

The road to Self-Centered City is a lonely one and I honestly don’t always feel comfortable  with my nattering. S-C City ends at one little cul de sac; population me.  A trip down my street would, however, provide you with a glimpse of that hair dollop I just mentioned. It was made by Debra who’s photographed up there with Rose and me. Debra makes amazing things! I hope to soon Hollygabicise on her hats once her site is launched. Can you see my little Seussian Feather Fritzamajizzle? It is amazing! (The fact that my control top pantyhose took a little roll down my wobbly bits during a photo? Not so amazing.)

I don’t always love blogging. Mostly, I enjoy reading about other people’s lives and other people’s obsessions, but when faced with writing about my own, it seems a little tedious and trivial. Surely you people have better things to do than read my drivel? Would that I could be the person who writes a blog that’s somehow more on-point and topical. I can’t. I don’t. You still love me, right?

In the spirit of trying to be less narcissistic, (funny to precede that with “you still love me, right?”) I’m going to try to devote a bit of time to other people’s lives and how they’ve touched mine, specifically my friend Rose.

Rose shows up for the Come Hang My Balls party (referenced here) and arrives bedecked in a brocade dress of vivid green with snowflakes in the print. She has on blue, low heeled stilettos that match the little threads in the brocade. I love that blue and green brocade–such a ubiquitous fabric of the 1950s and ’60s.  She’s wearing a large gold lame turban and a cardigan dripping in gold sequins. And she’s carrying a vintage bun warmer that holds pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes. She’s the person you want at your parties.

We met when I was selling on eBay. She was my customer. Lucitebox needed a helper to keep things moving out the door at the kind of pace that would support my stylish life of thrift store cast-offs and estate sale vintage finery.

Last summer, Rose went on a trip to Calumet Fisheries to conjure up a location shot.  She’s wearing one of the pieces from my carefully curated collection of vintage merchandise. (Wink.) I think this photo captures the essence of Rose. It’s a staged shot, to be sure, but she looks just like she always does. Really. This is what she looks like. Any day of the week.

That dress! I wore it two times. It’s a thick polished cotton number with a red, pink, and yellow rose print. The collar is very wide and pointy. I love pointy collars. I think it looks fabulous in this industrial setting and it suits Rose better than it ever suited me.

Two more shots of Rose that I love!

Now, allow me to let you in on a little secret. If you’re a woman who wears large sized vintage you need to take a detour to eBay and look at Superrose. She’s currently selling some of her vintage collection on eBay now. I’m pleased to see she’s doing really well with it. Her auctions are stocked with mostly XL through XXL dresses along with a selection of shoes in the 8-10 size range.  Go check it out! Bookmark superrose. She is usually running about 10 auctions a week. One example of Rose superness is shown below. Fair warning–this party dress ends in about 8 hours. Don’t worry. She has lots more stuff like this dress coming up this week.

Note: Rose doesn’t advertise on my site. However, she did give me the most smokin’ electric blue ’50s dress for my birthday so if this post is in any way a conflict of interest, you can kiss my grits. Along with bolo string ties (which I’ve been wearing from time to time), I think I’m going to make a modest effort to bring back “kiss my grits.”