Emerald Dreams

Loving the color emerald right now....we just received the Frilly Frills garter skirt & bra in the gorgeous gem color. Could it be because I am so excited for the Tarina Tarantino Wizard of Oz collection?? We should get our first shipment within the next few weeks and the collection has lots of emerald, natch. Or it could it be that I have visions of spending lots of money in Europe?? Most of you know that Curtsy Mama, myself & my brother are heading across the pond on the 7th, and will be over there for two weeks. (Have never been away from Curtsyland for more than a week.....eeek!!) I just discovered today that we will be in Paris during Les Soldes...the summer sales!!!! Apparently, sales in France are regulated by law and must begin and end on dates specified by the government. Les Soldes take place in January into February, & June into July...lasting about six weeks. What divine serendipity!!!

Back to Tarina....head over heels for the new vintage flower post earrings and matching ring. The earrings are so fantastically large in size as far as post earrings go. The ring features the same lucite flower in the center, surrounded by tulle petals. Also adoring the chandelier earrings in the new tangerine color. This earring has become a favorite with Curtsy customers...they are dazzling....

xxxx


Curtsy Bella

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The Weddings are Over!

Sorry we missed blogging on Friday. I took last Thursday and Friday off to help Curtsy Girl Pamela with her daughter Katie's wedding. With the marriage of Curtsy Girl Heather the weekend before where Danielle helped with decorating the venue, we have been a bit preoccupied. Happy to report that both ceremonies went off without a hitch and both brides were so beautiful.


You know that at Curtsyland we like to change things up on a regular basis. Danielle decided that it was time for a major re-arrangement this week and totally remodeled the front of the store. We was inspired, in part, by the adorable miniatures from the new Wendy Addison Collection that came in. Made of cardboard in vintage designs, the table and chairs will add a bit of whimsy to any room. Add one of the larger chairs, chaise lounges or chandeliers for a more striking grouping.

Tattoo art is still hot. The Tattoo Diaper Bag is the perfect size for a day out at the park, or on a boat. Plenty of room for diapers, wipes, bottles and change of clothes. In addition to all that is is just a cool looking bag for those hip parents in your life.

XOXO
Curtsy Mama
Mary Jo

Curtsy Bella

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My goodness...

So much sad news today...:( RIP to the divine Farrah Fawcett & the ever intriguing Michael Jackson. (Whoever will we get to see rockin' Christophe Decarnin's Balmain on a regular basis?! We always have Rihanna I suppose...but I will miss MJ.) As they were both people with such an iconic image & style, I thought I would pay tribute to them by blogging about another iconic figure that we are a twee bit obsessed with in Curtsyland....

Marie Antoinette of course.

From the fabulous designers at Papaya!, the Antoinette Art Panel Print. It features one of my favorite quotes by Oscar Wilde..."Every woman is a rebel." It measure 12"x16", has glitter details and has a ready-to-hang ribbon attached. We also have this image on a greeting card.











From the scrumptious Tokyo Milk....Let Them Eat Cake Parfum & Bon Bon Lip Balm. Tokyo Milk's parfums feature graphics on vintage style bottles that will dazzle & delight the senses as much as the scent. Let Them Eat Cake is crafted with sugar cane, coconut milk, vanilla orchid and white musk crushed and distilled to perfection. The Bon Bon lip balm is a fragrant & moisturizing balm leaves a long lasting hint of sugar sweet red velvet cake...deliciously elegant.





From the regal Rosanna...the Marie Antoinette Dessert Plates. Each plate has an image of HRH and the title of her homes, in an out of Paris: the Tuileries, Versailles, Hotel de Ville and Le Petit Trianon. A set of four, and of course, as with all Rosanna, they come in a fabulous matching gift box.










xxxx
Curtsy Bella

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What a Week!!

Patience....normally I possess a lot of it. I mean I used to teach people how to fly airplanes and you need infinite patience for that job. The universe seems to have conspired to rob me of that particular virtue this week. It began on Monday when I came out to my car after work to find my driver's side mirror smashed to bits! Luckily, the guilty party left me a note - great!! My schedule this week is really tight and after driving a mile without that mirror, I knew I had to get it repaired asap! I called the note leaver Monday night, left him a nice message (really, I was very pleasant) and on Tuesday figured out how to squeeze in an extra hour to drive to the mechanics to get the part ordered. Last night, left the guy another message - still hadn't heard from him. This morning after still not hearing from him, I left a rather forceful message, sharing my disappointment and telling him that I truly hoped he wasn't blowing me off. Finally he calls me back, telling me I was pretty quick to judge him (huh?- after 3 phone calls?) and that he had every intention of paying.....whatever! Had to squeeze in another hour today to get the mirror installed - yippee! Add this fiasco to about 6 others that have threatened to destroy my sunny disposition and you have my week, and it's only Wednesday!! Luckily, I'm taking the next 2 days off to help Curtsy Girl Pam with her daughter's wedding.

At least we received some really cute glassware in the store this afternoon and that has brightened my attitude a bunch! Loving the new Pilsner Glasses that celebrate milestone birthdays. It's always nice to give the celebrant something they can actually use and I think these glasses will get used all the time. We've got them for 21st Birthday, 30th, 40th, 50th & 60th. Maybe the birthday boy or girl isn't a beer drinker. Not to worry, we have wine glasses in the same vein and a few extra designs as well. My favorite is the one that says Change du Life and then on the bottom of the label it says Hot with complex characteristics. Women of a certain age will get this one :)






XOXO
Curtsy Mama
Curtsy Bella

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Evidence

This past Sunday, our divine Curtsy Girl Heather was married! It was a beautiful, intimate ceremony held at The Bohemian in West Seattle. Her & her handsome are off honeymooning now, but just wanted to send the new Mr. & Mrs. best wishes one more time!!

A messy little surprise arrived from Fred & Friends in the form of forensics for the kitchen. If things sometimes get a little dramatic in your kitchen...the Evidence knife is the perfect accessory to the crime. It is an 8" stainless chef’s knife with a fired-on, food-safe design that’s right out of a CSI episode...and it comes packaged with an official evidence tag. Ever have new neighbors move into the hood that you feel obligated to entertain, but have no desire to spend time with after said soiree? Whip out this knife when you go to carve the turkey, throw in a little mob lingo...and bada bing. A solid guarantee they won't return the invitation.


A fantastic new card line arrived today for those who have a subtlety wicked sense of humor....Selfish Kitty. They feature a simple image and text on the front, with the inside greeting taking an unexpected turn, delivering a dry, sometimes sarcastic, message. A few favorites:

Front: I looked on the internet to find a present for you.

Inside: But all I found was porn for me. Happy Birthday.











Front: I won't give you a book for your birthday because I hate it when people give me books for my birthday.

Inside: It's like they're saying, 'Here you go, stupid, learn something.' Happy Birthday.









Front: It's so amazing you have a new baby!

Inside: I'm still trying to picture you two having sex.











xxxx

Curtsy Bella

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The F Word

Some of the most popular cards in the store shoot f-bombs out there. So popular that we frequently run out before the next order comes in. I'm happy to say that we received a new shipment of everyone's favorite card - Happy Fucking Birthday. The older I get, the more I love this card! A new one from our friends at 16 Sparrows is Shut Up Crybaby -pretty sure this one is going to be another one that's tough to keep in stock.

The Curtsy Girls are going on vacation to Europe in 2 weeks! Curtsy Mama hasn't taken a real vacation in over 10 years. Any free time I had was spent visiting my aging mom. Since we lost her last fall, I've decided to take both of my kids to Europe. We're flying into London, then heading down to Paris, Milan, Florence and flying home from Rome. We'll be posting entries on Facebook during the time we are gone. The store will be manned by our intrepid Curtsy Girls Pamela and the newly married Heather. Last time I was in Paris, I only made it half way up the Eiffel Tower and my extreme fear of heights forced me back to terra firma (pretty funny for an ex-pilot...yes?). Anyhoo, this time I'm determined to make it all the way to the top. If you too are a fan of La Tour Eiffel, you'll want to check out the brand new mug sets we've just received. Just the thing to drink your morning cafe au lait in style. C'st bon!

If you missed the Curtsylicious Summer Sale this past weekend, don't despair. Danielle has packed our itty bitty Sale Room with lots of goods. Make sure you make a stop in there on your next visit.

XOXO
Curtsy Mama
Mary Jo
Curtsy Bella

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Blow Him Away With This Gift

Give Dad something truly unique this year. The Hand Grenade Oil Lamp is from New York designer, Piet Houtenbous . Made from actual US Army surplus grenades, the pineapple grenade, when filled, will burn for 24 hours. A sure fire conversation piece for his living room!

My dad died suddenly when I was only 26, and I never felt like I really knew him. How well do you know your Dad? The His Life Journal is filled with remarkable quotes from remarkable men. Hopefully, he will be inspired to write down his thoughts, hopes and dreams for future generations. I would have so treasured something like this from my father.


Tomorrow is the final day of the Curtsylicious Summer Sale. We'll be taking 15% off all sale prices!!

Sunday our Curtsy Girl Heather is getting married and we'll be closing up shop at 3pm to attend the wedding.



XOXO
Curtsy Mama
Mary Jo

Hemergency for Dad

It's been a busy day at Curtsyland! Today is the first day of the Curtsylicious Summer Sale and we've been running our little feet off! Never fear, there is still oodles of fab bargains left and tomorrow we'll be taking an additional 10% off all the sale prices and on Saturday we'll bump it up to 15% off all sale prices.

Help Dad stay groomed on-the-go with the Hemergency Survival Kit by Ms. & Mrs. This sleek, black mesh dopp bag contains 20 must-haves for busy guys. From clothing stains to static cling, the Hemergency Survival Kit takes the guesswork out of men's personal care. Smaller than a football, this ultra-compact collection can go anywhere he does—from home to the office and everywhere in between.

XOXO
Curtsy Mama
Mary Jo
Curtsy Bella

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It's Sale Time!!!!

Curtsylicious Summer Sale

Thursday, June 18th

10am - 7pm

Friday, June 19th

10am - 7pm

Saturday, June 20th

10am - 6pm

Because we love our customers and want them to be happy, we're taking an extra 10% off the sale prices on Friday and and extra 15% off the sale prices on Saturday.

XOXO
The Curtsy Girls
Curtsy Bella

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The bigger the better

This past Sunday...the Captain and I attended the Kangaroo & Kiwi's annual Day at the Races. The Kangaroo & Kiwi is a fantastic Aussie & Kiwi pub in town that is also the sponsor of the Captain's Aussie rules Footy team. This is their seventh year doing a day trip down to Emerald Downs - our first year joining in. We heard from past year participants that everyone gets a little fancy and that no trip to the tracks is complete without a hat. We also got word that there might possibly be a crowning of a "Queen of the Track." I currently hold two other K&K crowns...Queen of Aurora & Ugly Christmas Sweater Queen. In order to secure the triple crown...I needed to find the biggest, fanciest hat. I set out searching through every vintage & antique store in town, every hat store, every possible place I could think of to buy a hat. Hats not quite big enough for what I had in mind kept presenting themselves. I picked up a pink one at one vintage store as a backup, and never ended up finding anything else as time was running out. I still knew that I wasn't going to be satisfied with this topper as is, so I set off to the craft store...

The end result certainly garnered much attention at the track. I had strangers wanting their picture taken with me and admirers who thought the flowers adorning myself & the hat were real...wouldn't that have been divine! My new Tarina Tarantino vintage resin flower ring matched the outfit so perfectly. And since I couldn't see much from underneath my hat...I was happy to have such a lovely gem to look at all day. Katy Perry was recently rocking this ring as well...







The owner of the K&K ended up sponsoring a race this year, and asked myself and our own K&K "jockey" to come watch the race from the winners circle with him and have our picture taken with the winning horse...meaning I did indeed get the crown of fanciest at the races.

xxxx

Dad's Day is Fast Approaching!

The first Father's Day is always especially fun for the new dad. Dress his little darling in this cool new My Dad Rocks onesie from Sourpuss.

In this day and age, it's not unusual to hear about a single guy doing the fatherhood bit on his own. It was love at first sight for us with this t-shirt and we know he'll flip for it as well.

It was a tough weekend at Curtsyland as we had to put our little store dog, Snickers, to sleep. We adopted Snickers in 1995 when he was 6 weeks old. He peed in Danielle's lap on the way home from the pet store, then looked up at her with those sweet Beagle eyes and we were hooked! When he was 4 years old and I was going through my divorce, he came to live with me. For the past 10 years, he has been my constant companion. He was definitely not an easy dog, but no matter what trouble he had gotten into, he would look at me with those sad eyes and I would just melt! Through 2 cross country moves and lots of changes in our lives, he was always there at the end of the day, hogging the bed. Towards the end he was not only hogging the bed, he would snore and fart like the old man he was and if I had the audacity to complain...you guessed it - he'd look at me with those eyes and I'd just have to offer up another treat. Poor guy was almost 14 and was fighting several serious medical conditions. Despite heavy medications, his pain level was not getting any better. In the end, I just couldn't let him suffer anymore. He was a great friend and we miss him terribly. Dr. Sarah Barnhardt and the entire staff at Ravenna Animal Hospital took such amazing care of him and I am so very grateful.

REMINDER

The Curtsylicious Summer Sale will be held:

Thursday, June 18th from 10am - 7pm

Friday, June 19th from 10am - 7pm

Saturday, June 20th from 10am - 6pm

On Friday we will be taking an additional 10% off all sale prices. On Saturday, we will be taking an additional 15% off all sale prices.

XOXO

Curtsy Mama

Mary Jo

Guilty!!!!

We are doing the happy dance at Curtsyland today. The man that burglarized our beloved store in February of 2007, was finally found guilty of the crime today. More than 2 years and 1 mistrial after the actual event, a jury convicted him. Just goes to show that what goes around comes right back at you - gotta love the Karma!



Le Chic Chick possesses Elegance, Intelligence and Strength. Those are the names of the decks of cards included in this fabulous box. Each deck contains 50 cards with information that every Chic Chick should know. She may have earned that college degree, but there may be a few areas where her education is lacking. How to pair wine with fish, examples of Art Deco architecture, how to say "hello" in 27 languages and controlling her finances are just a few of the subjects covered.



The Curtsylicious Summer Sale

Thursday, June 18th
Friday, June 19th
Saturday, June 20th

Serious Bargains!!



XOXO
Curtsy Mama
Mary Jo

His Game

Dad enjoys his weekly poker game with the boys - right? Help him take his game to the next level with Poker - The Ultimate Book. This interesting tome offers a look into the history of the game and some of it's more famous players. It also includes a detailed analysis of the rules offered up by the author, who happens to be a teacher and consultant to professional players.

Sorry for the short blog today - the store has been jam packed and we're leaving early today. Curtsy Girls Pamela will be here shortly to finish out the day for us.

XOXO
Curtsy Mama
Mary Jo

The Oz in Tarina's eyes...

So much Tarina Tarantino love in Curtsyland this week as we just received another shipment of the Spring/Summer collection. All of you cult TT followers will remember that last fall she designed a limited edition Wizard of Oz collection, which immediately sold out. The collection featured drawn representations of each character on Tarina's signature cameos. This summer, Tarina & Warner Bros. partnered up to celebrate the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz. All of the jewels in this collection, titled My Pretty, have actual stills from the classic...they are amazing. We have already seen the full collection and have our orders in...first delivery should be in July with more to follow in August.

Yesterday, Tarina teamed up with FIDM (my alma mater :)) and Warner Bros. to celebrate the collection and release of the My Pretty campaign book, and to present the Inspirations of Oz Fine Art Exhibition at the Museum at FIDM. The event was complete with a yellow brick carpet and "Ozmopolitans" to sip on.





The My Pretty campaign book arrived in our inbox yesterday...by far the chicest Wizard of Oz trip I've ever been taken on ;) We will receive a hard copy of the look book along with our first shipment in July. It is too big to post everything on the blog, so I picked a few of my favorite images to share with you. I was in sparkle heaven looking through it...absolutely stunning images...






(That's the lovely & divine Tarina herself spinning beats as the Wizard DJ!!)


Included in the TT goodness that arrived today are the butterfly necklace & earrings that you can spot in the rainbow & lollipop images above. The size of the butterfly post earrings are fantastically large. Perfect to complement the nice weather we are finally having!

xxxx