From One Fashion Diva to the Next....

Scrumpdiddly Designs was born after my Mom's most recent trip to Denver.  We have been hitting up thrift stores and consignments together for years, and it is always exciting when you experience "The Find".  My most memorable "Find" is from a consignment store in Naples, FL called Audrey's Attic.  One day, several years ago, we happened upon the most gorgeous vintage camel colored leather coat that fit me like a glove, and it was only $40.  It was like winning the lottery.

During the Denver visit, after spending a couple days thrifting, we started saying "we could totally do this.  We could open a vintage clothing store" and so we did, starting online on my most favorite website ever, Etsy.com.  Etsy is an amazing community of artists and creatives and serves as a reminder to shop small, be original and live outside the box... and for me, that is the only way to live this life.

One of our greatest contributions to the Scrumpdiddly inventory is from a dear friend, Darlene Miller. She heard about our venture and decided to part ways with a large portion of her wardrobe that she has been saving for decades, mostly for sentimental reasons.

I can empathize with Darlene, I hate to part with my clothes.  I spend good money on clothing, I enjoy putting an outfit together, and I love to express myself through fashion.  For those of us who truly love our closets, purging can be an absolute nightmare if it even happens at all.  But I think for Darlene, this was the best case scenario, she could pass on her most treasured items to somebody who will appreciate them, love them, and hopefully find an amazing new home for them where they will continue to be treasured.

While in Naples over the Thanksgiving holiday, we spent an afternoon with Darlene and what a beautiful person she is, both inside and out.  She is a model, she is an actor, she loves dressing up in handmade costumes and she is a genius at photo editing....among a million other things.  She is witty, funny, gorgeous, engaging and just a blast to be around!

Here are some of her modeling photos from 1960 (What a Diva!).  What I found most interesting is that she pulled outfits from her own closet for her modeling shoots.

The 1970's is easily my favorite fashion decade and luckily for us, the fashion trends of the 70's are making a comeback.  You can find chevron patterns, crop tops, flared pants and retro looks in all of today's fashion.  But owning a piece that is actually from that era is, to me, priceless.

This is from In Style magazine January 2015.  We can expect a 70's revival.  I'm in heaven.

Some of my favorite Darlene contributions included two 1970's vintage outfits, both in hues of orange that included halter tops, maxi skirts and palazzo pants.  Here are some photos of her rockin' one of my favorites in 1982.  How fun is that?!

Words cannot express what a priceless gift Darlene has handed over to us.  It was like Christmas morning going through the stacks of treasures from her closet.  My vision is that her fashion gems will become somebody else's next big "Find".  From one Fashion Diva to the next....

Here are some of my favorite Darlene items available at our Etsy shop.  We will also be adding more of her items in the coming months.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/212935024/vintage-1970s-orange-jonathan-logan-maxi?ref=shop_home_active_2

https://www.etsy.com/listing/213107013/vintage-womens-1970s-halter-top-high?ref=shop_home_active_17

https://www.etsy.com/listing/212751749/vintage-1980s-womens-flared-silk-and?ref=shop_home_active_24

https://www.etsy.com/listing/213103571/vintage-womens-grey-silk-maxi-skirt-with?ref=shop_home_active_19


I leave you with a final photo of my Mom and Darlene...two beautiful, inspiring Women who are my favorite Fashion Divas.