a look back at 2009

this was a pretty momentous year for me...i cleaned out my home of 14 years, selling off inventory, furniture, books...to get ready to move; I had some awesome photo shoots; took some new favorite photographs; my daughter went to her senior prom (how can that BE, when she's just a BABY??); she graduated from high school (!!!); I sold the house; explored and found an apartment in Brooklyn; moved out of our home; took The Child to college...and finally, just had our first Christmas in Brooklyn.

I will say...it was a difficult year. A lot of change, a lot of uncertainty, not everything went as planned...but it was exciting, and now I'm poised to do fabulous things in the new year! Now that I'm finally feeling settled in the new place, I can start undertaking some of my plans for the business...I have access to TONS of great models being in Brooklyn, so I'm excited to do a LOT more photo shoots...I'm planning a trip to (be still my heart!) Paris with my sister and cousins and I can hardly wait!

I feel 2010 will be a good year. Let's make it so.

Happy New Year!

thrifting delights!

Yesterday my daughter and her friend and I headed out-of-state for a little
thrifting jaunt. It was fun to go altogether. My daughter did Quality Control
on items I put in the "maybe" pile, while her friend guessed at places of
origin - to her, everything looked "Guatemalan," or "Nordic," or "Old South,"
and she was right!

Eventually, though, they sunk to the floor, leaned against some boxes warmed
by the sun coming through the windows, and fell asleep, leaving me alone to my
love of digging through piles and piles of wonderful vintage clothing!

I spent this morning sorting it all out...

things that need stain control, things to save for spring,
things that need mending, things that need shortening...

pretty things

things that just need a quick wash'n'press

things that are cute!

things that need hangers.

the piles got bigger and bigger...

and I DEF had Valentine's Day on my mind as I
shopped!

these will all be listed in the next couple
weeks, so watch for shop updates

in all, a good day and a good haul!

Monday Mosaics

This is one of my favorite weeks of the year - the time between Christmas and New Years. It's my longest work vacation of the year and really gives me time to rest and recharge...to reflect back and think ahead. To plan
and be inspired for the year ahead. These photos look like what I'm thinking/feeling this week...I hope you enjoy them as much as I do...

1. DREAMANDAWAKE.com, 2. nostalgia, 3. Untitled, 4. One hundred and ten., 5. Untitled, 6. Untitled, 7. light, 8. Untitled, 9. _MG_0837, 10. where there is tea there is peace, 11. Untitled, 12. Polaroid SX-70 Photo #8: Light Behind a Curtain, 13. Marika's white dress (1), 14. 0196, 15. Country Home Jan/Feb 09.jpg, 16. Untitled

what christmas looks like to me....

to me, these images depict the joy, whimsy, grace, color, inspiration, and magic that is christmas

(click on photo for image credits)

new model!

I shot w a new model this week, she was awesome! Here is a sneak peek from our shoot...and be sure to check out the Dragonfly shop tonight after 11 for all new auctions!

what's new in the dragonfly shop 11/14/09-11/21/09

here's a preview of everything that will be listed tomorrow
(Saturday) night...it was great to finally be able to shoot again, even though I
don't really have the studio set up yet...it's going to take some creative
arranging to fit! but I'm happy to be on my way again  :-)

check them out tomorrow night at
Dragonfly Vintage
Clothing

dragonfly almost up and running again!

It's taken a lot longer than anticipated to get settled in the new apartment...but I finally got well-enough arranged that I was able to have a shoot here last night...and photographed some things I'll be listing this weekend in the Dragonfly Vintage Clothing shop. Here's a sneak peek.....

the return of moi

aOh, what a long, strange trip it's been!

I have been awol from blogging for what seems like F.O.R.E.V.E.R! What really happened is that I sold my home of 14 years and moved from the suburbs to the city. Well, Brooklyn - which, to a life-long suburb gal, is LIKE the city. The move itself was fraught w difficulties and disappointments - the beautiful, large, spacious apartment I first moved into turned out to be A Big Mistake, as when the landlady learned (within 24 hours of me moving in - me and my HUNDREDS of boxes) that I had two cats (as the REALTOR assured me was not an issue), she informed me I needed to GET OUT. In a WEEK. Anyone who has ever tried to find a nice, affordable, safe apartment in a desirable location, that allows a 50-lb dog and two cats, knows that a timeframe of a WEEK is CRAZY. But, with the help of a good friend from work, I managed to land in a soft place. Not what I had envisioned my new home to be like, BUT there's a yard for the dog, and the landlords are like the sweetest people on earth, and after my brief encounter w Landlord #1, that's A Good Thing.

So, I'm still settling into my new space and location...and it's quite a challenge trying to fit stuff from a 1300 sqft house w a full basement, outdoor shed, covered front porch, etc etc...into about a 500sqft apt with one closet. So I haven't gotten too far. I'm certainly not set-up yet to do any photo shoots - I haven't even unearthed all my inventory yet! But I'm getting antsy and missing taking pictures and know I will be up and ready SOON. Thought I'd just share some seasonal photos I took last fall...

til next time (and it won't be so long, i promise!)

xoxo, bettye

I love a photo shoot....

and this is so dreamy and sort of haunting...

see
behind-the-scenes video

and love the cat power song...

photos from LoefflerRandall.com, an online shop
with trendy elegant chic pieces...and a new blog

xoxo bettye <- a little too addicted to blog
browsing...

a little apartment browsing....

....not BUYING, just...browsing. dreaming. coveting.

I saw this today...

http://madebygirl.blogspot.com/2009/08/lori-levines-gorgeous-nyc-home.html

sigh. that is GORGEOUS. look at those two french doors that open onto the
little juliet (read: FAKE) balcony! so charming! of course, I'd need a big
screen mucking it up to keep the cats from diving to their deaths below, but...

i love the built-on furniture pieces that hide the radiators...

and look at these windows...

http://madebygirl.blogspot.com/2009/07/lofty-spaces.html

GREAT. BIG. SIGH.

I love a big window. I'm a sucker for a big window. I will put up with a lot of
other crap to have A Big Window. A window you can stand in. I dream of taking
pictures of people standing in My Big Window.

Now, in reality, I could actually conceivably HAVE something like THIS...

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/abo/1305822661.html

It's in my price range, near Prospect Park, says "cats okay purr, dogs okay
woof," and I have two purrs and a woof. It has respectably-sized windows. You
couldn't STAND in them, but someone with a skinny butt could fit one cheek on
the sill, I think, and SIT in the window. I like the decorative moldings on the
wall, the rooms are nicely-shaped, and the bathroom is pleasant, with an
original vintage (read: deep and ceramic) tub. I think I will inquire.

Someday I will have bigger windows. For now I just need to find somewhere
safe and cute that will take me and my two purrs and woof.

xoxo Bettye

 

shop update!

so many things have been going on around here,
it's been a little while since I've added all new items to the shop...but here's
a whole new lot of lovely vintage items for you! we're just about finishing up
our spring/summer stock, and will be starting to show fall items in just a
couple weeks (can you imagine??).

and for any of you local ladies, we're going to be having an in-home SALE on
August 15th - of vintage and contemporary clothing, STUFF, books, STUFF, small
furniture, and STUFF! yep, it looks like Dragonfly is finally going to be MOVING
TO BROOKLYN!!! (there should be a special font for things that are SUPER
EXCITING - like it could vibrate or something). As we start getting nearer the
date and I have things organized a bit, I'll post some photos so we can see what
we've got...maybe it's worth a trip...??

but i digress. back to the shop update! this first batch went up last night, the
second batch will be going up tonight, so stay tuned to
Dragonfly
Vintage Clothing

 

these next items will be posted
by midnight (est) tonight....