Want to add color and memories of summer to the dreary months of winter? ME TOO! I thought a friendship bracelet swap would be just the cure; it’ll give you something to do while you’re hibernating away at home during the cold months and kick-start your spring/summer accessory collection!
Deadline to enter your name into the swap is February 18th; e-mail megan@beaucoupvintage.com to secure your spot. Please use “Friendship bracelet swap” in the subject line and I only need your name in the body of the e-mail itself.
Entrant is responsible for shipping both ways. Please send finished bracelet in manila envelope with a self-addressed stamped envelope for the amount you paid to send your bracelet.
Send to: beaucoup vintage
c/o Megan Parry
208 William Street
Fredericksburg VA 22401
Bracelet must be post-marked March 24th. If I receive a bracelet post-marked later than March 24th, it will be sent back to you.
I will take care of sorting and sending all bracelets. If there are an uneven number of swappers, I will make the extra bracelet. I will send bracelets to their new homes by the first week of April.
If you’d like to include a notecard or tag with your bracelet indicating your name, website, blog or just to say hi, don’t hesitate to do so! Just make sure the note and the bracelet are attached in some way (whether by string, safety pin or in a little plastic bag).
RULES:
- one bracelet per entrant
- bracelet must be handmade by entrant
- bracelet must be at least 5-7 inches long, plus length for tying.
- bracelet must have clasp or braided thread at each end of bracelet for tying.
- bracelet must have at least 2 colors of string.
- please only use embroidery floss for your bracelet. do not include any charms or beads.
If this is your first time making a bracelet, please take a look at some tutorials on YouTube or Friendshipbracelets.net and make a practice bracelet before making the one you plan to swap. They are easy to get the hang of but your first try can often come out uneven or bunched up – not something you’ll want to send out as a gift! Here is the best tutorial I’ve found on how to follow the patterns on friendship-bracelets.net if you’d like to choose a pattern from that website.
If your bracelet does not meet the above listed requirements, it will be sent back to you! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to e-mail Megan at megan@beaucoupvintage.com.
Happy swapping!
Posted on January 30, 2012 by megan |
Next month will mark 2 years of my name being on the lease at 208 William Street. Holy holy! I don’t ever want to get complacent in regards to what I do in and with the shop…I’m always trying to figure out ways to do things differently, better. In that spirit, I met with my intrepid webmaster Ian recently, and we’ve game-planned some new ways to freshen things up around bv’s digital domain in the upcoming months.
First up, a transition. From this blog (which will eventually be re-purposed) to this one. The idea behind the switch is to move from sporadic content-heavy, time-consuming posts to consistent, of-the-moment, and photo-heavy posts. With tumblr, I can post from my iPhone in, like, 2 taps. Pretty cool.
Write it down on your hands, kids! And if you tumble, holler at me and we can follow each other!
www.beaucoupvintage.tumblr.com
Posted on December 1, 2011 by megan |
Shop local, November 26. The mall is so 1998.
bv will be celebrating the 2nd anniversary of SBS with…. cranberry lime spritzer, ginger snaps, she & him christmas album AND
lots of vintage, handmade and one-of-a-kind gifts. plus, get a free t-shirt bag with a purchase of $25 or more (a super chic + green gift bag idea too).
……and that’s why we’re super excited to be a part of America Recycles Week here in Fredericksburg, Nov 5-13th!
10,000 Villages has partnered with the Rappahannock Group Sierra Club to host this week long celebration of all things re-useable. You can check out the entire schedule and list of events here.
We’ve come up with a win-win contribution for bv + recycling week. Come by the shop and donate your old t-shirts (you know the ones…”Junior Ring Week 1999″ or “Stafford Soccer Youth Camp 2009″) that you don’t wear anymore and we will turn them into re-useable shopping bags to give to bv customers during the upcoming holiday season in lieu of the traditional kraft paper bags we use every day. That’s like, double the recycling.
The t-shirt bags are super cute, easy to stuff in your purse while you’re out and about and double as awesome gift bags. The shirts can be any size and any shape – as long as there are no holes, please bring them on by!
If you’re participating in the America Recycles Week tag your bag/punch card raffle, you can get your punch card marked when you donate your t-shirts, bringing yourself one step closer to a full card and awesome prizes at 10,000 Villages on Sunday, Nov 13th.
Buying vintage clothing is fun (obviously) and it allows you to create a style all your own (something a trip to Ann Taylor Loft or Old Navy can’t)….but one of the most important fringe benefits of buying that fringe poncho is that you’re recycling whilst shopping.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to e-mail me at megan@beaucoupvintage.com. Otherwise, we’ll see you next week with your old t-shirts!
Posted on November 1, 2011 by megan |
Just a few of the new pieces in the shop this week!
Personal favorite = the green cat sweater.
And now, some more super simple Halloween costume ideas, constructed out of pieces currently in the shop (and most of em are on sale!).
Look Uno: The 60′s Hippie
Complete the look with braids + floral crown in your hair, a fringed leather bag and you’re good to go!
Look 2: The 60′s Mod
This is one of my favorite dresses in the shop right now – and not just for Halloween! The color and back are TDF. Pair this dress with some black tights, black booties, black eyeliner (the more the better) and you’re totally channeling Edie, Twiggy and my favorite, Sienna Miller’s character, Nikki, from the film Alfie.
We have a handful of over-the-top, totally 80s prom dresses on the sale rack right now – just waiting to be paired with some gruesome make-up and a glittery tiara for a vampire/zombie costume. Zombie fill-in-the-blank and Vampire fill-in-the-blank costumes are some of the easiest and most fun to do. You get to look crazy on the cheap!
For this 90s ish get up, we were inspired by My So-Called Life’s Angela Chase. The cropped daisy top, long silky black skirt and rainbow backpack (not pictured) paired with some beat up combat boots and a flannel would complete the look. No, wait, all of those things with an apathetic, unimpressed scowl on your face would complete the look.
Put your hair into braided pigtails, top it with a bonnet and you’ve got yourself a Little House on the Prairie Halloween costume.
Got any other ideas or costumes you’d like to see created from items in the shop? Leave a comment on this post and we’ll try our best to make it happen. Always up for a challenge.
The Halloween season is always a fun one when you own a vintage shop; “Studio 54″, “hippie”, “Audrey Hepburn”, “mod”, and, of course, “Mad Men” are costume ideas that are constantly being brought up by customers shopping around. This year, I thought it would be fun to do a blog series of different costume ideas for inspiration. To start: the Mad Men ladies!
Betty Draper
Betty’s signature look is the typical 50s housewife: a feminine, waist-defining, full a-line dress in a pretty print or light color, a strand of delicate beads on her neck, full make-up and perfectly coifed hair. I put a crinoline underneath this particular dress to give it even more shape. Pair it with a cute cardigan around your shoulders, kitten heels and a martini glass and you’re set!
Joan Holloway
Joanie is the epitome of the sexy secretary. Her look is all about being sexy while still being classic and professional…she always shows off her curves but never looks cheap or vulgar. Her signature fashion details include a form-fitting, body con dress – always in a solid color (and this purple would look a-mazing with red hair), belted, a printed accessory (like this scarf tied around her neck) and her long, gold pen necklace.
Peggy Olson
Peggy represents the working girl on Mad Men; her clothes are never showy, often (unfortunately dowdy) and usually in darker, less feminine colors. We saw her branch out a bit on the last season of the show, but if you’re trying to pull “Peggy” off as a costume, it’s best to go with something like a skirt suit in a neutral color, sensible shoes, a ponytail or a little hat. She never wears too much make up and is often walking around the office, carrying files clutched tightly to her chest, with a determined look on her face. Plaid, pearls, and a tie-front blouse under the suit are perfect finishing touches for Peggy’s look.
These costume ideas would also be fab done within a group. Get your guys in some dapper looking suits, scotch glass in hand and brylcreem in their hair and make it a party!
The thing I love most about these costumes are that they don’t have to be costumes at all! You can exaggerate the period-ness of the looks to play up the character but each ensemble would totally work on its own post-Halloween, paired with modern accessories.
Posted on October 6, 2011 by megan |
Dolce and Gabanna’s F/W version of the star print
bv’s version of the star print. If you’re a xs-m, this shirt + blazer combo would look super cute with leggings and flats!
Posted on October 4, 2011 by megan |
Felicity debuted soon after Dawson’s Creek did – in 1998 – when I was a junior in high school. I was obsessed with both shows; the former giving me a peek into what college would be like (ya know, huge dorm rooms with bay windows and walk-in closets. Obviously.) and the latter provided validation and comfort in the midst of all the high school angst I was smack in the middle of at the time. In a misguided fit of nostalgia, I recently revisited Dawson’s Creek via Netflix and realized my patience for the Joey/Dawson/Pacey love triangle is….zero (even though I’m still totally team Joey + Pacey).
But hey, all is not lost! I soldiered on in my walk down memory lane by queuing up the entire series of Felicity on Instant and have since been working my way through season 1 while making friendship bracelets for the shop (for an entirely authentic throw back vibe).
I have to say, I’m still really digging on Felicity. The writers did a great job of capturing all the different ephemeral bits of college that make it both magical and overwhelming. If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out! And if you (or anyone you know) is headed to college next year, I declare this a must-watch.
Fun fact: When I applied to be an RA my sophomore year of college, I listed Felicity as one of my inspirations for wanting to become a resident advisor on my application (and was dead serious about that). I got the job and I mean…. I have to say, I was one of the cool RAs. Right, guys? Right?
None of these images are mine; they did, however, come from various sketchy websites that brought up a gang of unsavory pop-up ads with the photos so I’m not going to post the sources. If one of these photos are yours, let me know, and I’ll credit you or take it down.
new window display at 208 William