Black 'n' Gold Girl's Book Spot

The Story: The New York Times bestselling author of A Certain Age transports readers to sunny Florida in this lush and enthralling historical novel—an enchanting blend of love, suspense, betrayal, and redemption set among the rumrunners and scoundrels of Prohibition-era Cocoa Beach. Burdened by a dark family secret, Virginia Fortescue flees her oppressive home in New York City for the battlefields of World War I France. While an ambulance driver for the Red Cross, she meets a charismatic British army surgeon whose persistent charm opens her heart to the possibility of love. As the war rages, Virginia falls into a passionate affair with the dashing Captain Simon Fitzwilliam, only to discover that his past has its own dark secrets—secrets that will damage their eventual marriage and propel her back across the Atlantic to the sister and father she left behind. Five years later, in the early days of Prohibition, the newly widowed Virginia Fitzwilliam arrives in the tropical boom...

I've been rambling on and on about my search (and discovery!) of the perfect flapper dress for my bestie's bachelorette party. Y'all are probably sick to death of the words dress and flapper just from my mentions alone! Well, I'm happy to say that this past weekend was the big day. Not the wedding mind you, but the bachelorette party in beautiful, vibrant Pittsburgh. Let me tell you, if you've never experienced the 'Burgh, you are missing out on tons of rich history and diversity. Must-haves for any flapper -- red lipstick, red nails, beads, & feathers!

A few weeks back, I posted about beautiful, vintage couture flapper dresses . At almost 100 years old, there are few that survived. If you're lucky enough to find something that isn't completely shattered or moth-eaten, it's more than likely a very small size. People just seemed to have thinner physiques way back when. I was not blessed with the trendy petite frame of the '20s gal, but I fit in more along the lines of the curvy 50s bombshell criteria.  Searching for a flapper dress to fit a... eh hem...busty girl was no easy task. With a budget of measly $100 the results promised to be even more limited.  One day while perusing eBay for what felt like the millionth time, I stumbled across a little gem in what looked to be a pawn shop's virtual store that was otherwise filled with video games and glassware and nonesuch. With shipping, the dress was a little over my budget, but thanks to the "Make Offer" button, I was able to get a true vintage Roar...

I love thrift shops. I used to shop them solely for books, but I've learnedly that you can find great bargains on vintage clothes too -- if you visit the right location. Vintage has always appealed to me. Be it clothes, furniture, radios, etc. I've always had a respect for the quality craftsmanship that went into so many things from days gone by. In a time when pretty much everything is disposable, and by the time it gets in our homes it is already surpassed by the next best thing, it's hard to find something lasting. In recent years films like The Great Gatsby and the smash British TV series Downton Abbey , the vintage fashions of the Roaring Twenties have made a comeback. The sleek lines of Art Deco, Egyptian archaeological finds, and the influence of jazz could be seen in the wardrobes of the younger set and marked a turning point in women's style. It's no wonder these styles have regained their popularity. A few yards of material combined with sometimes th...