SANTA MONICA HERE WE COME!!

I can't wait to post photos for you of the crazy over-packed car. I'm terrified about how wrinkled everything will be when it is unpacked. There are 265 women's garments, 55 pairs of women's shoes, 25 handbags, six hats (had to cut back), 7 pieces of lingerie, 60 men's garments, five racks (including a four way!), two folding bookshelves, one dress form and two mannequin heads inside and on top of my PONTIAC VIBE. For those of you who don't know, they look like this: (same car as a Toyota Matrix.)


Take 20% off any one item in the Fab Gabs Booth at the Santa Monica Vintage Expo. Not Valid with any other discounts.

This is insanity. I need a mini-van again! (Mine was totalled in 2008 ... got this hunk of junk instead.)

I leave in 4.25 hours for the first leg of the trip - get to stay with my favorite person in the world in San Francisco for the evening. Then leaving at 5am again to get into Santa Monica at unloading time.

I'm filling a 10x20 booth (that's 200 sq ft) out of a car with 54.1 cubic ft of cargo space. Start laughing now. Start laughing any time! And you can laugh all the way to the bank by printing out that Pontiac Vibe pic with the coupon text underneath. Nifty, no?

See you there! xoxoxo!

Classing up the Joint

Welcome to the new, slightly more professional world of Fab Gabs. A physical presence at trade shows. An actually active blog. And LAYAWAY. Yes, I know you've been waiting for it.



Some very fabulous return buyers have given me terrific feedback over the past few months, that I've been chewing on for a while. I hate losing sales because I feel I have to turn someone down, but I'm also not a big fan of having sold merchandise sitting in the store disappointing others. But, I think I have a very good policy worked out, and I think you'll be pleased. At least, I hope you will.

Layaway will be available to returning Fab Gabs customers and also to other Etsy buyers with 10+ positive feedback and a 100% positive rating on Etsy. It will be valid for items of $100 or more before shipping costs. The standard terms will be a 50% NON REFUNDABLE deposit paid at the time the items is reserved and 50% plus the shipping costs in two weeks. Items that are very expensive may be broken into more payments at my discretion. I will always send a reminder three days before a payment is due. Items that have not been completely paid within three days of the due date for final payment will be released for the general population to purchase. This is, of course, to keep anyone from defaulting!

The thing is, it isn't YOU lovely customers that I'm unsure of - its all the rest of the people I haven't interacted with that I'm cautious of!

Although it is technically official, I haven't added this to my shop policies page, because I wanted to swing it buy you first. What do you think? Does it make you love your Fab Gabs garb even more?

Thanks for your input!

Viva Lost Wages in Show and Tell

Well, I've been back for a few days. As it happens, I forgot my camera - and so did Dave. (But all out clothes got there, organized in outfits, and that's what is REALLY important!) Because of that, I've had to rely on photos taken by friends to record the outfits, and there's only a fraction of the 17 different ensembles I wore represented here.

My birthday night ensemble, featuring the finest hat in my collection. A New York creation, with gathered red rayon over black felt. The rayon is gathered at the bottom and can be pinned around the hair.
Dress: Bombshell Vintage, Portland, OR







This black taffeta dress has an amazingly gathered bodice with a dropped waist. More impressive in person, but it really isn't "me." I'll be selling it.



I lived in these suspender pants almost every night for the record hops! I brought two pairs, but one got rum & coke all down them. The blouse is a 1930's gathered silk crepe with wide, ruffled collar. One of my favorite thrift finds ever. The pants! JITTERBUGGIN of course!



I really was living in pants a large percentage of time. These mustard rayon pants are worn out, but I can't give them up! The 40s short sleeve sweater is red-orange, navy and cream. A dear favorite of mine.



More of Jitterbuggin's suspender pants, with a silky pink rayon blouse.



Until this suit, I never had anything to wear these not quite mustard colored gloves with. Enjoying the ONLY quality cocktail of the whole weekend.



I am extremely fond of this hat. Tore the heck out of my stockings that night though, had to lose them.



Birthday pants! Black rayon gab - one of my gifts from Dave. I *LOVE* these. Bought the blouse that night from Santa Fe vintage to make a perfect set. There's even more bakelite on the other wrist. Turns out I have a LOT of green.



Okay, bombshell isn't my natural state, but I can play too! This smokin' deal of a dress was a surprise find by my friend who runs Eagle Eye Vintage. Most - not all - but most of the bakelite on my friend to the left is mine. I was a bakelite ATM at Viva.




Actually, this was one of my favorite ensembles and I almost forgot it! Silk 1940's novelty print halter, clearly made out of the remnants someone had hanging around. I've always thought this was something I could actually make while I learn to sew. The skirt is a 40's rayon wrap with ruffley/drapedness to the closure.



Sooo... go buy yer Jitterbuggin pants and peek in at Eagle Eye, too! She has a knack for finding amazing handbags. And of course, you can peek in my shop. I'll be listing things perfect for NEXT VLV shortly.

My thoughts on the weekend: finally, I felt like Viva got too crowded. The car show was stupidly big. The main showroom for Wanda Jackson was beyond packed - you literally COULDN'T move. All in all though, I had a fantastic time, one of the best weekender experiences I've been too over all. Maybe because I gave up on trying so hard to bring my strictly "rockabilly" stuff - and just wore what I pleased!

In fact, it seems there were a number of gals in hardcore 40's attire there - including my fashion icon from Chicago, over whom I have major hair and clothes envy. She's positively inspiring. I wonder if she has a blog....

Oh oh oh! And I met two customers (one wearing the carousel dress!), the other recognized me and someone from Twitter/FB recognized me, too! That does good for my ego.