Profiled in Hand and Seek

I was thrilled to be featured in Hand and Seek's indie business profile this month, as the head cook of Luncheonettevintage. Hand and Seek is a new collective of makers and sellers and the blog looks great. Recipes, how to's, DIYs, profiles, gift guides and a lot more, all from these amazing people. It's one of the best new maker and seller collectives I know, and I'm looking forward to following it — and contributing when I can!

The profile has some great photos of the shop and some great questions and answers. Thanks so much for Jill and all of those who put it together. Some photos and outtakes below. Enjoy.

Ready to wrap.

Maya in an amazing vintage sweater.

Outtake: Hazel the Viszla, napping as I work.

Outtake: the even more crowded view of the crowded corner.

Football season

Research Dept: 1960s Tweedsbury by The Country House cardigan sweater

The label has that distinctive Country Squire meets Yankee homespun look I've seen in a lot of early 60s clothing labels.

Research turned up an advertisement in a 1965 newspaper, the October 31 issue of the News and Courier of Charleston, South Carolina. The ad is for Dawn's Village Shop on Rivers Ave.  How you'll love the truly Traditional Styling ...

The drawing, clearly hand done, each outfit neatly framed in a sweet wreath. Further research uncovered that Tweedsbury was trademarked in North Carolina. Wonder how the sweater wound up all the way up here in the Catskills, half a century later?

The sweater, a shetland wool cardigan with lovely grosgrain trim down the front, now in the shop.

Luncheonette model: Maya
(All the luncheonette models are local, home grown and free spirited and smart as heck, and none are professional models.)
 

What kind of artist are you?

I've always been really into drawing/illustration and making movies. I currently draw in my free time and am working to pursue more filmmaking opportunities, specifically in documentary. 

Vegetarian, vegan, omnivore?

Vegetarian for 12 years, currently not practicing.

Favorite foods? 

Yellowtail Sushi, Pizza, Goat Cheese, Avocados, Eggplant, Ben and Jerry's, Mango Smoothies, Grilled Cheese, Green Curry 

Favorite drinks?

Lemonade, hot black coffee, iced coffee with milk, seltzer, Mexican beers, chocolate milkshakes, red wine, anything with a straw.

Favorite actor / actress / movie / artist / writer (any or some or all)?

My favorite movie changes all the time, but I can tell you my first favorite movie: The African Queen.  My favorite writer also changes a lot but I'm currently reading Richard Brautigan.

Favorite decades?
I like dresses from the 20's, jackets from the 40's, pants from the 70's, music from the 60's and 90's, and art from the turn of the century.

Favorite luncheonette clothing you've modeled in so far?  

I had a lot of fun in the black fur stole, it's so absurdly posh. It carried a pretty big glam rock ego. [coming to the shop soon!]

Favorite animal?

I really like dogs. I think dogs with a lot of energy are great because they're always funny but my ideal dog is very large and lazy.

Everyone at the luncheonette has a restaurant connection, so what's yours?
I worked at a cafe where the menu was designed to give people a lot of mobility (make your own sandwich, build your own quesadilla etc.) so I've taken a lot of bizarre orders like cheese-less quesadillas or bacon-cheeseburgers topped with chicken tenders and mandarin oranges.  I like working jobs like that though, as long as people are in good spirits.

Blue, teal, black, lemon, white.

Color is the easiest way to think, my mother used to say.

1980s travel tote (coming to the shop soon)

1950s bedtable (flips up for a book stand)

turquoise blue flow lunch plates

1950 candy tin

vintage boy scouts bear cub neckerchief slide

There are so many changes going on right now. All great. The shop finally has its own studio, freshly built. I can start working with models, including Rebe, who rocks the vintage with her own special flair. More on her, as in a kind of formal introduction, coming up! When she's not modeling, she uses power tools and works on houses. I found her slinging wicked cappuccinos at a cafe. All the great ones work in restaurants at some point in their life, my waiter grandpa used to say.

one of my favorite pieces ever in the shop, here

sweet conjunction of numbers

right now, at 7:16 a.m. on the 8th of March, 2013:
there are 226 items for sale in the luncheonette.
there are 1246 positive feedbacks (thanks so much, everyone!)
there are 2246 total sales

to celebrate, a coupon: lunchforbreakfast 
25% off.

No more antlers, said the NY Times. So, no antlers.

I put this together after reading the NYT article on a still "moony" couple who bought a 1.7 million dollar loft in Williamsburg and wanted to avoid that "Brooklyn" look. Meaning antlers, for one thing, which is — I am sure — a not so subtle dig at the flea market/instant heritage/vintage taxidermy aesthetic that can be satisfied so easily on etsy.

 If you have $13,000 to spend on a couch (as this couple does), maybe you're above all that. If not, there are plenty of amazing pieces being made and curated by shops on the e'sphere that have nothing to do with antlers. I don't even think too many of these are in Brooklyn. But if they are, they're not in a 1.7 million smackeroo loftette. And I happen to love antlers anyway.

stuart and diane's place

stuart likes to have some new shirts on hand for special occasions

 

diane saves everything, like a length of old linen lace and a lone plate

wooden hangers from the 1920s hang in their closet, unburdened

diane still has her mother's childhood sunday dress

on the second floor landing, an old pint milk jar sits on a chenille rug

diane commandeered stuart's old toolbox for her own collection

at night they both dream of oregon, a trip to the coast they'd like to take.

another victorian family photo album

from an 1839 family bible