Clutch bag with a Bakelite clasp. My total find from the flea market this month.

As you know, I am a huge fan of the Nashville Flea Market, and if I wasn’t working so hard at StyleBlueprint, I would spend my ever waking moment leading a grass-roots effort to SAVE THE NASHVILLE FLEA MARKET.  If you are not aware of the current state of affairs, the flea, as I affectionately call it, is closing at the end of this year.  There are many reasons to save this venerable institution in Nashville — hey, where are we gonna buy our truckloads of tube socks?  But, my main reason is this: going to the flea market is an education – a REAL education.   Where else can you learn how to care for your grandmother’s fine silver, why the Fugitive Movement began in Nashville and tips on making pickled deviled eggs?   I defy anyone to match or even come close to the various eclectic offerings in the boundaries of our beloved fairgrounds.  It’s like taking a quick trip to the Smithsonian without the airfare.

(Okay- it’s Liza now- I’m sneaking into Elizabeth’s post (ha ha ha) before she delves into Bakelite, I’m surprising her: I just started a Save the Nashville Flea Market fan page on Facebook.  It’s my present to her.  As I have never been (shock!), I really have absolutely no say in this, but Elizabeth is this market’s mother hen – even dragging the mayor there!  So here’s to you Elizabeth, I hope lots of people sign up!  click HERE to become a fan of “Save the Nashville Flea Market”!  And since I’m here, remember to come to our Consignment sale on Friday!  Click here for details. Now, back to the post!)

pretty cute, huh?

I credit the flea market with my introduction to Bakelite jewelry, as I just happened upon a wonderful seller at the flea.  What appeals to me most about Bakelite jewelry are the colors with their boldness and concentrated hues and the quirky and imaginative designs.  Oh,  just as an aside, I lust for anything opaque.  Bakelite jewelry reflects the Art Deco movement with its strong geometry and angles. The intricate carved bangles, rings and necklaces place this unusual jewelry squarely in US History

This gambler’s delight bracelet is available from Plum Charm Bracelets

Here’s a bit more info if you want to buy a piece of Bakelite jewelry:

Bakelite was invented in the early 1900’s, but became popular as jewelry during The Depression. Bakelite offered the glamorous public affordable and stylish baubles since it was crafted from – you got it – plastic.   Yes, the fantastic plastic we call Bakelite, is back on trend in a big way.  Searches online quickly produce bracelets at $5,000 and up!

Tons of colors abound with butterscotch and pea green being the most common and least expensive. With the prices skyrocketing, Bakelite is the aristocrat of all plastic jewelry.  Intricate and heavily carved bangle bracelets and pins are the most valuable.  Buyer beware: there is lots of imitation Bakelite out there, especially at the flea market.  Here is how you tell the real booty from the fakelite:

• the real deal will have a familiar clunking when two pieces are tapped together.  Fakes do not.
• there are usually no seams in the real stuff
• the true litmus test:  rub some 409 or simichrome polish on a Q-tip and then brush the inside of the piece and a yellow tint should appear on the cotton. However, apparently counterfeiters are starting to figure that one out too, so it’s not foolproof.
• If you dip your Bakelite in water and rub, there is a camphor smell.  The smell apparently the best way to tell the real from the fake.

Finally, here’s my best pearl of advice for lovers of Bakelite:  buy from a reputable dealer and wear your piece of American history proudly.

If you are intrigued by this little post about Bakelite, you may want to delve further with perhaps one of the TEN books I was able to find at Davis Kidd all about Bakelite!  Uh huh, T-E-N books.  I know you want one…..

Sources:

The Nashville Flea Market-third weekend of the month

Plum Charm Bracelets

Wonders on Woodland store in East Nashville

There is a lot of Bakelite on display at Wonders on Woodland. Bring your Q-tips, your 409, and your wallet as you will find that perfect piece.

DVF blouse, new without tags, $75 (new was $275)

The StyleBlueprint A Year Well Blogged cocktail party and consignment show is next week and the weather looks perhaps wet, but far better than what we are expecting over the next 24 hours here in Nashville. I’m actually wondering while I write this if anyone will have power to read this on Friday….  Well, if not, when you get your power back, here’s a rundown on what to expect next week:

Thursday night Feb 4th from 6-9PM is a Girls Night Out to benefit Nashville Children’s Alliance. This is a private party (meaning you need to be on “the list.”) and is limited to 75 people.  So, how does one get on the list?  You pay:  We have 30 spots left and all you do is go to paypal, click on the “send money” link and enter account: liza.graves@styleblueprint.com  Enter in $60 for a regular ticket or $90 for a Patron ticket.

WHERE: 3617 Central Ave, 37205.  No valet, so wear weather appropriate shoes.

WHY: to early-bird shop the sale, to support Nashville Children’s Alliance and/or to have some wine and munchies with your girlfriends!  You’ll get some good swag as well!

Our thanks to The Wine Chap for donating wine for the night, as well as Kateelayne, Pastiche, Knobstoppers, The Vanderbilt Women’s basketball team and coach Melanie Balcomb, Swiftwick and Borders.  And, a thanks to Tina Adams and Rebecca Thompson for helping as stylists for the show!  You can meet them in person here.

Friday Free and Open to the Public 9AM-8PM: OK, grab your umbrella and if you have young kids, you may want to leave them at home (I think it will be busy is what I’m trying to say!) Come shop the high-end goods of 60 consignors.  We have clothes sizes 0- 14.  Shoes of all sizes, hand bags and jewelry.  We even have some hats and belts.  Come shop…..you won’t believe how great the clothes are.  This is a consignment sale- so expect great things, and great prices.  $295 jackets for $85-$145; $500 dresses for $100-$200; $300-700 shoes for $40- $225; $400 new boots for $150; $500+ suits for $125-$295. All consignors have marked their like-new items down by at least 50%, most marked far deeper than that!  CASH AND LOCAL CHECK ONLY.

Our thanks to Sunset Grille for supporting our Friday volunteers with a nice gift for helping us out.  Thanks!

Brand names include, but are not limited to:

DVF, Theory, Oscar, Nanette Lepore, Tory Burch, Rock N Republic Jeans, Etcetera, Carlisle, Worth, Kay Unger, Monique Lhuillier, Sevier Skirts, Tibi, Milly, Gucci, Burberry, Christian Lacroix, Loeffler Randall, Delman, Oscar de la Renta, Isaac Mizrahi, Magrit, Claudia Ciuti, Ginger Goff, Martinez Valero, Elaine Turner, Fiandaca, Badgley Mischka, Rock N Republic and SO MUCH MORE!

RULES:  You must be polite and kind to us and our volunteers.  You must be kind to the clothes and to my house. You can’t leave clothes scattered throughout the house.  There will be ONE group dressing room (my basement).  If you are rude to us we will ask you to leave.  Strong words, huh?  I know, I know, no one needs to hear this….but there always is that one person that ruins it for all…isn’t there?  I’m just weeding that person out now, so everyone else can have a fun time:-)

Alright, now YOUR JOB:

1. spread the word by forwarding this email to all your friends
2. come shop
3. tell all your friends they are truly missing out if they are not email subscribers to StyleBlueprint.  To subscribe: click this link!

Can’t wait to see you.  This is going to be fun for all!

I started following this oh-so-little Facebook fan site in mid-December.  It started Dec 11th and in a mere six weeks had over 6,200 fans.  Growing up with an Ikea less than 15 miles from my house (DC suburbs), I can attest to the wonder and power of this super store.  But, Bellevue?  Actually, it makes perfect sense.  Having lived in a Coronado townhome in Bellevue in my mid twenties, I can tell you first hand that this area of Bellevue would benefit immensely from Ikea.  But, it’s not a one way street.  Ikea can move in with all the benefits of a Cool Springs location with none of the costs.

Ikea living room. Modern Cool. Click pictures on post for further inspirations.

Ikea is a destination shopping center.  Franklin will travel to Bellevue, as will Dickson, Columbia, Cookeville, and Bowling Green.  West Nashville will still bitch about the taxing drive, to be sure.  I mean HYSA destroys my weekends.

I’m just overly hopeful, with no good reason as this is just a Facebook fan page. But, wow, what a story it would be if it happened!  The Style Diva in the Tennessean recently wrote about wanting an Ikea, as well as a Crate and Barrel, Zara, H&M and Top Shop in Nashville.  Well, get us some IKEA love and the rest will follow.  I mean, we do have an entire empty mall sitting there in the midst of one of the fastest growing regions in America.  Brilliant. 

Ikea has great furniture for families.

The originator of the Facebook group is cryptic though. He? She? posts messages and letters but with no signature.  You can’t even email the person…or poke them for that matter.  Perhaps scared of the ModerNash guys?  Yes, if you really want Ikea now, you can order and avoid the CRAZY shipping rates by having ModerNash pick up your goods and drive them back from ATL.  Um, yep, a whole company was started to fulfill Nashville’s hunger for IKEA goods and avoid the ungodly shipping rates IKEA charges.  So, my bet is that ModerNash doesn’t want IKEA here, but these guys seem the type to jump on opportunity.  If we can get IKEA here, there will be other opportunities.

You know how much I love a white room....

In the meantime, do use local company ModerNash, but become a fan of Bring Ikea to Bellevue and perhaps, just maybe (OK, doubtfully, but I’m a dreamer) it will come.

• SUBSCRIBE here to StyleBlueprint (you don’t want to miss a post, do you?)

• Click here to become a Facebook fan of Bring Ikea to Bellevue.
• Oh, how about becoming a Facebook fan of StyleBlueprint as well?
• Click here to find out about our upcoming consignment sale.

update: the Tennessean actually mentioned this FB site in an article this past Monday (I wrote this post on Saturday; it seems I need to publish faster…)