steve's place - detroit mi

I was reminded of a shoot that we did last year (that for whatever reason I never posted), upon hearing the news that Steve, owner of the famous 'Steve's Place' in Detroit, MI. was not in good health.

It was just after 11am on a Sunday in a deserted downtown Detroit when we walked into the bar to find Steve and his wife Sophie sitting in the back.   My friend Cathy and I ordered a couple of Pabst Blue Ribbon bottles (when in Rome) and struck up an easy conversation with Steve.  He offered us a shot of schnapps, on the house (may I remind you it was 11am :) to drink with our beer. I had heard from friends that this was a regular thing for Steve to do and because it seemed like it would have been offensive to turn him down, we accepted.

Steve was quite smitten with the photo shoot, even standing in a few of the shots.  A downtown fixture for over 40 years, I am sure Steve has seen his share of events.  Not sure a photo shoot for a vintage fashion blog was on the list before this day, so my heart smiles as I wish for comfort to you Steve.  xx

Photos C Miller

the walkervilles

Its been a while since I put up a music post, so given that it is  Canadian Music Week, meet The Walkervilles. With a classic Motown and rock' n roll sound of the 60s, these boys also know how to rock a suit and tie! Catch them Saturday at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto and March 30 at FM Lounge in Windsor.

Photo K Kavenaugh

the 'after'

While my 'closet move' took place a couple of months ago, I guess I just don't feel like the space is completely 'finished' yet. Maybe I need an area rug in the middle of the room?  Maybe the terrible shades need to be replaced with some fabric curtains? Maybe I just need another set of eyes and a second opinion?  Nevertheless, here are some shots of my new and improved closet/office space - a work in progress. 

Without a doubt the best thing about the room, aside from the fact that my clothes are no longer all crammed together, is the work space.  Although this room has almost twice as much space as my old closet, I had the same amount of wall space to work with (due to the addition of a bay window and closet door).  I was however, able to tuck the full length mirror on the wall behind the door and hang my inspiration board on the back of the door to save space.  I also had the clothing rods hung closer to the ceiling to allow for more space between the two. With the bonus of a closet, I was able to install shelving to store my shoes, belts, hats and off season clothing.  I made use of the curtain rods (for now) by attaching hooks to hang some of my necklaces.  I prefer when things are on display, not tucked away in drawers and regularly rotate them for inspiration.  The chair was one I found at a local market.  It had this horrifying plush seat cushion that I simply covered with a vintage silk scarf. I'll admit that maybe silk wasn't the best choice for a chair seat that I spend hours on, but it was inexpensive and only took about 10 minutes to re-cover, so I suppose having to replace it every now and then isn't that big of a deal. Finally, I kept my handbags on shelves around the circumference of the room like I had in the old space.  Like the saying goes "if I ain't broke, don't fix it".

Photos S Mingay