Note: I'm wondering about this format; I'm hating the centered photos. Trying something new. So my sewing campaign started. And I made some dresses, even some with great success. Along the way, I figured out how to put in a zipper, top-stitch, pin-tuck and make an inset sleeve. I meticulously copied all the patterns so I could adjust them with ruining the original. My McCall's sewing book from the trash was the best resource for all my "huh?' questions, especially since old patterns are not printed with directions and come one size per package. I moved on to Boston. My boyfriend and I and some friends went to Vegas for Viva Las Vegas, a giant rockabilly event with bands. It's an extreme fashion show. I'm a huge fan of vintage stuff, but my oh my, it was over the top. Anyway, that particular year, one of the featured performances was a burlesque troupe. I had seen some burlesque shows in NYC and was interested in seeing the show in Vegas.

It was a weird show. Troubling. Awkward. Home-made outfits that weren't really working the way they were supposed to. I watched and thought "I bet I can do that better." I liked the idea of exploring a new kind of engineering that opposed the general engineering design of clothing, which is to go on the body and stay put. At the time, I didn't have much use for the new ideas and possibilities swirling in my brain, so I put it to rest for a while. The opportunity to make the ideas into reality didn't occur until I moved to Atlanta.

sometimes it starts with a book. or a dance. or both.

I've always been a crafty person. As a kid, I took every chance to I could to create. If I could make a school project into an art endeavor, I would. I once made a cut paper book report of Gone With The Wind. That was insane. I would not ever want to repeat that little project.

I got into vintage clothing in high school and would scour thrift stores with my friend Jim. I eventually ended up with a very practical degree in graphic design, an impractical wardrobe of vintage and an rediscovered love for dance. (I picked up where I left off as a kid for soccer with ballet and added a number of other disciplines, along with developing a (semi-un) healthy habit of long distance running.

I moved to NYC immediately after graduating. I continued with the things listed above, and added lindy hop to the mix of dance disciplines. It was a natural progression and combined lots of things I love: dance, old music, old clothes and athleticism. Sadly, the combination was a bit deadly when it came to maintaining a certain girlish freshness and my pretty vintage dresses. As the athleticism increased, so did the likelyhood of armpit stink from beyond the grave and shattering fabric.

I decided I was going to sew.

And that same week, I found a superb vintage sewing book on the street in the trash, which I took as a sign that I was going to be able to save myself from social doom. I found ebay and rustyzipper.com, vast resources of old patterns.

Then I bought a sewing machine.

It's really going to happen.

So after 13 years of being in the interactive industry, 13 years of sewing and 3 attempts at a blog, I'm ready to make this happen.

The name of this blog comes from one of my best thrift stores finds: a beauty book from the 1950's called "Secrets of Charm." It was the first in what has become a decent collection of vintage beauty books, and furthered my interest in fashion, history and design, so I felt it was a appropriate moniker.

At present, I have one job as an Associate Creative Director creating advertising for clients that ranges from emails to websites. My other job entails designing and sewing costumes for a performance troup specializing in dance and burlesque and creating custom pieces for photoshoots. I've also had styling jobs here and there and love lindy hop.