Vintage Avon was just better

When I was little, the Avon lady would go to my grandma's house and I remember always sneaking one of the catalogs and going through it a billion times, I don't remember ever actually getting anything from these catalogs, or anyone in my family either, but just going through it and seeing all of the pretty items, perfumes, soaps, nail polish and circling it all as if I was going to actually get it. That's such a fond memory from my childhood and I really doubt that it is an experience my own daughter will ever have, everything is cold and online and there's no more Avon lady coming to your house, I don't even think they offer real catalogs anymore.

But it wouldn't matter anyways because the magic is kind of gone. Avon was always on top of their game when it come to creating things that were creative and feminine and fun, and I didn't even get to experience Avon in the 60's/70's when their items were even more creative. The items were beautiful and you would have wanted them sitting on your vanity or in your bathroom, the packaging was perfect and it was so something from their time that could never be created again. Where and when else would you have been able to buy a perfume bottle in the shape of a snail or a pink grandfather clock?? I'm kind of going through a bit of a vintage Avon kick and here's just a few favorites I've found on Pinterest.

౨ৎ Jocelyne De Lioncourt

My Hair Is Being Pulled By The Stars Again

"I'm restless. Things are calling me away. My hair is being pulled by the stars again."

One of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite writers, Anaïs Nin from "A Journal of Love": The Unexpurgated Diary of Anaïs Nin, 1934-1937

This has felt like a really good start to the year and to a new Quaintrelle. This is our first collection in a while but I wanted to focus solely on this quote rather than come out with a plethora of shirts with different quotes. Quaintrelle has always been just me working on everything on my own, and I've had limited resources so I really didn't expect to continue with it, but to be honest, I love this little brand, and seeing it die isn't really something I want to do. This collection means a lot to me for a few reasons, first being that this quote has always felt really important to me. I've loved it ever since I first read it and I knew that one day I would want it to be a part of Quaintrelle. Another reason is that I've actually felt motivated and inspired to keep going with this brand and I think this collection shows that. I've been able to play with graphic design again, I used ai as a tool this time, which has been really great for someone who is just trying to make art out of their little bedroom with no money or backers or a team, just a dream. But even though i did use ai, I still used my Photoshop and graphic skills and implemented that in this image in ways that I had not before and it was really fun. I was studying graphic design when I found out I was pregnant 14 years ago and I wasn't able to graduate but it has always been something that I've loved to do.

With this collection I used a lot of my skills that were collecting dust and I made something I really love. The collection features 3 different t-shirts with the quote "My Hair Is Being Pulled By The Stars Again" , in onyx, antique and blush. Both the antique and blush t-shirts and dyed by hand, both colors I created myself using a concoction of RIT dyes. These shirts used to be tea stained when the brand first came about around 2015, but as much as I loved this process and the look of it, I don't think it is something that was or will be very popular since tea staining tends to be unpredictable, the colors may differ, there tends to be blotchiness, so I switched to RIT dye a few years back and the consistency has been a lot better.

I've chosen these 3 colors, because these are actually the 3 colors that rule my life. Onyx, the blackest black, for obvious reasons, I'm a goth girl at heart, my hair is dyed the blackest shade of black I could find and I almost exclusively only wear black; Antique is a faded creamy color that is meant to resemble the pages of an old dusty book, I will rarely use white for anything, it's too harsh, it's too clean, but a nice creamy antique is just perfect; and the color Blush, despite my all black wardrobe, my jet black hair, how dark I wear my makeup, and the music I listen to, pink is and always will be my favorite favorite favorite color, but specifically? a dusty rose blush pink, and this color is just that.

You can shop this collection in my new Quaintrelle shop: https://www.quaintrelleshop.com/

౨ৎ Jocelyne De Lioncourt

2024

Ribbons on my Ghost is a bit of a new start for me, I've been distracted elsewhere, with family, my pets(I have 5!) and I just couldn't make the time for my art, photography, for Quaintrelle or indulging in art & film & music like I used to. My entire focus was on raising my now 13 year old daughter, this time in a little girls life is so important, and she needs her mother more than ever, so I wanted to be sure that I was prepared for this job. Being 13 can feel so chaotic and lonely and foreign and angsty and I just want to be there to make the process even a tiny bit easier. Our relationship has really blossomed this past year and I feel like we are in a good place where I could also take a little bit of time for myself, to work on other things that don't have anything to do with being a mother, but the things that I love to do; to draw, to play with my camera, to work on graphic design again, to design new shirts. I was working on ai randomly, out of curiosity, and it sort of created this entire thing, and now I'm here, blogging again, sharing my thoughts and likes and obsessions and whatever. I wasn't doing anything creatively at the time, so I was using ai to get my ideas out, ideas that I didn't realize I still had, and it made me want to do more. It's been a really fun and surprising time and I'm glad I was able to get out of the rut I had been in for so many years.

౨ৎ Jocelyne De Lioncourt

Here's a few AI images i've prompted recently: