From the Etsy Files....

Honestly, I was a little skeptical about hitting up Etsy this time around because I wasn't sure I could find things that fit the month's theme and what I was looking to feature. That's new for me; if you go back through most all of my previous Etsy Files you'll see that I'm practically chomping at the bit to show you what I've found on here, and this time around I'm not quite as excited. Pinterest was so much fun I wish I could do a double post, but I was a little more skeptical about Etsy since I had never looked on there for party stuff before. But anywhoodle, let's see what I can scrounge up this time around!

Set of 10 '60s Party Invitations, $9.99

I had to include these because unlike a lot of the other invitations I found last week (read: yesterday LOL) on Pinterest, these are actual invitations from the '60s. First of all, let's just talk about that cover art. Clearly, "A Party" was sufficient enough conversation on the front. Secondly, what kind of jig do you think these two were doing? Dude is going though; he's even worked up a flush on his cheeks! lol Anyway, enough with my random rambling. I thought these were simple invites, the couple doing the jig is too cute, and invites from the '60s aren't being sent out by everyone so these will definitely stand out. 

'50s Mad Men-style Cocktail Dress, $165

I love this dress so much. I think it's party appropriate, it's summer-friendly, and hello--polka dot alert! When I think of cocktail dresses and summer parties, dresses with this silhouette usually come to mind before the slinkier, more form-fitting dresses. All I know is that this is a lovely garment. The price isn't all that lovely, but oh well. lol It's fun but still classy, the material isn't too heavy so this would be good for outdoors events even though the dress is a darker color, and I love the color of the dots. 

Vintage Betty Crocker Electric Fondue Pot Set in Regal Mardi Gras, $39.99

I chose this because what's a '70s themed party without some fondue? I wish this pot was a little more colorful like some of the other ones I saw, but what I liked about this one more than the others was that it had more forks than the majority of the others I saw, it has its own electric base and a few of the others didn't, and it comes with a cookbook. So even if you're new to the world of fondue, you can hit the ground running. lol I think this would be good for smaller get-togethers today as well; despite the hotter temperatures during summer, you can use this for smaller nighttime parties that are outdoors and do a chocolate fondue rather than a cheese one. 

48 Vintage Games and 25 Party Stunts, $19.95

If you want to play some old-time games at your party, I think this box set of party games would be good because there are so many to choose from. This box is from the '50s and while the listing describes it as 'nearly complete,' I think individual versions of most of these games wouldn't be difficult to find. I chose these not only because I love me a good game of bingo but also because I like how the older games are styled. I think they can bring a level of authenticity to a vintage-themed party or they can make for decent party accessories to suit a festive theme. 

'60s Betty Crocker Party Book Cookbook, $25

I came across this book a couple of times while I was searching for cookbooks, but you can't go wrong with Betty Crocker's recipes....most of the time. I've come across the occasional doozy. lol Anyway, this is a cookbook from the '60s (for someone that's not a large fan of this decade, I for whatever reason continue to be drawn to it this month lol) that focuses on various party recipes that you can use at any time of the year, and it also has helpful menus so that you can easily plan the culinary side of your party. I think it's also good education if you want to learn more about what party menus during the '60s consisted of. This was a good runner-up for me, though. It's also from the '60s. What's happening to me? LOL

'70s Patchwork Maxi Dress, $98

If you're going to a more casual outdoor party, like a barbecue or beach party, this is a fun and summer-appropriate dress to wear. Maxi dresses will probably never go out of style for summer fashion, and I think the patchwork design on this dress is cute and vivid without being too folksy, if that makes sense. You could easily pair this with a pair of gladiator sandals and a big floppy hat and get your boho on. I think the pose that the seller chose also displays the fun in this dress. It's a playful dress, to me anyway, and you can still integrate some vintage into your party attire without being as obvious as the other dress I featured above. 

'80s The Ungame for Singles Pocket-Size Version, $8.50

I merged the two images of this pocket sized game together so that you could see the front and the types of questions that the game asks. I don't think this game has to be played with just singles, though. You can easily switch the wording around to fit your friends or family so that they can still answer the questions. Regardless of the audience, however, I think The Ungame is more appropriate for a smaller, more intimate occasion, like a dinner party or something of the sort, because these questions are not your normal single/mixer questions. These require thought and are meant to encourage more thoughtful conversations, so you definitely don't want to break this out for a large group or if you want to play party games that aren't quite so heavy. This is what I call 'intellectual gaming,' because unless you're looking to be intellectually stimulated, this game isn't for you. I want these cards. lol

Vintage '40s Oak Picnic Basket, 49.95

Still in the vein of outdoor parties and summer events, here is a picnic basket from the '40s that, considering what the basket is made of, is in stellar condition. This particular basket has a small holder at the top for silverware as you can see, and I think repair would be quite simple as well if you have some ribbon. The bottom of the basket seems pretty barebones in design, you'd have to add in your own fabric if you want to protect the inside. There is some damage to the upper right side of the bottom portion, but nothing that can't be fixed. 

'60s/'70s Melamine Picnic Tea Set, $52.69

I love this tea set. This is a 6-cup tea set for outdoors picnics and events, and I think it's both simple and classy. This set is from between the '60s and '70s, and while it's a bit more formal than I'd go for a picnic, I know picnics done vintage-style sometimes had more to offer in the way of serveware than Dixie cups and paper/plastic plates, which are my go-tos. lol I wish I could decorate them a bit because they do run the line of plain, but you can't put these in the oven so no sharpie dots for me. I don't see any noticeable chips or scratches, so this isn't a bad price for something that's nearly 60 years old. 

'60s Stork Bingo Baby Shower Game & Gift Set, $40

Lastly, I wanted to touch on an outdoor event that I haven't covered, baby showers! Since I'm not a parent and most of my friends have already had children, I don't think about the subject of babies or showers in general very often but then I came across this '60s (again! WTFrack, man?) gift set in the store and thought it was entirely too adorable to pass up. I think this looks like a fun variation on today's staple baby shower games and it's a little more intriguing to me than some of the games I've played at showers. I've noticed that the baby showers I have gone to as well as the birthdays of most of my friends' kids are during the summer. It's the perfect time of year to have a shower though. Winter is a busy time, ain't it? lol 

And so ends this month's Etsy Files! While it did eventually end up being the hotbox of fun that it usually is for me, at first I struggled quite a bit. I feel like I say that every week. It's still accurate. Anyway, I did not feature anything medieval this time! Aren't ya proud of me? lol In all honesty, the only reason why I didn't was because I couldn't find anything I liked enough. But it's not about why I didn't put it in this post, it's the fact that I didn't. LOL  I'm still a little stumped on whether or not to keep Amazon as a regular part of my Files posts every month but I haven't found anything with enough material to take its place yet so that's still up in the air. Any suggestions on what I should do for our Bonus File this month? Let me know in the comments and I'll see ya when I see ya! Unless you're on ATV's Twitter, in which case I'll probably see you tomorrow. lol