Late Fall Harvest: Tomato Bruschetta Recipe

If you're fortunate enough to get a late harvest from your tomato plants I have just the fall recipe for you. Whether you've got a bowl full of cherry tomatoes or you have larger plum or roma tomatoes you can make this fantastically simple and delicious bruschetta recipe.

Herbed Goat Cheese Bruschetta...great for fall!

I call this recipe Herbed Goat Cheese Bruschetta and it is both very simple to make and utterly delicious. Below are ingredients for 2 lunch/dinner servings or as a party appetizer making approx 12-16 rounds.

What you need:
Olive Oil
1 baguette - sour dough or french, whole wheat, whichever you prefer
3 cloves of garlic
3 roma tomatoes, or a full box/bowl full of cherry tomatoes
Fresh Basil, rinsed and sliced julienne style - 1-3 leaves per round
OR dry basil - 1/2 to 1 tsp, to taste
Fresh Spinach - optional - rinsed and sliced julienne style
Salt & Pepper - to taste
Herb Rolled Goat Cheese Log - or Plain - I get mine at Trader Joe's because it's cheap and delicious
Balsamic Vinegar - optional, and I've never actually added it

Rinse your fresh greens (basil and spinach), then gently pat drier and set aside. Rinse the tomatoes, cut off the green leafy tops and half them. De-seed your roma or plum tomatoes (skip this step for cherry tomatoes) by halving the tomato and scooping the insides out with a spoon. Now dice your tomatoes.

Saute the crushed/minced garlic cloves in olive oil for a minute, then add in the diced tomatoes. Add a little more oil if needed for a light even coating. Stir in a small pinch of salt & a few twists of pepper, then heat through for just a couple minutes on low-medium heat to soften the tomatoes and meld the flavors a bit. Remove from heat and add dried basil to mixture if you lack the fresh stuff. Add additional Salt & Pepper to taste.

If you cook the tomatoes for too long they may become soggy and liquidy. It still tastes great but the texture is less ideal and you may need to drain off the extra liquid they'll sweat off. The tomatoes cook up quickly so try to avoid overcooking!!

While that cools a bit slice your baguette and get it toasted. You can cut it in rounds as pictured or slice the baguette in 3-4 inch sections split down the center like a deli sandwich. While bread is toasting, get your rinsed greens back out and stack & roll the leaves together to slice them in julienne style strips.

Assemble your bruschetta - on the toasted slices heap a generous spoonful of the tomatoes on, then add your sliced fresh basil and spinach on top (or just mix the greens and tomatoes together and spoon it on. Whatever.) Now pull your herb goat cheese log from the fridge and twist your fork in the cheese to create crumbles. Sprinkle said crumbles on top and enjoy. This creates a lovely warm-cold contrast with the cold cheese getting melty and smeary as it warms from the tomatoes and toast.

With delectable goat cheese crumbles all around!

 So. Good. Hope you like it! Be sure to check out our vintage kitchenware and serving pieces for the coming holidays for a one of a kind get together this season! We love plating these little rounds on long skinny trays like the one pictured below to create a colorful center display on our appetizer table.

Serve it up vintage style on one of our great serving trays at Ophelia Vintage Home!

Rocking the Frock: Then and Now

The OV fashion team truly believes vintage style is timeless. Whether it's a certain print or hue combination, cut or unusual fabric, style comes back around to many popular aesthetics from the 40s to the 80s. With this in mind we work to offer fashions and create looks that incorporate these vintage pieces while being easy to wear for today's women.

Sometimes a modern dress hits so close to home we have to do a side by side style comparison...plus a little how-to and where-to-wear tips for the fashion lover!

ModCloth - $43

Ophelia Vintage on Etsy - $125

How would you rock the frock? See our tips below!

60s Mod Bubbles Maxi Prom Dress: A unique vintage piece in mod bubbles this maxi dress is a tailored beauty. Comes with a long sleeve over layer, not pictured. If you're looking for a prom dress this fall, this is totally it cuz NOBODY else will be wearing this one of a kind dress! Pair with white or orange pumps and solid white handbag for a complete look.

Dot You'd Never Ask Dress: With panels of reversed polka dot prints and a flirty ruffle bust this shorter frock is ready to work for you at the farmers market to Friday happy hour. Pair with a wide white belt to slim the waist over the elastic band and complete the retro effect with espadrille wedges to keep things breezy and bright into fall.

Check out white labor day accessories here to get the extra pieces to complete these gorgeous ensembles!

Fashion Faux Pas or Not: Will you Wear White After labor Day?

We hope everyone has enjoyed their extended weekend this labor day. Though it's September, the heat and general aroma of BBQs feel more like July 4th than the fall ushering holiday that it is. With the hint of fall in the air and big box shops launching their fall fashion sales it'll be time to pull out your cool weather gear before you know it.

The shift of seasons and wardrobes begs one question to the OV fashion team. Do you pack up your whites after labor day or is it dated fashion advice? If you're like us and think a little white is alright into fall, check out our vintage collection below!

60s Mad Men Embroidered Sweater

...And some other great accessories available at Ophelia Vintage!

Baking in Retro Style: Cheddar Garlic Sun Dried Tomato Biscuits

You can almost taste the cheesy-tomato crumbly goodness

These biscuits are crave-ably good, insanely easy to make and are great as a light breakfast or appetizer for dinner. And best of all, they reheat fantastically with just a few minutes in the toaster oven! Make these the night before and toast 'em up in the morning to keep your kitchen cool in these dog days of summer!

Ingredients:
Bisquick or other Pancake/Biscuit Mix, I used Trader Joe's Mix (3 3/4 Cups)
Butter, as called for on box for drop biscuits (1/2 stick for TJs)
Milk, as called for on box for drop biscuits ( 1 and 1/2 Cup Milk for TJs)

1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/3 to 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, depending on personal preference
2 to 4 cloves of garlic, diced or garlic pressed, amount varies by personal preference

Preheat your oven to the temp directed on the box, for me 400 degrees. Grate the cheese and set aside. Measure out the sun dried tomatoes and pour into a sauce pan with a little olive oil. Simmer on low heat to make the tomatoes softer and break apart more easily, about 2-3 minutes. Then add the diced/pressed garlic and saute until nicely roasted, another 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Now follow the directions on the box for drop biscuits to make the biscuit mix. Then simply stir in the tomato mixture and grated cheese. Spoon out large drop biscuits onto your 9 x 13 baking sheet, bake as directed (12-14 minutes by my box.) I fit about 6 biscuits per sheet, makes about 12 large biscuits or 18 medium.

Serve Them up Retro Style with our Vintage Plates & Kitchenware!

Practical Fashion: April Showers

The saying goes "April showers bring May flowers." This certainly seems true for Spring 2012! We are listing one of a kind unique umbrellas for the vintage loving girl. Little touches like lucite loop handles and retro avocado green really makes these umbrellas shine in the rain!  Shop the look now!










Everything's coming up roses with this sweet blue and yellow 60s umbrella. There are few ways to stay cheerier with bad weather in store. Shop the look now!






Stay tuned for our rain coats, leather boots, and many more spring and summer accessories! What's your favorite stylish but practical spring time accessory?

Want to see more vintage home decor, clothing and accessories? Visit our new website at 

¨¨°º© WWW.OPHELIAVINTAGE.COM ©º°¨¨

My Meet and Greet with Lily Tomlin

Lily Tomlin as the'helpful'
telephone operator Ernestine

Lily Tomlin as Edith Ann - on Laugh In

 When I was told I could see a “comedy show” with my boyfriend’s family I jumped at the chance without any further ado, following the logic that I like stand up and it was free, so it was a win-win situation. When I actually bothered to ask who was performing and found out it was Lily Tomlin I immediately Youtubed some of her more famous characters.  I checked the venue website and saw she sold out the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, MD so I thought it must be a good show. As a little extra my boyfriend’s family had been in touch with her manager (or maybe publicist?) on her fan forum and we got to head backstage after the show for an intimate meet and greet with this great lady of comedy to see her unwind after her lively and nostalgia-inducing performance.

Source: Marty Lederhandler, AP

With a black patent belt, cut out heels and a bold color skirt
 Ernestine's retro look is great spring fashion inspiration!

With appearances from Sesame Street to SNL, Lily Tomlin may be a familiar name in your household too. Or perhaps you’ve only heard of her alter egos? Whether she’s in character as the troublesome and saucy little girl Edith Ann or her sour Ernestine the Telephone Operator act, Lily gives an energetic and funny performance.  And just look at that Lucite jewelry, full skirt, and fantastic patent black belt paired with those cut out heels! Just gotta love that vintage styling.

Lily Tomlin with Meryl Streep and Lindsay Lohan

Seeing her with such big stars made me feel extra special when I got my own picture with this iconic lady of comedy!

My meet and greet with Lily Tomlin! I'm pictured far right.

Lily was gracious enough to meet with a few lifelong fans after the show, where we got to take a picture, get an autograph and hear a little about her tour. After a certainly exhausting performance she was still absolutely charming and patient with her eager fans. Check out Lily Tomlin's 2012 Tour Schedule to see if you can catch her one of a kind performance in a city near you! It won’t disappoint.

The Road to Fabulous

Hey there followers! Do any of you have that one friend who always manages to look absolutely fabulous? You know, that one girl that has the perfect look everyday, leaving you look like you just rolled out of bed? Well I do, and I have a sad little story about my struggle going from sloppy to sensational, and how my fashionable friend inspired me.
Over New Years, I traveled 3,000 miles to visit my very best friend, Katie. We met when I lived in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California. It's the tiniest, cutest little surfer town you ever saw, just north of San Diego. When Katie and I became friends, there were obvious differences between the two of us. Her mother raised here to always look well-kept whenever she left the house. She always had her nails painted, no scuffs on her shoes, and hair shiny and clean. My mother just wanted to make sure my tee shirt didn't say anything offensive. All I ever wore were band shirts and denim jeans that never fit right. I wore skate shoes and never did anything with my hair, it was just a perpetual poof. Walking down the street together, the two of us looked like day and night. She said she loved that I didn't feel a need to impress anyone when I was out. I was just me. Though, I admitted I admired her care for the way she presented herself, something I never really knew much about.
One day, I was at the mall with a friend, and a stranger mistook me for a boy! At the time I thought it was funny, but then it happened again and again. I said to myself, "this needs to stop, but what can I do?" I didn't know how to go about making myself look pretty while still dressing the way I wanted it.
Time went by, and I moved back to the D.C. area. I had lived there before I moved to California, and I was excited to see my old friends again, but boy, what a let down! I don't know if I was just used to Katie's clean style, but my old friends looked like slobs! Many of them had greasy hair, holes in all their clothes, and wore nothing but flip flops all the time. It really made me realize how important your visual impression is. From then on, I made strides to create a marvelous style all my own.
Since then, I've expanded my wardrobe at least 75%. I said to myself, "I can still like the way I look without dressing like a 15-year-old metal head from the 80's." I save the band shirts for concerts, I gave my confused jeans to Goodwill, and I wear my skate shoes only when I'm actually skateboarding. Today, I own enough dresses to play Eeny Meeny Miny Moe when I can't decide what to wear. Before, I owned one (hideous) dress for special occasions. I have more pumps than I'd ever imagine, (and I wear them all, too!) I have a variety of nail polish and makeup, which, for me, was the biggest leap into a feminine style. I never wore makeup until about 6 months ago!
When I returned to California for my visit, Katie looked great, as usual. The perfect outfit with the perfect shoes, ya know, the whole nine yards. I didn't really get to whip out my new look until we went out for a fancy dinner that night. I put on a high-waisted skirt with Aztec print, a white tank with lace on the neck, and suede t-top black flats. I applied some light, natural-looking makeup and finished it all with a cropped leather jacket. When we were ready to go she gave me the once-over and with these wide eyes said, "Oh my God, you look FABULOUS!" That was it. That was all I needed to know I took my style in the right direction.

I used be afraid of so many things; mascara, open-toed shoes, v-necks, the list goes on. Now, my world is open in a way I never thought possible, and I owe it all to Katie. She taught me not to fear to unknown, just give it a try! So followers, if you're ever apprehensive about changing up your style or taking on a new look, just go for it! You may end up loving it.

By: Laura Sullivan