1980s Faux Fur: The Mysterious Origin of the Donnybrook Coat

Posted on November 14, 2011 by mainebelle

For those of you who came out to SWAPmaine Fall edition a few weeks ago – thank you! It was an incredible event with over 300 attendees – the SWAPmaine girls, volunteers and vendors made it an incredibly special event and we look forward to planning the Spring event – and perhaps a few other surprises before then!

The swap kept me busy, so I didn’t have much time to peruse the offerings. I only came away with one item; what I’m about to reveal is so amazing, so jaw-droppingly awful/lovely, it is difficult to put into words.

I reveal the Donnybrook Faces Coat:


Note: I will be wearing this as Cruella Deville for Halloween next year.

To start, donnybrook is an actual word that means a public quarrel or dispute. As in, “A donnybrook broke out at the clothing swap when the Donnybrook coat arrived.” NEW FAVORITE WORD.

Second, there is a hardcore band named Donnybrook from LA. You’re welcome.

Third, let’s talk about the Donnybrook fashion label. I cannot find any information on them besides the fact that they are Donnybrook Fashions, Ltd., a children and woman’s coat company founded in 1980 in New York. But there are plenty of Donnybrook coats being sold on etsy and eBay – here are a few samples I found:

THE SAME EXACT COAT I HAVE! This is going for $150 on etsy


Another Donnybrook on etsy. This one I really like – it is a faux white fur jacket with floral trim

Then there’s this number currently being sold for $280 on eBay

I guess faux fur was their thing in the 1980s, which is cool, since the debate over fur really got crazy back then, with PETA all over the place and a public outcry over the wasteful and extravagant use of fur. Interestingly enough, fur made a comeback on the runway last year, so we’ll keep an eye on this trend to see where it goes. I’m glad I found this article, because I learned that an anti-fur activist tossed a dead raccoon on the plate of Anna Wintour (editor of Vogue) while she was having dinner at the Four Seasons – fun!

In conclusion, my research reveals that Donnybrook is pretty special and their coats are few and far between. I’m pretty sure they no longer exist, but they definitely pumped out coats in the 1980s. You can look for me at holiday cocktail parties this season sporting the Donnybrook faces coat and a manhattan.

I’ll end with a few more donnybrook references:

  • Donnybrook Fair, based in Ireland, is a full service high end food store.
  • Donnybrook is a “vintage-style” pub on the Lower East Side of New York – it looked cool, but they also play music on their website, which is one of my number one pet peeves.
  • Donnybrook Writing Academy in Denver. According to their website, they continue the tradition of a secret society formed in a Capitol Hill piano bar many years ago. “This society’s members would personally ignore all facets of reality: poverty, the twenty-first century, incompetence, decided lack of fame – for the preference of obvious and belligerent cultural superiority.”
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Winter Coats & My Spiewak Secret

Posted on November 2, 2011 by mainebelle

One fateful day last Spring, I just *happened* to be at the Dover, NH Goodwill store. While there on *business* I mindlessly flipped through the winter coats, not really looking, but feeling like since I was in a thrift store, I had to look at something – ever get that feeling?

Well, I’m looking through and I stop at an innocent-looking brown pea coat. The quality of the fabric was high and in great condition – plus it was a long coat, something I’m always looking for to keep my whole self warm in the winter. I pulled it out and tried it on – it fit me to a T. All the buttons were in tact, it looked great, it was warm – sold! Bought it for $4.99.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I begrudgingly took the coat out of the closet to actually *wear.* In October – the horrors! As I’m putting it on, Pat stops in his tracks and asks, “where did get you get coat?” I gave him the *look* and he said, “Goodwill, really!?”

He showed me the label and it turns out this coat is a Spiewak.

So what, you say? This is what I said. However, Pat had bought a Spiewak coat last year for a pretty penny, so I immediately went online to learn more. Spiewak was founded in Brooklyn in 1904 by Isaac Spiewak. He first sold sheepskin vests and also made uniforms for soliders in WWI and WWII. Today, they specialize in uniforms for police, fire and EMS agencies. They also now make a “streetwear” brand and claim to be “America’s best kept secret.” I’ll say, I had no idea! I did some further investigation and they have some NICE coats. Check these out:

I also did a search and the only place that sells Spiewak in Maine is Bliss Boutique in Portland. But the most important thing – cost! The average cost of a new women’s Spiewak coat is $186.75 (I came to this conclusion by taking the average price of all the women’s Spiewak coats here). Though I couldn’t find my specific jacket (I’m thinking it came out within five years), I think it probably cost close to $300, considering the length and warmth of the coat.

Sorry, I was solo when I took these pictures, otherwise I would have modeled!

I think you can really see the military uniform history of the company in this coat. Needless to say, I’m thrilled with this find – what winter coat are you excited to wear this upcoming season?

ADDENDUM: Also, also! I found an amazing coat at SWAPmaine this past weekend. I need to find the perfect event to wear it to, but I’m thinking holiday parties. Stay tuned for photos!

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SWAPmaine: Fall Edition 2011

Posted on October 24, 2011 by mainebelle

This coming Saturday, October 29, is the Fall edition of SWAPmaine. SWAPmaine is a project I have been involved with in the past year through my work with Goodwill. In early 2011, a group of Portland fashion bloggers got together and decided that Portland needed a well organized city-wide clothing swap that offers people the opportunity to trade the old for the “new,” all while benefiting a local nonprofit organization. Goodwill is a sponsor of the event, but also receives all left over donations at the end of the swap. Last time, we were able to donate nearly 3,000 pounds of high quality clothing!

Luckily, I found enough time last weekend to go through my clothes and complete a massive purge. Part of the problem I have is I don’t put things in “storage.” I hear stories about people packing up sweaters for the summer, or boxing up t-shirts once October hits. I’ve never done this – everything is easily accessible 100% of the time. New England seasons are too finicky AND I know I would forget about half the items I own. So I keep everything out, but with limited closet space, this also means I can’t keep a whole lot. Closet purging needs to happen every few months.

Following the spirit of Allie’s blog she just wrote for SWAPmaine, the following items are up for grabs – please take them!

Hippie skirt I’ve held on to since college – it’s finally going

LL Bean Green & White Checked Shirt – it’s actually a really cute shirt, but I could never make it work for me – hopefully someone will be excited to try it out!

Not promising ironing will happen.


The short-sleeve knit sweater. Though this is a style I love, I can’t quite pull it off, so I’m sending it off to the swap.

REALLY cute red and white polka dot dress. This is a great dress, it’s just a tad too small and there’s a small hole in the back that needs mending. I’ve been meaning to do this for close to a year, but since it has not happened, I decided we were not meant to be.

1950s blue star dress – this was one of my favorites for awhile!

Whatever you are purging, I encourage you to bring a bag of cast offs to the swap and get something new to you! Full details are SWAPmaine.

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Meatballs for when you don’t want pasta!

Posted on October 7, 2011 by mainebelle

It’s true! I’m not a huge fan of pasta – I like it now and then, but it’s so heavy and it’s just empty carbs. But I like meatballs – dilemma. What to do when you want a good protein with some greens on the side and you’ve been eating a lot of chicken lately? Meatballs!

I first discovered this unique take on the classic meatball recipe when I read a post from everybody likes sandwiches for Italian Wedding Soup. I didn’t feel like making the soup, so I made a version of her meatballs – and they are amazing. You can make these in big batches and freeze them, too. Serve them up on a favorite grain (I used Israeli couscous, but rice, quinoa or wheatberries would be great, too) and steam up a side of kale, chard or collards – it’s pretty simple and healthy – I make a bunch to eat for lunch several days during the week.

Meatballs for when you don’t want pasta!
(adapted from everybody likes sandwiches)

  • 1-2 pounds of local, organic meat (we order beef from Tide Mill Farm in Edmunds, Maine through the Portland Food Co-op)
  • 1 tbsp fennel seeds
  • dash of Old Bay seasoning
  • 2-3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup plus some of bread crumbs
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • red pepper flakes
  • dash of hot mustard

Very easy – toss all the ingredients in a bowl, roll up your sleeves and mix everything together with your hands until all the ingredients are well combined. I always use a mortar and pestle to grind the fennel seeds up a bit – it really helps bring out the nice anise flavor in the meatballs.

This recipe makes 30 small meatballs – put them on parchment paper on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 350 F for about 20-25 minutes – make sure you don’t overcook them, as they can dry out pretty easily.



What other meatball recipes do you always turn to?

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CSA Haul: Perfecting the Roast Chicken

Posted on September 27, 2011 by mainebelle

The end of September and October is always a busy time at work, so there is little wiggle room to write about food ideas, clothing projects and other inspiration. I did, however, have some time last weekend to take on a daunting task – perfecting the roast chicken.

The thing is, I was a vegetarian-vegan-vegetarian in my formative years through my mid-twenties, so I never gained much experience in cooking poultry or other meats. It’s always been hit or miss and kind of disappointing at times. But as you know, we recently joined a chicken & egg CSA with Buttermilk Hill Farm, which means I currently have 5 whole chickens in my freezer. And the great thing about roasting a chicken is that it can be stretched into several meals – roast chicken, chicken salad and chicken soup.

So I turned to favorite cooking source and was not surprised to find they have the perfect recipe. Smitten Kitchen has a great adaptation of the Zuni Cafe (San Francisco) roasted chicken – which is supposedly a big deal, so I now plan on going here next time I visit my (vegan) sister. The trick to this recipe is using small chickens (3-4 pounds) and roasting them almost at the broiling point.

SK notes that this will taste better if seasoned a few days in advance (no doubt), but I seasoned and roasted in one day and it is amazing. Also, this bread salad thing – I forgot to mention that!

Awesome, Easy Roast Chicken with Bread Salad
(based on a recipe from the lovely Smitten Kitchen)

  • One while chicken (3-4 pounds)
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Thyme
  • Marjoram
  • Any other spices you want to throw in

For bread salad

  • Old bread, toasted up
  • Olive oil
  • White wine vinegar
  • Garlic
  • Raisins
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Rinse the chicken well and sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and choice herbs. Throwing on some olive oil doesn’t hurt.

The key is cooking the chicken in a pan close in size to the bird. I used a small cast iron pan that was relatively deep. As SK points out, heat it on the stove before putting in the chicken, so it doesn’t stick.

Wait for your oven to heat up to 450 F and throw in the chicken.

While it is cooking, toast up some old bread, rip into chunks, toss with olive oil and quickly toast in the oven next to the chicken for a few minutes. When it is golden in color, take it out and toss it in a bowl with more olive oil and white wine vinegar and salt and pepper. I heated up some raisins with garlic and added them to the mix. I think this would also be good with some almonds or walnuts tossed in. Quickly steam some greens, like spinach or arugula (I used chard) and toss together.

Set aside and check on the chicken – after about half hour, it should be golden brown. Flip the chicken and roast for another 20 minutes or so. Take out of the oven and transfer to a plate – slice through to make sure it is done. Drain some of the juice from the chicken and toss into the bread salad. Throw the bread salad back into the oven to heat up.

Serve the chicken over the bread salad – add in a side of green beans if you are feeling guilty about all the bread you about to eat.

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Stocking Up: Maine Specialty CSAs

Posted on September 18, 2011 by mainebelle

Many small farms support themselves through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Most offer full and half shares of the farm’s products from May-October. In exchange for an up front payment, consumers receive fresh produce, flowers, meat, dairy and other products each week. It is a great arrangement. CSA members provide up front capital for farmers for the growing season, sharing the risk of bad weather and other unforeseen events, while receiving fresh, locally grown  items each week.

Though Local Harvest notes that there is no exact number on the number of CSA offerings in the country, they have over 4,000 farms listed in their database that offer CSA shares in their local communities.

Patrick and I recently became members of a very specific CSA – chicken & eggs! Our friends Ken and Kamala at Buttermilk Hill Farm in Belgrade, Maine, are new farmers and offered up this exciting option. In exchange for an initial investment, we have been receiving fresh eggs and freshly frozen chickens since early spring.

This has been a great experience for us, because our fridge and freezer is always full (we actually need to get an additional freezer) and we are supporting our friends in their new endeavor. This food-specific CSA made me curious about other unique CSA offerings in Maine, so I did some research – there is quite a number out there.

Apple CSA – Super Chilly Farm (Palermo, Maine)

Photo courtesy of Rabelais Books

Super Chilly Farm has operated an apple CSA the last few years in partnership with Rabelais Books in Portland. Unfortunately, they are filled for this year, but you can add your name to their mailing list to receive notification for the 2012 harvest.

Dairy CSA – Webb Family Farm (Pittson, Maine)


Photo courtesy of MOFGA

Webb Family Farm in Pittson, Maine, grows grains and organic beef and milk. They offer a unique dairy CSA in which you can purchase “cream-line” and skim milk, fresh from the farm!

Flower CSA – Broadturn Farm (Scarborough, Maine)

Broadturn Farm in Scarborough offers a flower CSA. Stacy grows gorgeous flowers and I think I’m going to sign up for this next year – how amazing would it be to pick up a fresh bouquet of flowers every week?


Photo courtesy of Broadturn Farm

Oh, and they are also amazing hosts for weddings.

Lobster CSA – Alewive’s Brook Farm (Cape Elizabeth, Maine)

Photo courtesy of Alewive’s Brook Farm

The Jordan family at Alewive’s Brook Farm offers a unique CSA/CSL in which you can have your pick of fresh produce and lobster each week! As an added convenience, you can pick up your shares at the Portland Farmer’s Market.

Are you a member of a CSA? What other unique offerings have you found in Maine?

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Lunch Review: Schulte & Herr, Portland, Maine

Posted on September 17, 2011 by mainebelle

Roasted beets. Yes.

Fresh cucumber salad with dill. Yes

Sauteed spaetzle with caramelized onions and Emmental cheese. Yes, please!

And to entice you inside:

While Portland has an eclectic and vibrant local food and restaurant scene, something that has been noticeably missing is Central European fare. I recently went to Karl Ratzsh’s on a recent trip to Milwaukee and it made me realize how much I was missing – I needed more beets, spaetzle and bratwurst in my life.

Then along came Schulte & Herr. Tucked away on Cumberland Avenue in Portland, the new German restaurant opened their doors in early September. Before they moved in, the location had been abandoned for several months (before that, it existed as various incarnations of Thai and Vietnamese restaurants)

I recently went to Schulte & Herr for lunch with my friend Claire on a quiet Tuesday afternoon. As a recent reviewer on Portland Food Map noted, “Run, don’t walk.” I concur. The menu and decor of the restaurant is refreshingly simple. Though German food is typically heavy on carbs and starches, Schulte & Herr offers options for lighter fare. For lunch, you have an option of four plates:

  • Roasted bratwurst with sauerkraut & German potato salad
  • Beer braised beef sandwich with whole grain mustard, horseradish sauce & homemade pickles
  • Beef Gulasch with roasted red peepers and panfried bread dumplings
  • Sauteed spaetzle with caramelized onions, Emmenthal cheese & chives

There are also several starters, including beet, barley & vegetable soup and potato pancakes with homemade apple sauce and sour cream (why I didn’t get that second option, I don’t know. I’ll be back). You can also have the potato pancakes with house cured lox, horseradish sauce, capers and cornichons (gherkin pickles). There are also a number of sides to complement your main dish.

Claire and I decided to share a plate and two sides – we opted for the sauteed spaetzle and sides of roasted & golden beets and cucumber salad with fresh dill & vinaigrette.

Roasted Red & Golden Beets

Cucumber salad with dill in a vinaigrette

We were not disappointed – it was the perfect amount of food to share. The beets were well cooked and warm. The cucumber salad provided a lighter side to the meal. But of course, the highlight of the meal was the spaetzle. Amazing.


Sauteed spaetzle with caramelized onion, Emmenthal cheese & chives

We ended with dessert – they offer a single dessert that changes each day. The day we went the offering was vanilla custard with plum compote – and you could see the vanilla beans in the custard. Paired with a cup of tea, it was a sweet way to end the meal.

  • Starters range from $4 – 9
  • Lunch plates range from $9-12
  • Sides are $3 or $4
  • Drink options include coffee, tea, iced tea, root & ginger been and schorle (your choice of juice with sparkling water)

Schulte & Herr  (349 Cumberland Avenue) is open for breakfast (that will be the next review!) and lunch, Monday – Saturday, 8 am to 3 pm.

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Harvest Haul: Golden Beets with Red Quinoa & Garlic Yogurt

Posted on September 5, 2011 by mainebelle

After a great weekend of camping and hiking (we camped in Errol, NH and hiked at Grafton Notch (Newry, ME) in the White Mountains), I came home to a mess of beets from the garden that needed to be turned into something tasty before they got tossed in the compost bin.

I had already roasted beets this summer and have made borscht too many times in the past, so I really wanted to try something new. I searched “beet recipes” and was pleased to find that the New York Times recently compiled a list of beet recipes they have published in the last few years. There’s a lot of great recipes here I want to try (especially Beet Tzatziki), but I went with the first recipe: Beets, Spiced Quinoa and Yogurt. I adapted it a bit to the spices I had on hand, but the flavor of the dish is amazing. Cinnamony-sweet meets garlic meets cardmom meets tangy yogurt. And it’s super healthy for you!

A great trick I learned from this recipe – instead of mincing garlic and adding it to your recipe, throw a few cloves into a mortar and pestle and mash it with some sea salt – it brings out the flavor a lot more.

Golden Beets with Red Quinoa & Garlic Yogurt
(adapted from the New York Times)

  • 3-4 cups cooked red quinoa
  • pinch of cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, nutmeg, allspice, ginger
  • golden beets, roasted (with skin pulled off)
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • salt
  • yogurt
  • walnuts

Start with the beets, as these take the longest. It took me about 50 minutes (oven at 425 F) to roast about 9 small-medium beets. Roasting tip: cut off top and bottom of beets and place in tin foil in glass baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with tin foil while baking).

While the beets were roasting, I made the quinoa (make a bunch for leftovers to use in other dishes – stews, soups, or as a breakfast grain – really yummy with maple syrup and walnuts).

At this point, the beets are probably still roasting – they take such a long time, another problem with coming up with creative ideas for cooking beets. So I then heated up some olive oil and put in a pinch of all the spices listed above, sauteed them for a few minutes, then threw in the quinoa. Stir this well for a few minutes so that the quinoa is well coated in the spices. Scoop the quinoa into a baking dish and spread it around into one layer.

(Beets still roasting)…next, mash up the garlic in the mortar and pestle with sea salt and mix it into some plain yogurt. This recipe called for “drained yogurt,” but that is really about presentation, so if you don’t mind it a bit soupy, you can just use plain yogurt.

Hopefully by now the beets are done! Take them out and let them cool a bit. When you can handle them, slip off the skins and slice them.

Place them on top of the quinoa. If the quinoa is still hot, you can serve. If it reached room temp, toss the baking pan back in the oven for 10 minutes or so to heat up.

I put out the yogurt and walnuts separate, since we were not going to eat all this in one meal. Slather on the yogurt, sprinkle the walnuts and enjoy!

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Harvest Haul: Hurricane Pickles

Posted on August 30, 2011 by mainebelle

We were fortunate enough not to lose power during Hurricane Irene, so I proceeded with my original plan for the day – making pickles. We had picked about fifteen cucumbers from the garden a few days earlier and I needed to do something with them quickly before they went bad (note: we grew pickling cucumbers this year – H-19 Little Leaf from Johnny’s Selected Seeds. The last time I made pickles I  used Boothby’s Blonde cucumbers, which are a pale yellow color, which I thought would be different and cool for a pickle. They are sweeter and taste better when eaten fresh (compared to the pickling cucumbers), but I don’t think they pickle all that well).

What I discovered a few years ago is that you don’t need vinegar to make pickles! They are much better fermented – they taste fresh and are not acidic. Here’s the basic rules I follow:

Ingredients

  • Cucumbers
  • Pickling Spices
  • Garlic
  • Dill – fresh or dried
  • Salt

The proportions I used below were for about 15 cucumbers and made roughly five quarts of pickles.

First, fill and rinse all your mason jars with boiling water to kill any bacteria – if you have a dishwasher, run them through a hot water cycle.

Next, boil about 4 cups of water with 6-8 tablespoons of coarse salt (I used sea salt). Make sure it is dissolved and add 12 cups of water to the salt solution – this is the brine you will use to ferment the cucumbers.

Next, cut up your cucumbers – I cut them in spears, but you can also cut them in circles – I’m blanking on the term used to describe this – sandwich pickle? Anyhow, fit as many as you can in each mason jar.

Next, lightly crush garlic and divide evenly between the jars – I put in two cloves per jar, but add more if you want extra-garlic pickles. Divide the pickling spice and dill evenly between each jar – I put in a little less than a tablespoon of each per jar.

Finally, fill all the jars with the brine so it covers the cucumbers. Lightly cover the jars (I covered the jars with cheesecloth, but you can also lightly put the lid on – you just want to make sure air gets in to aid the fermentation process). Store in a dark place for three to ten days – the longer you let them sit, the more sour they become, so it’s really just a taste preference. I will let mine sit about four or five days, because I like them to taste fresh.

Once they are ready, cover tightly in lids – they will last in the refrigerator for up to two months or so. If any of the jars develop an odor or start to look funky, stay on the safe side and discard them.

Happy fermenting!

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Repurposing Designing Women: The Two-Piece Outfit

Posted on August 21, 2011 by mainebelle

I’ve recently made a discovery that I’m very giddy about. I almost feel like I should not share this new knowledge, though part of me thinks that most thrifters out there already know this little secret. It is the secret of the dress and jacket two-piece.

For years, I bypassed this section of thrift and consignment stores. Why do I need shoulder pads and matching pieces in my life? I really don’t. Then everything changed a few weeks ago.

I was in a thrift store in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The color and pattern of this dress caught me eye:

At first glance, this dress is pretty hideous – that jacket, the shoulder pads – everything about it was pretty garish.

And yes, this confirms that the combo is awful – very Designing Women.

But I was really drawn to the color – you don’t really see this shade of periwinkle purple all that often. So I decided to just try the dress.

And I’m in love!


It’s the perfect dress for warm summer evenings – it’s a great color and it fits well. But I never would have found it if I had let the jacket deter me. So with this new positive attitude towards the two-piece, I then discovered this floral monstrosity:

If possible, this jacket/dress combo is even worse than the purple outfit. I think it’s the scalloped piping on the border that really bothers me.

And there it is. But what would would happen if I lose the jacket? (Sorry for the quality of some of these photos; it was turning dusk when we shot them):

Without the jacket, you have a really cute summer dress that is perfect for July and August. I should also add that I did wear this dress with the jacket to 80s night at Bubba’s Sulky Lounge – so make sure you keep the jacket for special occasions.

What fashion finds have you made lately? Do you have a certain item you look for to repurpose for a more contemporary look?

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