Showing posts with label Vintage clothing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vintage clothing. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

"Inappropriate" Movie Attire

Unfortunately, I can't remember who to credit, because almost everyone has now done this, but I saw someone's blog yesterday where they had Mad Men-ed themselves!  Now I can't say this is my favorite show... I watched it a couple of months back when I was procrastinating studying for finals, and I wasn't at all pleased.  I know, I know, how could I possible say this, right?  It's just that I don't really emphasize with any of the characters.  I suppose Joan would be my favorite as she at least has a back bone.

But the costumes!  Oh my!  I could watch this show muted and be as happy as a clam!  My normal style deviates between Betty and Joan (two extremes, huh?), but yesterday I was feeling more of the second.




 

Because Betty is my second favorite (although I feel the story-line is a bit cliche), I made sure she was in the image.  And no, I don't smoke... I just liked that mouth the best.  Having gotten caught up in all this Mad Men-ing, I decided to channel Joan last night when I went out to the movies.  But, alas, my camera failed me, and I didn't have the batteries to take a picture!  And I was so proud of it too!

Here's the dress and the shoes though (with lots of credit to SKM, for her tutorials):



 

"Opera gloves? To the movies? Really?"  "Well where else am I suppose to wear them?"

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Do help, my fellow vintage lovers

Why, oh why, do vintage shoes not exist in sizes above a 7? Did women really have smaller feet, or are larger footed women worse at keeping their shoes in good enough order to become vintage?

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Too many Banana and Walnut Pancakes!


I went to brunch today with the ex, who also happens to be one of my best friends (f***ed up, I know).  Anyway, brunch means basically two things to me:











1. The chance to eat pancakes covered in butter and sirup without feeling guilty, because, as everyone (except my waistline) knows, brunch doesn't count.  Same goes for holidays and all food consumed while on vacation.

2. I get to dress up!  Well, either more so than I normally do, or at least I get a day off from curious stares (see a good entry about this by Super Kawaii Mama on her blog!).  I have a thing for hats, and have a lovely set of hat boxes (see above), but have never managed to wear them out that much. I didn't end up wearing this hat out, as it wouldn't stay put, but I thought it deserved a photo... or two... or three...


Hat: What my mum wore when she got married instead of a veil
Dress: My absolute favorite vintage dress ever (w/ little knitting needles and balls of wool).  But it is disintegrating!  So depressing!


 <--- my lovely thigh-highs!  I wish these came in thicker fabric, because I hate how tights fall down, and I have to walk around with my knees tied together.


Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Christmas in July: Amusing Musings from a Tired Brain


So last week I decided that I would make this blog a Sunday adventure, writing up the events of the past week.  As you can see, that worked out wonderfully (not).  I suppose my main problem is that I'm a perfectionist, and the more inspiring blogs I read, the more I feel mine cannot possible compete.  So I put it off, for a stroke of genius to appear at a later date.  I still feel a bit lacking in the genius department, but oh well.  Better late than never, right?

This blog was created to catalogue my achievements/adventures, as well as things that make me happy.  While I do not want to fill this with pages of my emotional writings (I found my old middle school LiveJournal, and I do not know why I ever thought anyone would ever me interested in that... slightly "emo"), hopefully this will be a place I can record my journey of "self-re-discovery".  Last summer, I ended (sort of) a six year romantic relationship.  To make matters worse, it was with my best friend, so there wasn't anyone to "take care" of me.  The best way I can describe what happened after that is simply that I shut down.  However, now I feel somewhat ready to try to reanimate myself, and come back into the real world.  Yet, having been one half of something for so long, I now have to find out who I am on my own.

I figure that this can be a place that I use to remind myself of the little things that bring a smile to my face (vintage shoes, for example).  Plus it will give me a weekly activity to add to my schedule, as, being slightly OCD, I LOVE making lists... always starting with "make list".  ;)

So, after a lengthy explanatory intro, this belated post:

1. (<-- notice it's a list!) My older sister just got an apartment in Hollywood, and we've been helping her move in.  This meant a trip to ikea, and way too much time salivating over everything.  I love housing stores (especially Potterybarn), but without a house of my own, I constantly have to be reminded that I do not own my own kitchen (*tear*).  Yet, I am somehow not drawn to the bathroom sets... I think when I have my own house, I will have a library, kitchen, and bedroom, but forget the bathroom.  The apartment, however, is fantastic; it's in an old 1920s/1930's building, with Jacaranda trees outside.  The only problem is that it is incredibly hot over there.

2). Speaking of heat... I'm melting!  I feel like the wicked witch when dorothy attacked her
with the water.  It's far too hot here, even though I'm close to the sea. You'd think, after spending more than half the year in Scotland, I'd appreciate this weather more.  But I'm a fan of the cold (and lovely vintage coats, mittens, boots, etc.).  I always get this problem in July, where I think it must be Christmas soon, right?  It's the problem of growing up in a city lacking extreme season changes.  I had my first snowy winter last year, and all I want, sweltering by my pool right now, is for it to be that time of year again.... "Santa baby, hurry down the chimney tonight..."



3). I re-watched The Big Sleep last night, which probably counts as my favorite movie of all time.  I'm not sure if it was the first Bogie and Bacall movie, but they are absolutely fantastic together!  It was also one of the first movies that used overlapping dialogue, which Lauren Bacall is particularly wonderful at.  He is, of course, amazing at everything he does (I would love to marry a Bogie of my own).  I think Bacall gets a lot less recognition than other women of her era, because not only is she a great actress (holding her own against the much older and experienced Bogart), I think she's gorgeous! 


4). Lastly, I have been hunting for a store in LA that sells pretty reproduction vintage lingerie, like some of the things from What Katie Did, but I can't find one.  I'm not fond of places like Victoria Secret or Frederick's of Hollywood, as they're not all that classy.  Does anyone know of any good shops?

Monday, July 6, 2009

We're quite a way into summer, so...



The Bathing Suit Edition:

I've spent so long trying to find a swimsuit that was sexy, just classy.  I finally found this bright red reproduction one from MyBabyJo, and I'm in love with it.  Thus, I thought it called for a (somewhat belated) modeling.



It's actually much brighter than this picture suggests, but I had fun playing around with iphoto, which haven't used that much, as I only just got a digital camera [confession: I got it as a Christmas present, but have been too busy to play around with it much... plus I've spent the last couple months in dreary, no-color Scotland].


In other news, I've started taking dance classes this summer.  The only way I can get any exercise is if I pretend I'm doing something else [i.e. swimming, dance, etc.].  For the past two weeks I've spent my Sundays [and now Thursdays] in a Burlesque[!!!] class.  My knees are literally black and blue, and I'm finding I have problems moving my neck/shoulders, but it's the most fun I've had in a while.  I wouldn't say I'm exactly coordinated enough for dance, but I've been finding that this is a great way to get exercise and to discover your sexy side.  If anyone lives on the west side of LA, go check out this studio.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

First Post...

Well it's the first post of this blog, and I can already tell I'm going to be horrible about regularly updating.  I think procrastination is so deeply embedded in my DNA that I even put off personal projects that I've decided to do.
Speaking of which....

I'm trying my hand at creating a skirt out of my old curtains and a 1950's vintage pattern.  With any luck I'll have all four pieces cut out by September. heh.

here's the pattern:



and here's the fabric from my curtains (I bought them one of my favorite stores, Anthropologie, but they did an awful job of keeping the light out):