"All that Glisters is not Gold"

On thanksgiving my Aunt let me raid a basket full of costume Jewelry that belonged to her mother (my grandmother) and her husband's mother. She said that whatever I didn't take would probably end up at Goodwill, so I took almost everything. There were only about 4 things left when I was done. This is going to be a long post with many pictures, because I got so much!

Some of these items were Christmas, which made me so happy because I don't really have much wonderful retro Christmas jewelry:

 The first picture shows things that look like they were handmade, by my uncle's mother. The pin on the top right has a twin in green, unfortunately I don't have a picture. The second picture is a pair of screw on earrings with matching brooch from the 1940's! My great aunt labeled everything, and thank goodness too, because it helps me know how old things are!

I got several sparkly ones too! Silver pins with rhinestones galore!

 These aren't the greatest pictures, but as you can see there are man, many brooches! The first picture is a set with brooch and earrings (or possibly shoe buckles. Once I figure out for sure, I will update) from, what I could tell, from the 20's or 30's. These I think were my grandmother's. The second picture has: earrings (top left), buckle (bottom left), star pin (top center), floral rhinestone brooch (center), and two rhinestone pins (bottom center, one is oblong and one circular), a crown pin (second from right), and a starburst brooch (right).

I got several gold toned pieces too:

First things first: Those are earrings, beautiful earrings. All of them are for pierced ears. The second picture has three brooches. Unfortunately two didn't have much information: the giant chain buckle brooch and the one with the tassel. The flowers, however, did have a lot of information. It is from the 20's, and is made of silver coated in rose gold. I was not going to leave something like that behind! Not only is it truly old, it is wonderfully beautiful! The third is simply an earring/brooch set, nothing special. The fourth picture has fake cameo jewelry: a pin with matching earrings, and a locket. It is so lovely, and I can't wait to find someone's picture to put in it. The last picture has some of the most beautiful jewelry in this set. It is a brooch and earrings. It is hard to tell, but it has purple and green stones, along with pearls. I don't think any of it is real, but it makes me think of Italy and wine.

I also got some almost hippie-like floral jewelry:

There were two pairs of earrings with the bracelet. One that actually corresponds with it (top), and one that just looks similar (bottom). Some of the flowers have fallen off the bracelet, but it still looks good. It is hard to tell from a distance.

I have two more things to show you, but one is significantly more fantastic!

There is a lovely pair of blue earrings (though they almost look black in this picture), and a gold-toned bracelet....or is it?

It is a watch! I was blown away by this. It looks like a gold chain bracelet, but it has a hidden watch! It needs a new battery, but other than that, it is in perfect condition.

Okay, now to the title of the post. This is a quote from The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare. What it means is that just because something looks beautiful on the outside doesn't mean it is beautiful on the inside. It is meant to be talking about character, but I took it loosely to pertain to costume jewelry. Most of this is costume jewelry, and just because it is beautiful, doesn't mean it is real gold.

That is all I have, I say that like it isn't much. Getting jewelry that used to belong to family members makes me so happy, because I get to continue the legacy.

I hope your thanksgiving was wonderful!

Holiday Hostess: Thanksgiving

It is a couple days before Thanksgiving, and I am starting my cooking! My aunts are making the bulk of the meal, but I have been asked to make the pumpkin pies! My mother doesn't cook, but she knows how to make a pumpkin pie.

First thing first, I called my mother and got her recipe:

 I copied it onto a card from my recipe box, so that I wouldn't forget a step along the way. I had to make three pies, so I got to work right away, in order to not stay up all night! After about 45 minutes of cooking each pie filling separately, since I didn't have a bowl big enough. I popped them in the oven, now to just wait. They came out perfectly!

This pumpkin pie recipe is different than most, because you cook the filling partially before putting it in the crust. Here is the recipe:

2 Cups pumpkin (approx. 1 can, though I prefer fresh)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
4 Eggs
Pumpkin pie spice and vanilla to taste
Pie crust

Combine all of the ingredients but the vanilla in a bowl.
Cook over double boiler until thick. This gets out excess liquid.
Add vanilla, then pour into pie crust.
Bake at 350 until a knife can be inserted and come out clean, about 20 minutes.
Let cool, serve room temperature or chilled, with whipped cream.

This recipe is nostalgic for me, because it was something my mother would make every year. Most years we would visit extended family, and the one thing that my family would bring was the pumpkin pie. I wanted to get into the part too, when making the pie. I put on one of my shirt dresses and hostess apron. I felt like a housewife from the 50's prepping for her big event. It was lovely.

I hope you all can be inspired by your childhood to make something wonderful this year. I probably won't be posting again until after the holiday since I work and then travel tomorrow for Thursday, so, Happy Thanksgiving!

Egyptomania

About one week ago I discovered the documentary section on Netflix. I went straight to the history section and started devouring all of the documentaries on the 20th century. Eventually, though, I ran out of those, so I resorted to documentaries one Egypt. Boy, did I go crazy with those. I watched every one that Netflix had.

Egyptomania started in the early 19th century, with the discovery of the Rosetta Stone. Once the hieroglyphs were able to be translated, archaeologists flocked. This resulted in the public becoming obsessed. They went to Egypt and shopped at the markets. Sellers would rob tombs to find trinkets for tourists. It died out a little over the century, but never went away completely.

In the early 20th century there was a revival. In the 20's King Tut's tomb was found!

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Then, there was his curse. Egypt was in the spotlight! This influenced fashion, Hollywood, and literature (Death on the Nile). Eventually films were made, ultimately Liz Taylor's Cleopatra.

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The discovery of Tut's tomb reignited the love of the ancients. This influenced makeup (winged eyeliner).

Right now, I am obsessed. I write Murder Mystery Parties, one for Christmas and summer, so, this one is set in Egypt. It is inspired by Death on the Nile and Murder in Mesopotamia, and the David Suchet adaption of Appointment with Death.

Anyway, this is my current inspiration. I hope it can inspire you some!

The Day I Discovered Lipstick

I don't remember exactly when it was, but I was 14 years old. My oldest sister was home for the summer from college. This was a pivotal summer for me. My younger sister, my oldest sister, and I went out every Wednesday to tour the city of Norfolk.

I would put on my best clothes. At the time that was a pair of black trousers from Forever 21, a pair of ballet flats with a bow, a plain shirt, and sometimes a blazer that I had gotten after years about 10 of hand-me-downs.

One day, we all piled into my sisters car to drive to Olde Towne Portsmouth, so we could take the ferry into Norfolk. My oldest sister handed me a tube of lipstick, and said "I don't look good in this color. Put it on and see how it looks." Reluctantly I did so, having never worn makeup outside of performing in my life. It was as if my face changed completely. It looked wonderful. I made sure to reapply regularly throughout our adventures that day.

The color was just a nude shade with hint of pink, too plain for me now, but since then, I have developed a taste for bolder and bolder lipsticks.

 Since I love the 60's most of all, I have gained a collection of shades with orange undertones, and pale pinks. Orange was increasingly popular throughout the decade (possibly from Elizabeth Taylor's Cleopatra), and you can find massive of "Pink-a-pades" ads for frosty pinks on the internet.

Tropical coral, was my first pink-orange shade, and it goes with about 90% of my wardrobe. It is the perfect, 60's neutral shade of lipstick! Just bright enough to show off the lips, but not as bright as Love that Red by Revlon (center first picture, left second).

Love That Red has been around for almost 60 years. My mother, a natural brunette, was given the color by a friend who didn't like it. She tried it, but found it was a little too orange for her, so she gave it to me. As a blonde, an orange-red is perfect for me. It is my dream red lipstick!

However, I have to discuss the most unique shade of all in this bunch, the solid orange: Siren by Revlon. I researched the shade to no avail. Everything said that it was relatively new, but, I know I've worn it since before they said it was released. Anyway, orange is the lipstick color I think of when I think of I Dream of Jeannie. I grew up with the show, and the vibrant colors inspired me. I remember her wearing lipstick this intense with some of her outfits.

People will say, that this orange is too much, but when it is on, it doesn't look like you'd think:

It is super mod. It is a color better suited to those with fair skin. If you are too tan it may make the tan look fake, so it is tricky for a lot of people. I just want to say, that this shade gets way too much flack for being too intense. It is no more intense than a perfect red.

The rest of my colors are the ones I only wear occasionally (with the perfect outfit).

What I want to say, is, do not be afraid to experiment with lipstick. The perfect shade can change your entire face, and even brighten your mood. I know it did for me the first day I tried it!

Christmas and Pancakes (As Promised... UPDATED)

As promised I will debut the CHRISTMAS SKIRT! I got it in Petersburg at Second Hand Rose, the address and information is listed on my shops page.

It is debuting today because my university is doing a Pancake Feast, which will involve Santa, and prizes for the most festive outfit. So, without further ado:

This is the day I fixed it, so I am just wearing a slip. I love the pinup look of it. Not to mention the perfection of the red crinoline!

And this is it with the shirt that I bought to go with it:

 

Borrowing the Christmas tree of a friend. Photo credit to Morgan Leary for this one.

This skirt is handmade from the 50's. It was gotten from an estate in Petersburg. I mentioned to the owner of Second Hand Rose that I was looking for circle skirts, she mentioned this, and I just had to see it. She got it specially out of storage for me, and I snapped it up on the spot!

I hope everyone is having a perfectly wonderful holiday season!

 Happy Christmas!

After I had published this post, I had to go to class, and then I got to eat my pancakes! I added a couple accessories to the ensemble, and have pictures to add!

Sorry they're a little blurry!

But that turtleneck is a dickie. I found it for a dollar last year and said, why not?
Happy Holidays!

The End of an Era

This isn't about vintage, but it is about one of my lifelong adventures that I have been on in the past.

Last Wednesday the final episode of Poirot premiered in the UK. I lost track of time, and when I discovered this, I promptly watched Curtain with my sister. We have yet to see Dead Man's Folly and The Labours of Hercules, but since my sister and I are only together every now and then, we had to watch the final one together.

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At the beginning of 1989 the first episode of the show with David Suchet premiered, introducing the jovial Captain Hastings, the fumbling Inspector Japp, and the orderly, though plain, Miss Lemon. It wasn't until about 10 years later that my family watched the show for the first time, by then more than 40 episodes had been produced. I would never forget that theme song...

Ever since then, Agatha Christie's Poirot is the only show that could get my entire family of seven in the same room at the same time. This is a feat, because we all have very diverse interests (from artist to engineer). Over the next few years, as all of us children went through teenagehood we lost touch with the show. When I was about 14 or so, my younger sister and I re-explored it together. This is when I began to read the books.

I became obsessed. I have yet to read all of the books, but I have read dozens over the past several years. Sometimes I take a break, because I feel that my mind is starting to over analyze every day life to see if a murderer is in my midst. (I suggest you go to Jeannie's Book Store on High Street in Portsmouth, right after Frederick, and just before London, next to the Goodwill, if you live in the area).

I began writing Murder Mystery Parties, casting each of my friends as characters that I had written expressly for them, choosing my murderer wisely. I would cook up a 5 course meal for 10-15 people, play the part of a servant, and let the games begin. There were times when I would even play the part of Poirot, casting my younger sister as Hastings, my older sister as Japp, and my dear friend Leslie as Miss Lemon.

 

My wine was poisoned and I collapsed on the stairs.

 I was not afraid to stuff my shirt for the role of Poirot!

Poirot has been a part of my life for over a decade and a half, and has been around for almost a decade longer (the television show). The era has ended, and the most luxurious portrayal of murder on television is gone. No one will ever be able to play Hercule Poirot as well as David Suchet, no one ever has. Not even on Murder on the Orient Express. His version strays from the book, but satisfied the true nature of Poirot. Poirot would never have let someone get away with murder; it is completely out of his character, but that version made it work.

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The final episode culminates with the perfect solution to the perfect crime, solved by the most ingenious of all detectives. Goodbye, my dear Belgian friend, and all of your helpers!

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Grease Lightning!

Since yesterday the thrift store trip was a bust for Christmas decorations, we went back to a thrift store that had closed just 10 minutes before we got there. It was like in the old movies where the children look in the window in awe at the Christmas display, knowing they could not enter.

I felt particularly in the mood to vamp up my look when I woke up, and since it is a typical 70 degree November day in Virginia Beach, I put on a sweater vest from the 50's and a black leather pencil skirt. My hair was flat, so I did up a beehive, enhanced with a headband. I looked like one of the Pink Ladies:

I wore my Rago 3/4 length Longline bra with it, and, boy, did it make me feel like bursting into a group dance, or singing "There are worse things I could do". I also had a pink blazer in case it got chilly in the store, which made the look even more Grease!

I discovered a couple wonderful dresses, and FINALLY found the perfect shirt to go with my Christmas skirt. Look for that debut Thursday.

One of the dresses is my Thanksgiving dress, so I won't post about that until then. I hope everyone is having a wonderful time getting ready for the second big Holiday of the season! Happy Holidays!

You're a Mean one, Mr. Grinch

I went to one of the many Goodwill thrift stores by my house today with several friends. We went in search of Christmas decorations. I, as always, was drawn to the clothing section first.

I have a Christmas skirt (which will be debuted very, very soon!), but I don't have a shirt to match. So, I waltzed down the aisles of long sleeved shirts scouring each and every shirt in green, gold, silver, and red. None were the right fit for the skirt. Suddenly, I stumbled across a bejeweled cardigan in Grinch green. It doesn't go with the skirt, but by golly is it perfect for Christmas!

 

You can barely see it in these pictures, but on the left cuff is a little extra embellishment. I have two red pencil skirts that I could wear with it, but the one I chose for this picture I think is the better of the two.

It is the the perfect Christmas sweater. Sequins, beads, and sparkles on a Grinch green sweater. The next time I watch the movie I am wearing this cardigan.

HAPPY EARLY CHRISTMAS!

Diet and Exercise

I'm sorry I haven't had a post in so long. I have been a little under the weather.

If anyone knows me they will say that I am not one for dieting. I love fat. I will eat as much of it as I can: Butter, heavy cream, cream cheese, etc. However, I have, as of late, began focusing on what people ate 50 years ago. This included casseroles made with tuna, condensed soup, an noodles; jello salads; cake's made with shortening; and, of course, Velveeta.

Women were housewives (most of them against their own volition), and the perfect housewife had many things to do: shopping, cleaning, taking care of the children, and cooking. Cooking was important, but it became streamlined with simple, quick, pre-packaged recipes.

Women wanted to be thoroughly modern, so they would use jello in everything: I mean everything. It was the wonder food.

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Jello was quick and easy, though strange things came of it. I once found one that consisted of mixing mayonnaise, velveeta, and gelatin, but I can't find it anymore.

The big thing about the diet of 50 years ago was that people ate less. They found ways to incorporate vegetables into everything (tuna casserole generally has peas), and they ate smaller portions. That's really it. Smaller portions. They walked more, though probably not as much as we imagine. So, they were slimmer. I am not one to ever say that anyone is too fat, but when people say that women were shaped differently 50 years ago, the answer is they were, and that is because they cinched their waists, and ate less.

Now, for exercise. I don't really exercise. I walk a lot, I do the twist every time an appropriate song starts to play, but I have a couple exercises that really help wind down. They are simple.

1. Lay on your back and peddle your legs (like when you were a kid and did it with a sibling or friend) for however long you like. I sometimes count to a certain number, or listen to a song and do it for the duration.

2. Lay on your right side and kick your left leg up and down. Roll over to your left side and do the same with your right leg. Again, I typically listen to a song and do kicks for each leg for half of the song.

That's it. That's all I do. I am not very much in shape, I am not particularly skinny, so these are not "lose weight exercises". These are my way of unwinding (when I listen to an upbeat Ella song, I feel so much better) and completing the day. I do this about 3-4 times a week.

All I have to say is that, in order to maintain a vintage figure, which is about curves and not size, eat smaller portions (while your waist is cinched), go for long walks, learn the 50's dance moves, and, if you like, add on my little exercises.

Vintage Necessities: Jewelry: Freshly Updated

I have a few more vintage necessities posts left in me. I have yet to discuss silk shirts and a-line skirts, evening wear, shoes and purses, and hats and gloves. Today, I am going to discuss my jewelry collection. Let me say before-hand, that most of this jewelry is costume.

Earrings:

Lets start at the top with earrings:

In this set I have more casual earrings, the pearl ones up front; two sets of evening ones, the grey and silver pairs; a pair of mod earrings, the pink ones in the back; a festive pair, that also works well in the summer because they look like fire, the red and gold; and a pair of spring earrings, the pink flower ones.

My mother always taught me that if you have your ears pierced you should wear earrings. Truly, vintage looks gravitate towards clip-ons or screw-ons. (The red and gold, and the pink flowers are clip/screw-on respectively). However, wearing earrings all the time is a vintage thing. Women were always head-to-toe dressed, and earrings were a part of that.

What you want is a pair of day-to-day earrings, a couple pairs of seasonal ones, fancy ones, and a pair or two of bold ones. Women did not wear big earrings much, unless they were going for a statement or were at a nice event. It is important to have a pair of these (which are my pink mod ones above) to wear for these such occasions.

A rule that I read in my Miss Manners book said that you should not wear stones (other than pearls) before 5. I try to stick to this rule, but sometimes I feel like being extra fancy earlier in the day. That is why I wear the pearl earrings for a casual, day look.

Necklaces:

Necklaces are just as important as earrings:

Here I have a picture of my Joan pen-necklace inspired necklace (gold triangles), late sixties style love beads, a classic pearl necklace, a simple short gold chain with gold beads, and a long silver chain with a stone pendant. I picked these because there is a piece for every occasion in this set.

The Joan necklace and the gold bead necklace are my casual necklaces. They aren't too sparkly, but are lovely enough to catch the eye and enhance a look. When I am not at work I wear the pearls frequently.

Pearls make everyone's skin look more lovely; they are the iconic vintage jewelry. I think the most important thing to have, as far as jewelry, would be a pearl necklace. The love beads are good for when I don't want to wear much color. They have just enough color to brighten a black dress.

Lastly, the long silver chain with pendant necklace is what I wear for special occasions. It is bold, and bright. Mine pendant is blue because my eyes are blue and blondes look good in blue. It goes well with dresses that do not already have a lot of embellishments.

You need a day-to-day necklace, just like with earrings. You should also have pearls. Pearls are timeless and can always add a vintage flair. You should have a bold statement necklace, because it is the perfect way to take a little black dress at the office to an cocktail dress. The love beads are for if you love the late 60's/70's look. Even though hippies wore them, they eventually became integrated into everyday wear for women.

Brooches:

I love brooches; I wear them all the time:

Most of mine are gold, but I have a couple silver. I tried to include a few staple ones here. On the top (left to right) I have a monogram with my last initial that belonged to my grandmother, a pin with a drop (like chandelier earrings), a starburst, and a pink flower (that matches the pink flower earrings from before). Then I have a gold and pearl pin, a bouquet of roses, and silver leaves.

The monogram in iconic, and I am lucky to have one with my initial. The casual ones I wear are the monogram and the starburst. They are simple, but they draw the eye. I love the idea of a pin matching earrings so in the spring I often wear that matching set. When I am not working I go for any of the other pins left. They are a little dressier, but they are not overbearing.

The important thing to have, as far as brooches, is a couple simple ones (one silver toned one gold), a couple slightly nicer ones (for a night out), one or two very fancy ones, and several kitschy seasonal ones (though none of mine are pictured).

Brooches were worn with everything, and they add a bit of punch to any outfit. Currently I am obsessed with kitschy pins (American flags for Independence day, trees and bells for Christmas).

Watches:

The last thing that I am covering in this post is watches. It is important to wear a watch to be vintage because they did not have cell phones to check the time. I have two, that go with everything:

The white one goes with casual outfits. It has rhinestones all around the heart in the gold. The other watch I wear on nicer occasions or with outfits that simply do not condone the white watch. It is silver with a gold strip down the middle, and rhinestones in the gold and around the face. Watches are very vintage, and every true vintage lover should have one.

I did not mention rings or bracelets because, well, my collection of both of those is minimal. I have a pearl bracelet and a rhinestone cuff as far as bracelets, and two rings that were my grandmothers. They are very important for a vintage collection, but I did not want to write on something that I did not know particularly well.

You would want to have a nice watch and a day-to-day watch. The day-to-day watch is a watch that you know could get damaged, and should therefore not be as expensive. I work with children and wash dishes all the time, so I need to be prepared for my watches to get messed up.

I hope that this is a useful post. I realized yesterday that I did not explain exactly why I had the items I did. I was in a half-sleeping daze when I wrote it. I hope the new information helps!

Like Etta James, I am Singing At Last!

I finally, FINALLY, managed to get my photos uploaded. So, this is a picture heavy post, that will briefly discuss two events. Let's start with November 1st: one week ago.

This was my costume. I was a Murderess from an Agatha Christie story. The knife was something I just held for the pictures. This is also what I wore to the Great Gatsby, with Leonardo DiCaprio.

My roommate was Poison Ivy, and dyed her hair for the occasion.

Now, to the opera. My roommate and I got all dolled up to go see the Magic Flute, which is still playing in Norfolk or Virginia Beach for a little while longer, and then moves to Fairfax and Richmond. You should see it it is divine!

You can see it in the first picture better, but I found a black turban hat with a feather tassel at a CHKD thrift store just two hours before the opera. It was such a lucky find!

This dress I got last year at 360 Vintage and More, it is listed under the shops page. The owner is sweet as sugar and very accommodating!

This is the fur that my mother got me when we were in Fredericksburg. You can't really see it, but the fur is brown black, and so were the feathers on the hat. It was cold out, and we had to walk, so it was just perfect to wear to the opera. But, I would have worn it even if it weren't cold enough. I just love fur!

My roommate and I were completely contrasting, and it was great! She was draped in flowing white, and I was a column of black. We looked like a set sold separately. Adorable!

The Photo credit for all of the pictures with me in them goes to Morgan Leary, a dear old friend.