Very Marylin!

I was recently referred to the website eShakti. They make custom dresses. You find the one you like, and can choose from a predetermined size, or you can give them your measurements and preferences and they will customize it! The customization is just $7.50, which is really not bad for a perfect dress. I looked over the website, and found this dress:

It is hard to tell, but it is beige and black, not white and black houndstooth. The dress was a steal! They are currently (for the next 5 days) running a sale of 35% off the whole site! I have a referral code for $30 off your purchase. I want to know people want it before I post it, so leave comments below if you are interested. It expires the end of the month!

This dress makes me feel like Marylin from Seven Year Itch. I think if I just stood on an air vent, it would complete the look! It isn't identical, but it has a similar feel. The dress needed a belt, because it had an elastic waist, but that is just this dress. Most of them don't need an added belt.

Look into it! The website is wonderful!

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!

I am the Teacher from Leave it to Beaver!

I went to the opera last night, and got all done up with vintage everything, from stockings to hat. However, my camera is acting up still, and I cannot figure out why. As soon as I can get it to work again I will have pictures of my last costume and my Opera outfit.

However, I was able to take pictures on with my computer of the new outfit that I bought when out today with my roommate and good friend Morgan. We tried to go to the Goodwill Outlet in our area, but alas, it moved much farther than we were willing to drive, at least today. So we drove around and came across a thrift store called Second Hand thrift store.

While there I got a handmade Christmas wreath, a vintage wool pleated skirt, and a zip-front sweater:

The quality isn't great, but you can see the red and blue of the skirt in the first picture, and some of the detailing on the sweater in the second. (On the far right of the first picture is the wreath, though you can't really see it).

This outfit screams Leave it to Beaver to me.

That is Ms. Landers

I am studying to be a teacher, and feel this outfit will suit me well while working in a school. Most of my wardrobe is like that, at least now. Shirt dresses and pleated or a-line skirts. Once I decided to become a teacher the wiggle dresses and pencil skirts faded out (though they are still a plenty), and the "Teacher Uniform" came in. Maybe it is because my grandmother was a teacher, and she gave me much of her clothing.

Okay, I'm done rambling. Anyway, I have become the Teacher from Leave it to Beaver, and I love it!

Thrifting and Baking

Yesterday I woke up, did some work, and wrote invitations for my party next Friday, making sure to be finished by the time I had to go into work. Then my boss called, and told me that I did not need to come in. Thrilled, I decided to go to a thrift store with my roommate.

When we got there we decided to pick out one ugly item for the other to try on. Here is what we came up with:

She chose for me a shapeless shift with a pattern that does nothing good for anyone.

I found a sweatshirt dress with shimmery autumn leaves for her. I think we both did a pretty good job.

After we each tried on unfortunate choices, we tried on the lovely things we picked out:

We didn't get either of these, but they don't look too bad. I love the way the tan dress I'm wearing is so seventies. I knew that I wouldn't really wear it, but it is chic.

Then I tried on two more dresses. The first one looks ultra-lovely, but alas, there was a lot of damage, and the material was similar to my peignoir set, so completely unpractical. But, goodness, I love the way this dress looked on me! That second one reminds me a little of JB Fletcher, from Murder She Wrote, but it cinched my waist very well, and the skirt was form fitting. Also, it was dead stock (it had tags!) from the 80's. It was somewhat 80's does 50's so I decided to go for it, and I brought this home with me. We couldn't find anything else we liked, so we headed home.

When we got home I felt the urge to bake. I made an apple pastry braid. I have a recipe for a braid pastry, and I fill it differently every time. This time, I sliced two granny smith apples paper thin, then sprinkled them with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. I made a spiced caramel sauce and a spiced whipped cream for garnish. It was oh, so delightful!

Once it came out of the oven, and was topped and put on a serving tray, I changed into a dress to have people over:

I got this when I was in Greenville on my vacation. It is the perfect Chinese dress for me. My roommate and I got dressed, and asked people to stop by. Unfortunately only one person came, but we had good conversation, and delicious food.

All in all, it was a successful day off.

Vintage Hallowe'en Party!

It is time to party! Well, almost. You now have a couple costume ideas: Betty and Monkee. Today I am going to discuss a little hallowe'en party ideas, vintage style.

I am in love with Agatha Christie, I write 3 Murder Mystery Parties (or so) a year and so, I try to avoid these on hallowe'en because that is a bit stereotypical. This year, my roommate and I are hosting a traveling hallowe'en party (between the our room, a room down the hall, and the room across the hall). Each room has a different station: Food, games, and movie.

For decorations we have a couple pumpkins, witch and bat window decals, and paper chains. (Once we get them all up for the party I will post pictures!) Our decals are vintage style with a craggy witch silhouette over a moon. Paper chains are simple, cheap, and easy to assemble. They provide a complete look to a room, and the homemade feel can be very vintage.

I am a baker, so our room is the food room. For food I am making pumpkin cupcakes, apple cinnamon muffins, a special nacho dip, hallowe'en punch, candy, and a variety of hot drinks. Over the past year I have acquired many, many hostess dishes. I bought a silver serving tray with handles:

a silver casserole dish with a lid (I use it for cookies):

a pumpkin pitcher, a silver tea pot:

a coffee cart:

and, the piece de resistance, my dream hostess item: a chip and dip. It is beautiful. It is transparent, ruffled, and, just, so perfect!

For invitations we found these vintage inspired ones. I am going to write some creepy poem, which is something that people used to do! The Vintage Halloween website has a great page with ideas.

Updated with pictures!

Tragedy leads to Vintage

Unfortunately, it turns out I cannot go to Scotland. My passport has expired. I cannot believe that I didn't think to check. I found out just a few hours before my flight, so there was nothing that could be done. I will survive, though. I am vintaging in Fredericksburg, Virginia, a vintage haven.

First, we stopped at Waffle House, me and my mother:

After that we drove until we found our hotel, which was spectacular for the price we paid! They even do free dinners on Thursdays, good thing that's when we checked in!

We dropped off our things and headed to downtown, to go vintage shopping! First stop, Cameo. It had lovely vintage pieces, lots of them, and all for reasonable prices. I was very pleased with what I saw, and am even contemplating going back.

Sorry about the sideways pictures, I cannot seem to rotate them. The black and white dress in the picture is paired with fur, which I got somewhere else, we will get to that later on. Cameo is the yellow and blue parts of the building, but the best clothes are in the yellow part!

After some shopping we walked down the road to a lovely, very pink, tea shop. We split a pot of creamy earl grey, and scones with lemon curd and Devonshire cream! Delicious (even if the scones were more like biscuits).

Next, a vintage mall! It is called R&R antiques. It is a sprawling array of booths that have never ending nicknacks. I found a few gems though, as far as clothing goes.

Second from the end is a better picture of the black mink cape. It is super soft, and luxurious. Love! The first dress was pink, not slightly white as the picture suggests.

However, the piece de resistance was that red peignoir set. I love it, as you can see me modeling it! Perfection!

Later tonight we are going to see some live jazz at a local tavern. More on that tomorrow. Happy vintage everyone!