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.

Source

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.

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!

Me and Joan

Yesterday I mentioned that I have started re-watching Mad Men. Last year I was so obsessed that I watched the show to see every detail of Joan's wardrobe. I emulated her look daily. I was Joan. I did this for at least a year:

Okay, I had blue hair for a brief period, and I still had to sport the wiggle dress and beehive.

Even when in a Showcase for a Musical Theatre Camp that I taught for I had a beehive and pencil dress (we are performing I'd Do Anything from Oliver!)

Pencil skirt and silk blouse.

Ruffles at the bust while thrifting (sorry it is so blurry)

This is the same dress that I wore to a birthday party.

So, you see, I became Joan. I decided that if I could pinch any fabric, the dress was not tight enough. I mastered the Beehive, the curl set, and the wiggle walk. I bought my own version of the pen necklace, seen in the picture above (it is a row of triangles). I learned the makeup, and eventually dyed my hair flame red. A while of not watching the show, and I stopped dressing this way. I stayed vintage, but let the silhouette become looser and I even started exploring circle skirts.

After getting back into the show I decided to give it another go and break out one of my pencil skirts and shirts with collar details. I did my hair up, and here is me today:

Sorry it is a little green, but you can see the wiggle outfit. I know my hair isn't in a beehive, but I distinctly remember Joan sporting hair similar in season one. This is a Season One Joan outfit, that I just love.

If it weren't for my job I would get rid of everything that is not this tight.

Re-exploring Mad Men

Yesterday felt like two days. I woke up early to vote, then went to an appointment. I was done before 11. I sat in my apartment for a while, when, finally I decided to finish repairing my Christmas skirt (which will be revealed later). When that was done I went out to get Christmas decorations and did up the living room of my apartment. So much, but so little was done. I mean, so many things that took so little time.

So, after re-watching something I have re-watched too many times to mention, I decided to go back into Mad Men. It is so luxurious.

Suits, classic skirts, beautiful jewelry, hair and makeup done to perfection. I had forgotten how much I loved it. It makes me want to get all done up just to go to for a walk. I am working today, so that may cause some problems. Though, I won't lie I have worn a wiggle dress to watch the girls. I want to put on a dress like this:

and head to work. Betty could watch children and keep house in a shirt dress and crinoline, so I can too!

I love Mad Men because of the fashion, but also because of the history. It portrays a time period that is coated in a golden sheen, a time of harmony, as it really was: a time of social turmoil. Women were either housewives or secretaries looking to become housewives. Men were business men who had to go to work every day, and turned to loose women in order to feel more fulfilled.

I have always been interested in the history of the 50's and 60's. So much change went on socially, and this change is often muddled because the people who were alive then, who are alive now, were children at the time, and children always think their childhood was golden. Sorry to go on a long rant, but I love history! Especially mid-20th century history.

I encourage you all to look into the show, it is really enjoyable. It is visually beautiful, the plots are interesting, and the characters unique. And...Christina Hendricks and Joan doesn't hurt:

Votes for Women

Today is election day, and a very important election takes place for me. I am a Virginia resident, and am voted for the Governor, Sheriff, Attorney-General, and a few others this morning.

I am very passionate about voting, especially as a woman. It has been less than 100 years since women have gotten the right to vote. My great-grandmother Blanch Ipock could not vote when she turned 21. By the time she died she could vote, and she voted in every election that she could. My mother was taught that women should vote in every election by her grandmother, and mother, and now she taught me and all of my sisters.

Women suffered to gain this right. They were persecuted, put in prison, and insulted. They were portrayed as emasculating, poor mothers, and crass. All that these women wanted was equality. And, you know what, feminists are described like this today. They are portrayed as man-hating lesbians. That is not universally true. Feminists just want all humans to be equal. Okay, rant over.

So, all women who have an election today, go out and vote, even if you don't know the politics and have to write someone in, even if you don't want to take the time, vote, if just because your grandmother, great-grandmother, or whatever, knew a time when women were not equal. Vote because your daughters (which may not yet exist), or nieces need to be taught of the hardships that women suffered in order to gain what we take for granted today.

For good measure and a little bit of fun, take this quiz too. And watch this video.