Foundation Garments....get your girdles girls!

Yup, I'm gonna talk about underwear.  You heard me right.  In fact, I'm actually going to talk about it.  Go ahead, don't be scared, watch the video. Yes, it's a long one, but one you might just like...I show you my girdle!!! Hee hee.







Ok so, if you for some reason can't or won't watch, I'll tell you.  There are times that we really feel like we can't wear ANYTHING nice because we look lumpy, bumpy, or puffy in our clothes.  Well so did grandma!  Her solution?  A good girdle.  Yup.  We need 'em.  My preference is explained and actually shown in the video.

What we need to keep in mind is, we look our best when we are properly dressed.  That means wearing our correct size.  WHAT?  I just said I wear a girdle and now I'm talking about my correct size?  That makes no sense...oh yes it does.  Girdles, aka "body shapers" are not meant to make you smaller, they are meant to smooth you out.  No lumpy thighs, no muffin top. Get it?  Good.  Now, nobody is going to look at the tag in the back of your dress to see what size you wear.  It's just not gonna happen.  AND when you wear your correct size you look slimmer.  Nothing is less attractive than a girl squeezed in to her clothes. Well, I guess if you like the look of a bursting sausage then....anyway.
Smaller clothes don't make you look smaller, they make you look bigger.
Grab a good body shaper and honey, show off how gorgeous you are!

Uh oh...I never told you who I am

And I know you were taught not to talk to strangers.  Well, here I am.  I'm pretty strange but, at least now your mom won't worry!

Now we have established who I am, who are you?  I'd love to know!

~Sharon

Vintage Fashion and Beauty Archive

I ran across this site last night and I am totally in love..
Glamour Daze has some of the most fantastic guides.  They are all original and beautifully restored.  I had so much fun looking at the videos and getting some fantastic tips.  Now I just have to be brave enough to try them.

My biggest challenge right now is dealing with my eyebrows.  Hmmm...time to take a chance and try a different shape when I get my next wax.

On this fantastic site is a link to Besame make up. It is definitely worth looking at.

Ok, so we have the hair and makeup figured out.  I had to look at clothes, oh and shoes!  Well, I have found some fantastic things in the last few days.  One of my favorite sites was Blue Velvet Vintage.  There are so many more out there!  I'd love to hear about what you have discovered.

For the home...oh how I could go on and on.  I really am fascinated by kitchen related items.  Check out Mid Century Home Style. Decorator refrigerators?  How cute is that!

Had to add a Rockabetty bag.  They go with everything...even blogs!

I'm thinking I need to create a pinterest board for my vintage dream home.  What would you put on yours?

~Sharon

PS: Check out these fantastic hand made bags by clicking here

Home made hair setting lotion.

I wanted to find out what women used to set their hair back in the 20's ,30's and 40's.  There were several products on the market but, many of them made their lotions at home.  This recipe is one that I decided to try.  It is super simple and only  needs two ingredients.

To make this setting lotion you will need flax seeds and water.
3/4 C. Water
1 TBS flax seed
(you can find flax seeds in your local grocery store. They usually keep them where the salad toppings are)

Bring the flax seeds and the water to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer  and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Strain out the seeds. (I tried using a piece of old stocking and it didn't work well.  I bought a sieve). This will keep on the counter for one week or in the fridge for 2 weeks.  You can add a drop of essential oil if you want it scented.  I would use rose or lavender.

Let me know what you think!

September blossom of the month from Belle Blossoms!

I got my September blossom!!!!!!!!!!! Totally GORGEOUS.  Had to video the unboxing. 

Belle Blossoms
Click the link to go to their site.  It's a lovely treat for myself every month.  You won't be disappointed!

Day two...Victory Rolls!

This is day two of my pin curl set.  I went with victory rolls. This video features my 16 yr old daughter Abigail.  She just kinda creeps through... gotta love it!

Pin Curls, Start to finish....and beyond

Ok so I wet set my hair in pin curls last night.  Here is the video that takes you from putting in the curls to what it looked like after work...even through rain and high winds. 

Enjoy.  OH and I'd love some feed back on this!  Anything you would like me to try?

So she got inspired...and girlyfied!

My best friend is the yin to my yang, the light to my dark, the fire to my ice, the...ok you get it.  We "complete" eachother (yes you may gag now).  Anyway,  she is NOT a girly girl. Never has been.  She is the take no prisoners, roll up your sleeves and get it done mama.  I love her. 
Well, Donna has been bitten by the bug.  Yes, she has started to get girly, and vintage.  You have no idea the joy this brings me!  She is also really brave, or she forgot how awful I am, and she sent me step by step photos of her transformation...which are now going to be used against her MUHAHAHAHAAAA lol.


So,  she bought some sponge rollers and setting lotion last night and slept in her first ever roller set.  I'm so proud!   This morning, she decided to send me her step by step hair and make up and here it is.

Step one:  Wrap your hair and rollers up to keep it out of your way and wash your face :











Step two: Primer!  Donna uses Spackle by Laura Geller too. (smart woman):

Step three: Do your makeup baby!:












Step four: Take those curlers down and brush it out!:

When you look like Phyllis Diller (or so Donna says lol) then you know you got it right. 

Step five:  Take your fingers and play with the curls until they fall in the shape you want.  Yes, really, your fingers,  take little sections and reform those curls and lay them where you want them.  They won't move.  They don't bite. 

Hot mama added a hair flower.  Isn't it gorgeous?!

Step six: Get your red lipstick going!  And TADA!   This is my best friend looking like a hottie and I'm so proud of her.  See!  It's easy!  You rock that look Mari...I mean Donna!

Thursday part 2

Here I am again....to annoy you.

Hello! It's Thursday!

Good morning!

So I washed the dishwasher...

Yes, that's what I said.  I washed the dishwasher.  No, not just the outside, the inside.  Have you got any idea what hangs out in the bottom of your dishwasher then gets sprayed all over your dishes?  Trust me, you don't wanna know.

So, here is what I did.  First, I took the bottom rack out of the washer.  Then, I checked out the drain.  This is not for the faint of heart.  Noodles, weird stuff that I can't identify, and glass...yes glass.  Evidently a glass broke in there and not all of it was removed.  So, carefully clean around the drain.  Now, if you have hard water on the sprayer arm, rub in a mixture of salt and lemon juice.  No...don't drink it.

Next, put a cup of  white vinegar in the top rack.  Yup.  Stand a cup of vinegar in the top rack.  Just do it.  Run the washer as hot as it will run.  Half way through, dump the vinegar (and now water mixture) into the bottom of the machine and continue the cycle.

Once it is done, forget the drying, sprinkle 1/4 cup of baking soda in the bottom of the machine and run it again.

You will thank me.

You dishes will come out sooooooooooooooo much cleaner once your machine is clean and fresh!

My Barrel curls. Quick and easy.

Ok so I posted barrel curls yesterday after finding an awesome video on line from KoontzFan2 (who I still think is the cutest thing ever).  So I felt inspired to do my own.  Here it is.  I hope you like it!

Barrel curls

It's a humid day here.  I'm annoyed because I'm still dealing with the pain in my leg from an injury two months ago.  So how do I deal with it? Barrel curls!  I found the best video on youtube and I decided to play.  I can only sit for about ten minutes at a time before I have to move around a little so this look was the easiest and quickest for me. 

Check out this fab video!  I totally want a vintage hat.  Anyone got one they want to part with?

Anyway, isn't she just the cutest thing ever????!!!  After watching her last night I had to try it.  My hair is cut with blunt bangs and is much shorter than her beautiful locks.  This is what I got....

August Blossom of the Month from Belleblossoms.com

A huge thank you to KoontzFan2  for her tutorial.  I'm lovin it! 

Now, the search for the hat begins!

See you later!
~Sharon

"Dated" food.

I love food.  Cooking is something I pride myself in.  I watch the cooking channels all the time and am totally in love with the shows that pit one chef against another. 
One of the things I hear quite often is "its rather dated"  or " it looks like something that would have been served at a dinner party 20 or so years ago".  They say this like it's a bad thing!  What happened to the art of cooking?  Yes, portions were out of control in this country in the 50's, 60's and 70's.  Fine dining did consist of some pretty heavy meals.  But I love them.  I love the artistry of them. 

In the 50's the rule was "The fancier the better".  Women spent hours in the kitchen preparing intricate dishes to wow their audience.  We don't do that now.  Who has the time?  Let me tell you, you should do it just once in your life.  It's really a rush.

http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/ring-a-lings/d8b45751-4883-42a9-8b92-c3371db845d3/

So I don't bake well, ok so I do but not pie crust!  Look at these beauties!  They take quite a bit of time to make but they are a winning entry from the Pillsbury contest in 1957.
Here is the recipe:

Dough

4

to 4 1/2 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose or Unbleached Flour

1/3

cup sugar

2

teaspoons salt

2

teaspoons grated orange peel

2

pkg. active dry yeast

1

cup milk

1/3

cup margarine or butter

2

eggs

Filling

1

cup powdered sugar

1/3

cup margarine or butter, softened

1

cup filberts, pecans or walnuts, ground

Glaze

3

tablespoons sugar

1/4

cup orange juice

• 1 Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine 2 cups of the flour, 1/3 cup sugar, salt, orange peel and yeast; mix well.
• 2 In small saucepan, heat milk and 1/3 cup margarine until very warm (120 to 130°F.). Add warm liquid and eggs to flour mixture; blend at low speed until moistened. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed. By hand, stir in remaining 2 to 2 1/2 cups flour to form a stiff dough. Place dough in greased bowl; cover loosely with plastic wrap and cloth towel. Let rise in warm place (80 to 85°F.) until light and doubled in size, 35 to 50 minutes.
• 3 In small bowl, blend powdered sugar and 1/3 cup margarine until smooth. Stir in filberts; set aside. In second small bowl, blend glaze ingredients; cover and set aside.
• 4 Grease 2 large cookie sheets. Stir down dough to remove all air bubbles. On floured surface, roll dough to 22x12-inch rectangle. Spread filling mixture lengthwise over half of dough. Fold dough over filling. Cut crosswise into 1-inch strips; twist each strip 4 to 5 times. To shape rolls, hold folded end of strip down on greased cookie sheet to form center; coil strip around center. Tuck loose end under. Repeat with remaining twisted strips. Cover; let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.
• 5 Heat oven to 375°F. Uncover dough. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Brush tops of rolls with glaze. Bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets; cool on wire racks. Serve warm.

Whew!  Almost three hours total but look at the results!

I'm inspired to start making a mid century treat at least once a week.  What about you?  When it comes to food, are you daring enough to try to copy a mid century masterpiece?  Domestic Diva's  show 'em what you got!


(recipe from www.pillsbury.com)

Something a little different.

Hello darlings.  I wanted to share something a little different today.  Chain maille.  Oh yes, I do love this stuff.  I've always had a little bit of the medieval in me somewhere. 
It may not be your thing but then again, it may be right up your alley. 

My best friend's husband is a very talented craftsman.  He makes every little detail, right down to bending the wire in to rings.  I wanted to share his latest creation with you.  (Oh and special orders are available in my shop. Use the promo code Sept12 and get 10% off).  Anyway, here it is!

There really isn't anything he can't make.  I'm asking him to make a chain maille cloak for one of my dogs because I think it would be hilarious.  I own a choker he made for me that I adore:

All his pieces are custom one of a kind.  I'm thinking something on a hair clip would be so cute! So, we ship internationally and, he is always looking for new ideas. 
What do you think?  There is a link to the store at the top of the page :)
 ~Sharon

Don't forget to enter the september contest!

Check out the details on the contest page!

Tattoos and the PinUp Girl

There has been a huge revival of the rockabilly, pinup lifestyle.  I have to say, I'm thrilled.  Tattoos are a huge part of that.  Many of the beautiful women, and men, that have embraced this lifestyle and that I have the pleasure of knowing, have fantastic ink.  I have to admit I have serious ink envy.   Even if you don't have any ink yourself, you have to admire the detail and the artwork in their pieces.
I absolutely believe it adds to the look. 

Kat Von D

We all know who this is.  Kat Von D is instantly recognizable all over the world.  Her tattoos are a huge and important part of here look.  I think she, and her ink, are stunning.

 

 

Who is this divine creature?  If you don't recognize her, you should.  This is Miss K.  She has the most fabulous blog ever.  Her ink is awesome and so is her style.  Check her out at www.therockabillygirlnextdoor.com .  You are totally missing out if you don't.

Miss K!

Now this look is fabulous!  From the hair to the clothing to the makeup, she is a knock out.  Then, the icing on the cake is her phenomenal art work on her shoulder.  Seriously, what's not to love?

photo source: http://www.iknowhair.com/rockabilly-hairstyles-for-women/

I'm working on getting a half sleeve done.  It's going to be a while but, it's something I really want.  I have some ink but I'm absolutely working on collecting some more.

So, are you inked?  I'd love to see it!


~Sharon

PS:  Seriously, check out Miss K's blog.  You won't regret it!

Alfred Shaheen. Beauty, structure and style

I am in love with the work of Alfred Shaheen. Post WWII fashion is a passion of mine but this designer from Hawaii had such vision.  The prints and silhouettes were breath taking.  I have to admit, of all the designers of his era, he holds a place in the top three.

Find this dress at Whirling Turban

From the prints to the shape, I adore his designs.
Check this out:

There are so many variations available.


 Whirling Turban makes some of, in my opinion, the most beautiful Shaheen dresses out there.  Visit them at www.whirlingturban.com and check them out!

Who are some of your favorite designers?

My hat is off to Alfred Shaheen. One of the true greats of days gone by.