Lady's Vintage Refinement Journal

PICTURE POST Vintage Collections Part 1

2010-03-04T19:47:00.000-08:00

I know that I have been saying for some time now that I had some things to share with you all but that I did not have batteries for my camera. In the last post I wrote I announced that I had finally bought some! So here I am to share some of my vintage finds. There are too many things so I will be putting things up little by little instead of making an intensely picture heavy post! There are some really great things that I will save for a later post ;)
So without further ado, here are some of my latest scores, and things I have already had, along with other things I own that are not vintage but still very prized. As usual, you may click on the picture to see them in their original sizes.

At first when I came across this mini water pump figurine at an antique store, I thought it was just for aesthetic pleasure. The little pump actually goes up and down! Once I got home however, I realized that it could actually be used for something... I turned it upside down, and curious as to what the hole was on the bottom, I held it up to the light and apparently it's a pencil sharpener!

I scored this pristine Vintage set of satin gloves & clutch at my favorite antique store! The lady who owns the store and I always have a chit chat and this time when I went she was happy I chose to pick this up, saying it was very rare for her to come across an actual set like this, so I was very excited of course!

Some scarves and hankies.

I have a thing for collecting neat notebooks. Here are a few of mine. The first and list in this picture have velvet, and the one in the middle is leather-bound with golden edged pages.

Another pair of vintage gloves I acquired somewhat recently! This is the original packaging! They are off-white and opera-glove styled and go up to my elbows.

Vintage lace gloves one of my best friends gave to me.

Gloves and a hair brooch.

These gloves originally belonged to my mother. She bought them made in Germany about 30 years ago and gave them to me when I was about 13 years old. They are undoubtedly my most well-made, detailed, luxurious feeling pair of gloves I own. I also have a jacket in the same color that my mother made to go with these gloves.

My favorite clutch of the many.

A folding travel clock I bought from a local thrift shop.

Vintage silver clip-on earrings! My apologies for the blurry picture.

Another pair of Vintage clip-ons. These are my absolute favorite so far.

Another pair of Vintage clip-on earrings I have purchased recently! Aren't they beautiful? Also pictured is a silver bow pin, though not vintage.

Where I keep most of my gloves and handkerchiefs and some clutches.

Coat pin given to me from Conchita! It's VERY big, measuring about 5 or 6 inches in height! Isn't it adorable?

Conchita has been storing lots of jewelry for years (some for even longer than my parents have been alive!). This is a necklace & earrings set from Cape Cod bought in 1977 she had been saving all this time hoping to give it to someone she really wanted to give them to :) They are baskets. Apparently, in the area these were made, the city is well-known for baskets and lighthouses, hence the design! The basket on the necklace can be opened, and as you can see, it contains a mini penny! The earrings are little baskets that can actually contain a little something, though I have yet to put anything in them.

These actually came as decorative tags on some very beautiful, elegant(and pricey!) shirts I bought. I use them as bookmarks when I am reading.

A vintage jewelry box/case also given to me by my friend when I was given the vintage lace gloves. I'm always very careful about where I keep this, as it is extremely fragile. I'd hate to be the one whose hands it was in when it breaks, after all these years of it being so well-cared for!

There are many more things (which are more exciting...by far!) than anything here...including the surprise find I found in a big case in my garage that belonged to my grandfather, so stay tuned to find out!

Success!

2010-02-21T22:12:00.001-08:00

I finally bought some batteries, so soon enough I will be posting pictures of things I've only been able to write about! I'm very excited!

The Power of Glamour & Gone With the Wind

2010-02-20T13:29:00.000-08:00

Books I am Currently Reading:
-The Power of Glamour by Annette Tapert
I've included a scan of the cover (simple yet completely in accord with the title!) and I've also scanned the complete introduction in case anyone would like to read it. I've read so much already about Dolores Del Rio and Greta Garbo. At the moment I am reading about Marlene Dietrich. Interestingly enough, despite how I feel the majority of people who are very much an avid watcher of old Hollywood films may agree that Marlene Dietrich was the first and last word of Glamour. However, according to this book she said herself of Dolores Del Rio, "Ah, this is real beauty. We blondes have to work at it." The fact that Marlene of all glamourous women would in this way admit that she felt Dolores was the ultimate in Glamour really impacted me. Orson Welles was also known to have proclaimed Dolores "the most beautiful woman in the world". From reading about D. Del Rio I've come to the conclusion that she just might be the Only star that had Always been all about being a true Lady and Glamourous from the time she was born! Her story is nothing short of fascinating... not to mention that when she was in her 70s she still managed to have virtually no wrinkles on her face without having had plastic surgery, which is also discussed. Other glamour queens featured in this book include: Gloria Swanson, Carole Lombard (one oy my favorite starlets!), Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, the seemingly forgotten Kay Francis, Constance Bennett, Claudette Colbert, and Katherine Hepburn. I must also say that the portraits in this book are so impeccably beautiful, as these women were!

-Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.
I think most of us (at least in America) know of this film. I know I saw it as a little girl but I don't recall most of the story or scenes. A very good friend of mine (who is also VERY in the know of these decades as well) and I were talking about this film and she mentioned she had the book so I should read it. So, the following week she gave me a copy of the film and lent me her copy of the book. The book is SO long but then again so is the film (about 4 hours) so I think I will enjoy reading the book, I already have started to read it and am already sunk into it.

-Sonnets From the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
The same friend who lent me Gone With the Wind let me borrow this book of poetry. Of the author she said she wrote all the pieces of poetry in this book for her husband before they got married... before they had even met! Apparently, they had a long distance relationship via letters. The story goes that she reviewed one of his works and he liked her review so much he sought her out. And as they say, the rest was history! There are specific sonnets I love more than others, but all in all this is definitely worth reading and I am so thrilled my friend thought to recommend this to me.
Is anyone reading anything currently?

Catching Up

2010-02-15T23:40:00.001-08:00

It has been nearly two months since I last posted anything here. I feel like every time I make a post, I find myself saying that I'll update this more often. Though I do finally have the time to start updating again, so I don't know what excuse I'll have next time! The past couple months have been hectic in a lot of ways, or maybe just one. Without diving into the subject much, I suppose I was too quick in jumping the love wagon. I've come out in one piece though, and am very satisfied with my decisions, no matter how difficult they may be. I read my last couple posts before writing this one and I must say it really strikes me as strange that I wrote them!
There are so many things I wish I could show as far as recent buys. I think the main reason I haven't written here is that I still have no batteries for my camera! For now I will say that I have gotten my hands on some VERY beautiful vintage pairs of earrings, more gloves, a special record I just bought today, and I also found something truly amazing in my garage a week ago... it belonged to my grandfather and was still in its original case. I won't say what it is yet, so you'll have to wait until I can get a picture of all of these things! There are of course other things I have aqcuired lately but as with everything else I've mentioned, you'll all have to wait, sadly :)
My classes at the university have been going very smoothly. I have a guaranteed A in my foreign language class! I am taking a Food class for my major (Nutrition) and it is so enjoyable I couldn't begin to talk about it. We cook, bake, etc. for about 3 hours each class time. In fact this Wednesday I should be making Almond Brittle, so I'm really excited about that. I am taking a music class to learn piano basics, and so far I have a 99/100 in the class, so I am very proud of myself so far!
My mother has had yet another surgery, but this time for her right shoulder. It has been almost two weeks, so she has at least four more to go as far as recovery goes before she may try to move it at all. She is doing very well and as always is such a trooper.
Til Soon!

Rewind.

2009-12-21T20:57:00.001-08:00

I think I have to take back what I said in my last post. THOUGH, I MUST SAY, a man should never make the one he feels for think that she's being avoided or something's changed if it hasn't. I feel better. Tomorrow I am off and out of the country for a bit.

Dreams, Falling Out, and Lighter Things.

2009-12-21T11:50:00.000-08:00

Call me foolish, for I probably am. I've always felt and believed that being in love should make you feel happy, complete, satisfied with life, dreamy... or at least, above all, not make you doubtful, and should generally just be an uplifting experience that leaves you self assured.
I feel like I've jinxed myself. The past few days for me have been filled with doubt, confusion, and feeling like a young tree being consumed by a colony of termites... and just downright miserable, to say the least. I feel he's been more than just "distant". I feel ignored. Checking my phone every 5 minutes thinking there will be something and I just might have failed to hear it go off..only to find nothing. Can someone fall out of love just as easily as they fell in? I don't understand it. Knowing you're a catch and yet feeling like you've been taken for granted and more-so has got to be one of the biggest blows.
Last night I had several dreams. But one in particular was actually beneficial. What I sometimes have hated about dreaming is that ever since I was a child, my dreams have been SO incredibly vivid (to the point where I can actually feel, taste, smell, and think in them) that when I wake up I have to ask myself if it was or wasn't real. Anyway, this dream in a sense was a little different. In it, my role model (who is so famous its a wonder why I even thought it was real) actually sent me a very lengthy e-mail trying to help me out with my situation. The reason this dream was different from others is that as opposed to being able to remember every detail of it, I now can't remember any of what she said. All I can remember is that she was trying her best to console me, and gave her "own" experience of being in my shoes, feeling what I was feeling, and advice of what I should do about it. I've been trying to remember what her words were ALL morning to no avail. All I know is that I felt touched that she had actually gone out of her way to do something like that. Then of course when I woke up this morning I realized it wasn't real, but I HAVE felt better today then I have the past few days, though still a bit down in the dumps. Sadly, I had a dream the other night that the guy had left a voicemail message confirming his feelings completely. Then I woke up and actually checked my voicemail hoping it was real and of course it wasn't. Dreams can be such terrible teasers.

In other news, I've been clearing out some things in my room (hoping to think of something else) and realized just how many gloves, etc I have. I had to move all of my things to a bigger box to keep it all together. I even have clutches I've never used! I've been wondering if there is a place somewhere where I can take all my vintage gloves, clutches, hankies, everything, to be cleaned. I don't want to take my things to a dry cleaner... I don't trust that I'll get all my things back, and I don't feel like spending a lot of money over each little thing. There has to be something I can do!

Quotes

2009-12-18T15:07:00.000-08:00

First of all, thank you to Miss Golightly for your sweet comment on my last post! :)

My head is nowhere where it should be, and only filled with the theme of love- which is really quite unhealthy. In any case, I felt like putting in a lot of quotes here, because I can't think of anything else. Not all of them are sweet, but I liked them.

My favorite:
"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two." -St. Augustine

"I love you, not for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you." -Roy Croft.
"The hottest love has the coldest end." -Socrates.
""When you are in Love you can't fall asleep because reality is better than your dreams." -Dr. Seuss!
"We were given: Two hands to hold. To legs to walk. Two eyes to see. Two ears to listen. But why only one heart? Because the other was given to someone else for us to find." -Unknown.
"The best thing about me is you" -Shannon Crown.
"If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, its yours forever. If it dosent, then it was never meant to be." -Anonymous.
"Love is as much of an object as an obsession, everybody wants it, everybody seeks it, but few ever achieve it, those who do will cherish it, be lost in it, and among all, never... never forget it." -Curtis Judalet.
"Don't let someone become your everything, because when they're gone you have nothing!" -Kenya Mitchell.
"Pleasure of love lasts but a moment, Pain of love lasts a lifetime" -Bette Davis.
"Love is never wanting to lose faith, never wanting to give up, and never truly moving on. Love is knowing and praying in the deepest part of what's left of your heart that they feel the same." -CourtneyJo Wright.
"Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a teardrop." -Anonymous.
"And if it all falls apart, I will know deep in my heart, the only dream that mattered had come true. In this life, I was loved by you." -Colin Raye.
"I get the best feeling in the world when you say hi or even smile at me because I know, even if its just for a second, that I've crossed your mind." -Unknown.
"Falling in love is awfully simple, but falling out of love is simply awful." -Unknown.
"Women wish to be loved not because they are pretty, or good, or well bred, or graceful, or intelligent, but because they are themselves." -Henri Frederic Amiel.
"LOVE: We think about it, Sing about it, Dream about it & Loose sleep worrying about it. When we don't know we have it, we search for it. When we discover it, we don't know what to do with it. When we have it, we fear loosing it. It is the constant source of pleasure and pain. But we don't know which it will be from one moment to the next. It is a short word, easy to spell, difficult to define & IMPOSSIBLE to live without." -Unknown.
"Love is a promise, love is a souvenir, once given never forgotten, never let it disappear." -John Lennon.
"I dont know why they call it heartbreak. It feels like every part of my body is broken too." -Chloe Woodward.
"Love is blind- marriage is the eye-opener." -Pauline Thomason. Haha, I really liked that one.
"If you love me, let me know. If not, please gently let me go."- Anonymous. (I wish I had written that one!)
"Love makes time pass; time makes love pass." -French Proverb. (I hate this one for making sense! BOO!)
"The sweeter the apple, the blacker the core. Scratch a lover and find a foe." -Dorothy Rothschild.
"If a relationship is to evolve, it must go through a series of endings." -Lisa Moriyama. (I hope she's wrong.)
"To say the truth, reason and love keep little company together now-a-days." -William Shakespeare.
"She's gone. I am abused, and my relief must be to loathe her. " -W. Shakespeare.
"My heart is a red rose. When happy, it sparkles brillianly. When sad it bleeds and forms a dark puddle under it. When my heart dies, the soft fragile petals fall. So you might want to put your rose in a vase." -Claire Charmont.
"'Tis said of love that it sometimes goes, sometimes flies; runs with one, walks gravely with another; turns a third into ice, and sets a fourth in a flame: it wounds one, another it kills: like lightning it begins and ends in the same moment: it makes that fort yield at night which it besieged but in the morning; for there is no force able to resist it." -Miguel de Cervantes.

Love is in the air and I am back on this here map!

2009-12-17T14:17:00.000-08:00

I know it has been ages since I last posted, but really I have had so much going on that hasn't allowed me to post. Since my last post I have:
--Been TRYING to recover from the problems with my wrist and arm (there is much improvement but more to go!)
--Fallen in Love!
--Had all my finals at the university and received good grades for my efforts
--Been busy with tons of things around the house.

And yes, what you've read is true... I am in love. If I were to try to explain it all, It really would take me all day to talk about it. So, I will just say that it happened naturally and unexpectedly for the both of us. I must say that we both have found that we are keepers for each other and I want to genuinely believe that this is IT for me, though only time will tell. Thus far I could not be much happier and could definitely not ask for more at this point. I am walking on clouds!

I have to say that it is definitely difficult to concentrate on school (or anything else for that matter) when all of you is elsewhere. I'm still questioning how I managed to generally pull it off (school). I am one happy gal and I only hope that thing will get better and grow deeper.

I sure hope everyone has been doing very well and has been enjoying the change in weather. I for one LOVE cold weather and love when the sun is hiding. Today is rather sunny however, but I'm in such a good mood these days that not even the sun can hinder my spirits!

No Nocturnal Meteor.

2009-11-02T21:01:00.001-08:00

As some of you may have noted, I have not written in quite some time. Since the last post, I had been having some very strange problems with my right hand and forearm... long story short, I have tendonitis AND carpel-tunnel, so I have not been able to write anything except the unavoidable (online homework, documents, etc) which have all been terribly hard on me. I was feeling a lot better yesterday, but today was very different. I had a writing midterm this morning and boy did that hurt! I had to stop so many times during it, biting my lip, praying I could finish my midterm in time! In fact, I finished literally just one second before my professor said to stop writing because time was up. I'm usually fairly fast but it was so hard to write and my hand and forearm were hurting so much I just took off my splints midway hoping that would somehow help (which it didn't of course, ha). I hope I did well.
In other news, my mother has been doing extremely well! Her recovery has been fabulous and she is doing so well in the physical therapy sessions I am so proud! She has even insisted on driving already! That trooper of mine...

As of lately I have been reading a lot. One of the books I have been reading from is Don't Put Your Daughter on the Stage by Margaret Webster. There was a beautiful quote at the very beginning that I'd like to share:

Some say that the art of the theatre, born for and bound to the moment, must, like a soap-bubble or nocturnal meteor, dazzle, then burst to leave no trace. Free yourself from this dark thought! The very fact that your art is a child of fragrance, of the spirit, of a mood, of personality and imagination, and not something of wood and stone, or even a thought fixed fast in black and white, but a sprite for ever swinging free on beauty's vine, the fact that it lacks tangible form, renders it immune to the gnawing of time's worm. And that is what life truly means: to live in memory... to rest in people's minds free of the mildew and rust of age... and this lot has been granted to you.
-Henrik Ibsen

I am thinking of e-mailing it to a world renown "artist", in her specific craft, in hopes that she will appreciate my dedicating such a thing to her. Who wouldn't be flattered by such a quote, right? Maybe it's just me, but I hope she takes it for what it's worth.

Another book I have been clawing through: A Passion For Life -The Biography of Elizabeth Taylor. I have an undying feeling of admiration for her, just as I do of the artist I will be sending the quote to! I wonder if anyone can guess... I think I am too vague for anyone to pinpoint it!

A new bun in the oven...

2009-10-14T23:31:00.000-07:00

For the sake of my own privacy, and the respect I still give to someone who in many persons' opinions doesn't deserve it... I will refrain from using names or giving much of any detail or stories on the matter...

Basically, I just found out that my ex-best friend is pregnant.

I'm really just at a loss for words in shock. All I can say in my heart is that I truly hope things work out somehow for her. Despite everything that happened and how it all ended up with this bit of news I have heard from a mutual friend, I no longer care about what happened. That isn't to say that I would like to try to open this closed book of our friendship again. It's really not even possible now especially considering the circumstances surrounding it. It's just an old wound that has healed over through the best of healers: Time.

What ultimately ends up happening will depend on ...the, er, other individual. She's so young, 20 years young! I just hope everything that happened and the aftermath was ultimately worth it for her. I know it wasn't so much for me, but I AM quite satisfied about where I'm at and knowing that I've always been true in all ways and respected the golden rules and never crossed the lines of friendship, despite them not always respected towards me.

My Most Sincere, Best Wishes.

Mother's Surgery

2009-10-13T22:26:00.000-07:00

My mum came out of surgery yesterday, and in general things are going well. She looked a lot better yesterday in comparison to her first day from the last one. I hate to make it so vague so I'll just tell you all what it was for. She had her second complete-knee replacement. She had her right knee done April 1st this year and had her left done yesterday. That isn't to say that her right was worse than the other, because in reality they were both equally bad, but it was decided she'd have one done and then the other.
The doctors initially didn't want her to get it done and wanted her to put it off as far as possible (since a few years ago) because she's "too young" in their eyes for it. In fact, the surgery can only be repeated once, and the new knees are to last approx. 10 years as a maximum, which for me was a very frightful thought... it's like being told that your mother officially has only 20 years to walk (since once the second are worn out there's nothing you can do).
The truth is, in my mother's family, ALL women have had very bad knee problems and all end up going down the same road of needing this surgery. It's just in the genes. Why it only happens to the women, who really knows?, but that's the way things have turned out. On top of those genes, I am sure there are other things that could have contributed to her knees being in such bad shape all this while. Like? Like how she was literally a skater (skateboarder) back when she was my age. Yes, you read right. My mother was a real skater back when they were first made. Truth be told, they were called "Tigers" before they were called "skateboards" according to her. And so, when they first came out, she bought one and rode on it EVERYWHERE she went, teaching herself tricks, etc. before there were even any official ones. So one day riding down and empty street (as it was not illegal back then), a big truck came from out of nowhere at ridiculously high speeds, and top of that, the driver must have been drunk with how reckless he was driving... So anyway, the driver came out from nowhere and was swerving allover and she had no time at all to get out of the way since he was swerving excessively, all she could do was swerve on her board to the right by reflexive response. The truck didn't hit her, true, but what does this have to do with her knees? I'll tell you.
She swerved the only direction she could have, and it just so happened that there was a drain in the curb like this one (I had to edit the picture [poorly] since I couldn't find a picture that showed it correctly) and long story short, she smacked into the open part of the drain (that black area) full force with her KNEES, breaking both of them horribly and of course she passed out right when it happened. So there you have it... one of the causes for my mother's knees getting so bad so early. She doesn't usually agree with me on that but I don't see how that COULDN'T have any effect.

And just for the sake of sharing since I'm talking about my mother's skateboarding days... when I was a child I was VERY much a tomboy (that truly IS a LONG story cut short!) and so at around eight or nine years old I saved my pennies and bought myself a skateboard, much to my mother's dismay, but my father had told me that whatever I spent my money on was my decision because I saved it up, so he wasn't able to change my mind. I taught myself fairly quickly and soon would ride around and started to teach myself tricks and kept riding until I was maybe thirteen... the reason I stopped, you ask? My mother one day just grabbed it and threw it in the trash bin when I was away at school. Ha! I wasn't all that upset really, because I understood that she threw it away because she was just so worried about me, obviously because of what had happened to her.

The Depression plays nice with Burlesque

2009-10-12T10:02:00.001-07:00

From the book Horrible Prettiness: Burlesque and American Culture
"...with burlesque in the early 1930s. In 1932, some 150 strippers were employed in burlesque, most of them in their first season. In 1936, Variety reported that burlesque had the lowest unemployment rate in the show business industry, with virtually no first-class burlesque talent out of work."

Amazing Giveaway!

2009-10-11T21:28:00.000-07:00

Letters from the Home Front is having a fantastic giveaway!

That's right, it's exactly what it looks like: a vintage Art Deco cameo locket in black & white! How beautiful! Always wanted a locket like this. I do hope you'll enter for a chance to win it and "take her home". This is definitely a piece that can be cherished and worn that will grab attention.
Don't forget to follow the rules to enter!

Sewing Patterns!

2009-10-10T15:04:00.000-07:00

It's been SUCH a long time since I've last posted here. I've been so busy with school now that I just haven't had the slightest chance to write anything! Now that I have a bit of time, I wanted to share about a very exciting find in our garage. As you may already know, my mother is basically a sewing genie (you know, "Your wish is my command!"). Anyway, I found a huge basket, Not full, but OVERFLOWING in patterns! I was so happy when I found it, I looked through all of it. There's easily about 80 different patterns, possibly more! And there are definitely more where those came from! I noticed some of them were in larger sizes than she could possibly have been (even when she was pregnant with my oldest sister, her waist was 22 inches! That says it all!) because I know she was quite basically a bombshell of a woman! She told me that sometimes she couldn't find patterns in her size so she would just get whatever was available and then resize them for herself! Amazing.

Here are the piles I found today. (As always, you may click the images to see them in their original size.)

Some don't have the packaging anymore... so I'll have to track down what they are supposed to be.

And here are some from the pile I really liked! (Note that some of these are "Vogue Patterns", like the one with a black dress and a pink dress on it that says "PARIS ORIGINAL"! Also, you an see a couple of children's clothing patterns... so there you can have an idea of just how elaborate and cute my mother would dress us up when we were little!)

I want all of these blouses!!!!!!!!!!

I wanted to draw special attention to this one because it says "Maternity" at the top left. I asked my mother about it and she said that when she was pregnant, she would make this for herself, and therefore didn't have to compromise her clothing despite having babies. (haha!) I think they're fantastic, and I'd probably want to wear these even if I wasn't pregnant!

I specifically remember seeing this red and black number in my mother's closet when I was a child. So I asked her if this pattern was used to make it and she said yes. :)

And there you have it everyone... some of the patterns in my mother's collection of things she has made in her lifetime! There are also patterns and such for doing embroidery, like the kind she did on a dress of mine featured in a previous post, as well as patterns for hats and handbags.

Here is another pattern she used to make us outfits when my sisters and I were younger. (There were a few patterns that needed repair, which explains the tape.)

Hope everyone enjoyed this post!

Excitement.

2009-09-21T00:00:00.001-07:00

A few days ago I was writing a post here that was very important to me. However, I was interrupted by something and couldn't keep writing, so I thought I'd have another go at it later on that evening. That wasn't possible though, because the most strange things started happening to my computer, and in short, I found that I had two trojans! A sister of mine who tends to use my computer has a way of getting things like that somehow... always clicking this and that, articles that can't really be of interest to anyone except for those bored with everything, that only lead to problems on one's computer. So, for the last few days, I have been trying to fix it. Just when I thought I had it all cleaned up, it turned out that all my hard work was a waste- the trojans were not only still there, but seemed to have gotten worse! I had no other choice but to completely wipe out my system, MUCH to my regret. But, I am glad now that I can at least use it with confidence again.

Tonight my mother found these two wonderful fabrics among her big collection of them, and asked me if I was interested in having them made into something for myself. My immediate response was "YES!!!" Especially because one of them automatically made me envision a 1940s suit (skirt though, not pants, of course). What a perfect picture I had in mind! However, once I told her about my idea, she said the material wasn't really fit for something of that sort, and I would have known that had I been close when she showed them to me. (She had been down the hallway, at the opposite end of me, so there is my excuse!) Anyhow, once I saw them up close, I began to wonder of what they could become... AND THEN IT HIT ME!
I must say first that my absolute favorite actress of ALL time is Gene Tierney. I could write pages and pages about her- why she is my favorite, and why she is just such a remarkable person in general. Now that I mention that though, I must tell you all that a few days ago, when all that trojan mess was going on, I received another goodie in the mail! SELF-PORTRAIT, Gene Tierney's autobiography. I don't think I've ever been so moved. I devoured the book and have finished reading it since yesterday morning. It is worth every dollar you will pay, no matter what price. Her story is unlike any other I have read, and I honestly believe that there has been no person so genuine to be part of Hollywood as she.
Back to my point in this post... the excitement! As I thought of what the fabrics could become, what I was talking about when I said "and then it hit me!" was this:
I suddenly remembered a particular article of clothing that Gene Tierney wore in Laura (1944), which also happens to be my FAVORITE film, that would be perfect!!!
For those curious, I found that YouTube has the whole film on it! Wonderful YouTube... here you can see in this part what I am talking about. It's the striped shirt(?) she is wearing from the beginning of this part to 4:19. THAT is what I want, and so I showed it to my mother, and she said Yes. I am ECSTATIC.
I don't have time to see if this really embeds, but if doesn't...

then here is the link! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5xS7MGbxdQ

Photo time!

2009-09-13T18:04:00.000-07:00

I felt compelled to post a few pictures here that are very dear to me, and in that way give a glimpse on my family. I think everyone knows this but just in case, you can click any of the pictures to see them bigger. :)

A random shot I took of the person I love most in all the world, my mother, when she had just taken out curlers from her hair, ha! She was covering herself up as she just had a slip haha.
And once she was fully dressed that day.

Family Photo of my mother's. This one needs no real explanation, since I wrote on it after I scanned it... EXCEPT, I think I should say that in my mother's family, there were a total of twelve children (I know, I know...yikes right?), my mother being the 5th.

My all-time favorite picture of my mother. I am not sure what year exactly this was taken, but some time in the 80s I would think. The little boy is a cousin of mine.
Family photo. My family a few years before I came along :). My parents, and my two sisters.

As you can probably see, my oldest sister (the one on the left), was a redhead when she was little, which is no surprise, given that there are a TON of redheads from my mother's side of the family especially. Little did they know my sister would end up a brunette..with VERY curly hair!

My parents now. Photo taken at a very elegant dinner I helped put together a number of months ago at someone's house.

My father at nine, and his teacher. (From a class photo)
And a shot of me when I was little. As far as I know, my mother made my dress.
And me more recently.
Reading my Etiquette book. Done by a dear friend of mine.

This is probably the only picture in existence of me without my glasses on! And here you are to see it FIRST! :p

And just in case anyone notices the three birthmarks by my eyebrow... they really are birthmarks. Many people ask me when I am out and about if I got the "My Crazy Life" tattoo there, since that is the exact same thing, but I have no tale that leads to me getting that tattooed. I always joke with my mother that it must mean I was meant to have a crazy life, but I think it just means that I must be that *awesome* that I was BORN with it, instead of getting this tattooed like gangsters do :)

Many things to say!

2009-09-12T19:00:00.001-07:00

It's been a long while since I have posted anything, so I have many things to catch everyone (or anyone?) up on :)
First things first!
My wonderful mother has taken up sewing full blast recently. Why? Not only because it's her true passion BUT most importantly because she will be getting surgery again one month from today (on the 12th) and it will take her about a year to be recovered enough to get back into the sewing game again. She has been making lovely slacks for me as well as skirts, blouses, dresses etc. To give a little idea on the slacks, they are all high waisted, and well, for the sake of saving your heads (I tend to confuse with descriptions at times!), let me just say that I am absolutely THRILLED about them. If I can remember correctly, she has already finished 1 dress, 1 skirt, 3 blouses, and 3 pairs of slacks...or was it 4? And there are MORE lovely things underway, but you shall see when it comes to my getting batteries for my camera. I don't know how I always manage to forget to purchase some, but I somehow do.
ALSO, I have bought so many things lately! Ranging from tea sets to cutlery to books to things I can't even categorize at the moment from the excitement.
I will however be able to tell you about books that have been delivered to my mailbox so far, as I am still expecting for more things to be shipped to me.
1) "MOVIE-STAR PORTRAITS OF THE FORTIES: 163 Glamor Photos" which I expected to be of JUST photos, obviously, but there's a whole *somewhat* lengthy introduction with all kinds of superb info! And the photos are unbelievably glamourous.

2) AMERICAN FAMILY of the 1930s Paper Dolls in Full Color"
I was really happy about this one because it was in PRISTINE condition! The only thing I have to say that isn't so nice is that apparently the post man STUFFED the package it came in, into my mail box, bending the book! But oh well, what can a gal do? I'm hoping I can straighten it out without making any sort of marks. The outfits for the dolls are amazing! The "family" consists of 10 members (3 generations! ha!) and 30 full outfits, including SWIMWEAR (which I thought was amusing because that's what the dolls are in as a default, so the grandfather is in his swimwear, hehe), and there is even a complete wedding wardrobe! I'm never cutting these out of the pages of course. Apparently they are collectibles if I understood correctly. I'm going to have it put in a case appropriate for this type of book and have it on display sooner or later.

I must share about one of the other goodies I am expecting soon because it is very relevant to this post... I am expecting another paper dolls book from the same series, but themed as the 1940s, so I'm most excited about that one when it comes to the 1930s and 1940s series, for the simple reason that I am much more fond of the 1940s than I am of the 1930s.

I have bought some nice shirts recently, and I MUST admit that I bought them mostly because of the tags that came on them, though the shirts ARE nice and I would have wanted them anyway. But, the tags were that little extra push for me to spend such ridiculous amounts of money (but well worth it for the quality and considering the brand).
I was able to use my scanner for this, so bare with me on the quality of the scan, dearies.
I am currently using them as bookmarks. They're very hard (and therefore perfectly sturdy for the job!) I LOVE them so much!
When I get the necessaries, I shall take pictures of everything I didn't get to!

New Dress

2009-07-31T13:52:00.000-07:00

And just like that, 5 days have passed yet again!
Yesterday, my dress was finished. It started out as a project of my mother's 25 years ago or so, but she had never finished it. I had always loved the fabric very much since I was a child and yesterday she sat down and finished it to be for me. Pictures really don't do it justice, and everywhere I went yesterday it got stares and a handful of compliments and questions, and even a young woman who stopped me to ask if she could have a look at it. It always seems to surprise people when they come to find out that my mother is who is responsible for the majority of my wardrobe, but it's the truth. Whether it's real vintage that belonged to her or it is made by her hands, most of what I wear came from her, as opposed to going to a shop and buying it.
Anyhow, without further delay, this is the end result.

This is photo is quite blurry, but it gives the idea more or less :)

And here if you click this one, although it is also a poor excuse of a photo (and was shot when it was still being put together,) shows the detail in it, to fully appreciate all the intricate embroidery involved. The shoulders have three of the same flowers on each side as well.

Party, part two!

2009-07-26T15:19:00.001-07:00

So last night was the party I talked about in the previous entry. I had the most wonderful surprise there! When we went to the back of the house, my sister said, "DID YOU SEE WHO IS DJ-ing?" And when I looked, it was an old friend I hadn't seen in a couple years!!! It was so great seeing him. The hostess was shocked we knew each other. When I approached him I yelled "LONG TIME, NO SEE!" and he (Mac) looked up and we both were excited and it was all hugs and great catching up. At that second I knew the music HAD to be good! It was real cute, when the hostess was asking how long we knew each other, I told her I was five years old when we met and we know each other's families, and he added, "Yeah and her mom gave me my first job! Even though I sucked at it, she was still awesome!" I remember when he and Michelle (his wife) got married ten years ago, and if I remember correctly, I think this past May was their 10th anniversary. Aww.
Michelle wasn't there yet but she did come later, and I ended up talking to her for the remainder of the time I was there. It's funny, the party was themed "50s rock 'n' roll" but NO ONE DANCED when Mac put all that music on, and they were all great tunes too. I told Michelle that she and Mac should dance and then maybe everyone would start, but she didn't want to, saying she felt it wouldn't be right because it wasn't really their party, Mac was just DJ-ing for it. I felt they should have though because no one was dancing anyway, but I understood her point. Plus, everyone might have intimidated if they saw just how great they are! :) Mac and I were supposed to dance, but I left a bit earlier in the night than planned so we didn't get around to it, but that's okay, just seeing them was great enough!
I have to be thee most NON-photogenic person on the planet, but here's a picture that has us in it. (I completely forgot to get a photo of my hair, but it had victory rolls on the sides, and rolled up in the back.)

Mac on the left, Michelle on the Far right, and myself next to Michelle.
My sisters and I.

And some of what I wore.
(Both the top and slacks were made by my mother that same day.)

Back of my top.

Front of my silk clutch, and 1940s gloves.

Back of Clutch & Gloves

I completely forgot to tell Michelle that Mac's DJ name should be Big Mac! Haha! Surely this would be funny to anyone who has a McDonalds in their country. I think its brilliant, modesty aside ;)
And here's a picture just for fun:

Party

2009-07-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I stayed away from here for 5 days!
Later today I will be at a party I was invited to. A girl whose family I know has graduated from middle school so that is what the celebrating is all about. The party, I am told, will be "50s" themed as I have gathered from the invite, but judging from the decorations on that invitaion, I think it is actually 50s rock n roll themed, and not generally 50s. I am in such a predicament now because I have heard that the idea for the dress code is what the movie Grease was about- POODLE skirts for the ladies. I own not ONE poodle skirt! Haha. And quite frankly, when it comes to my likes, it's 30s: 40%, 40s: 55%, and 5os: 5%. Don't get me wrong now, I do like the 50s, but not as much as the 30s and 40s! That said, I don't really know what to wear now. Because the girl the party is for is not actually into these eras or anything but just wanted the party themed 50s, I think I can get away with 40s attire and the like as most people sadly cannot really tell the difference (that is, people my age- I'm 19). However, my sister believes that wouldn't be very nice of me, but I'm not so sure. I am contemplating wearing slacks of some sort, after all, Rizzo in Grease wore pants at one point right? Unless my memory is already failing me! If I can't I believe I have a dress that'll do the trick well enough for the theme... but it is a bit more fanciful as it is of silk...not sure how "rock 'n' roll" that is. Oh well!
I received a few calls asking if I could do their hair for the party, but I had to decline. I can't possibly do anyone's hair other than mine, I have tried and it just does not work! I don't know why I am so terrible with other people but I suppose it just isn't an ability I have.
I hope the party works out fine. I don't feel in the mood for dancing really, and I know most everyone will be expecting me to, so I almost feel like I shouldn't go! But, of course I will go... just have to put on my poker face when requests are denied and I see the frowns come. I hate to be a party pooper!

Yesterday I went to the car dealership, but actually saw nothing that tickled my fancy! And just after that, I broke one of my nails due to nothing short of foolishness on my part. I almost couldn't believe it, my nails are VERY strong, by far much stronger than the average person, but it happened. So, I had to cut them ALL last night and I am having quite a bit of trouble typing as I haven't had short nails in probably a year or so, and my fingertips are not used to touching anything so it actually hurts a little!

Another thing, I am having trouble deciding on what to do with my hair for the party... I am not so crazy about 50s styling in that arena... what's a girl to do!?

Tom's Farms

2009-07-20T14:31:00.000-07:00

Hello, hello!
I haven't been able to write anything since last time because it has been MUCH too hot here to be able to sit down long enough to write! Let us see how long it takes me before I give up :)
In the last few days...
1) I found out I am allergic to any kind of bites (insects and such), which explains why last summer my mosquito bites got so horrendous looking. I got bitten by a fly (of all things) on my forearm a couple days ago and it immediately started to ache and itch. This morning I woke up to find that it had extended out to a vein in my arm and has definitely gotten much wider. However, strangely, the shape is not round like bites usually get, it's a perfect square! SO ODD! I hope it gets better by tomorrow. I suppose I now have to be extremely cautious of what I wear outside this summer if it's nearing nighttime... long sleeves and pants to prevent getting bitten in the more bite-prone areas. Oh well. I also stubbed my left foot last night...it still hurts! I need to be more careful at home.
2) I went to Tom's Farms in Corona.
The Sweetshop was very fun to go to! They must have a thousand types of sweets, of which I bought many kinds of Jelly Bellys. I never knew there were so many kinds, and I'm not usually a big fan of jelly beans but these were irresistible. I also bought these gummies that were in the shape of Coca Cola bottles that looked as if they had coke IN them! They were so cute I had to get a box full for my mother. They actually tasted just like coke! I don't know what else I expected them to taste like, haha, but it did taste like the real thing and I found that amazing. The Furniture store of Tom's Farms had many beautiful pieces. I wanted to take half the shop with me! What I found most interesting were these little fake utensils they had on various pieces of furniture (mostly dining tables). For instance, on one table it looked like there was a spoon on it but what was unusual about the spoon was that it looked like there was melted ice cream in it and it had spilled into a puddle onto the table. It was so realistic I thought someone had left ice cream there and it had gotten allover the table so I tried to take off the spoon! When I picked it up the "ice cream puddle" came up with it! I loved it. They had things like that allover the store... tea cups with "spilled" tea, coffee mugs that appeared to be dripping, "half-bitten" dough nuts, etc etc. They all looked unbelievably real, I would have never known that they were fake.
3) My good friend Gigi informed me that she has to sell her 1951 Plymouth. I can't believe it! Apparently she has to get rid of it because the city she lives in doesn't allow classics!!! How ridiculous can people be? If it weren't for my already owning a classic and having three other cars at home I would store her car for her here at my home. Hopefully we'll find someone who is interested in buying it soon who will cherish it. I asked why she didn't just ask her father to store it for her at his house but apparently he just bought a 1966 Dodge Charger so he doesn't have room now. I'm quite sure the car in the fabulous movie Big Fish was a '66 Charger as well! Real neat. I don't suppose anyone here would be interested in Gigi's '51 Plymouth Cambridge??? It's a complete car, easily a daily driver from our sunny state of California. ;)

To Be a Lady, or Not to be a Lady...

2009-07-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

I decided to make my first real post about the subject of what being a lady is. I could most definitely write my own book on the subject just to answer this question, but I doubt most have the patience to go through such lengthy reading. So, I wanted to quote from a favorite book of mine...

"Being a lady is an 'art' and not a birthright. It's something that has to be earned. It's about paying attention and aspiring to do the right thing- even when others don't. That's what sets a lady apart from the crowd. It's what garners her respect and admiration and inspires all of us to keep trying. That is the power of being a lady. Any woman can be a lady- and, we believe, everyone should want to be one. The challenges and pressures of life in the modern world are very real. To rise above the fray and do what's right takes great strength, confidence, and most of all, the ability to see beyond yourself- especially in a world that consistently rewards self-advancement at nearly any cost. That's why we believe that any woman who achieves that special balance deserves to be recognized: as a Lady."

Because I hold the standards of the 1940s & 50s in what I call "Vintage Refinement", I want to share something from my etiquette book of 1952 on the subject of the use of the term. (You may click them so that they are readable size of course.)

Adding onto the quote and the scans, I strongly believe (and not everyone has to agree but applying this personally,) that a lady must have grace [even under pressure], dignity, excellent manners, humility, a good sense of respect, reasonable independence, self-confidence, integrity, intelligence, poise, compassion, and class. The list could really go on but to me these are the essentials.
Of course, many out there, and maybe you're one of them, won't agree with my definition. But as I hold myself to the things I have listed (and the quote and scans), I respect everyone else's perspective on the subject. In a world where many women feel they have to (or at least have the habit of) letting their chests spring out of their garments, or their rears, I am proud to say that I don't feel the need to follow that route. Acting and dressing like a lady has earned me more respect than I have noticed the aforementioned get. I enjoy when an elderly man looks at me and smiles, nods his head and says "Good Morning" or "Good Afternoon" when passing me by. I enjoy it when I go to the market and the manager walks through the aisle I'm on and smiles and instead of just passing by without a word, literally bows and does a fancy hand gesture and says "Excuse Me" and then goes on. I enjoy it when the elderly come up to me in public places just to tell me that I look lovely, or when an elderly woman starts talking to me, telling me she used to wear this or that the way I do, or did her hair the way I do, and even better, starts to share stories of her youth with me (and for the record, I think the elderly are my favorite kind of people, for the simple fact that they have great stories to tell and come from the eras I love).
I prefer being respected over getting yelled/whistled at by disrespectful men when I'm crossing the street. Modesty is my best policy. A girl once told me, "Now I see why you say I show too much skin...you don't need to." and it's true, no one needs to. I hear women say that they can't stand how men look at them sometimes, or how they think they can just get "fresh", and sometimes I want to tell them, "Your manner of dress is probably what leads them to think they can or it's expected", but I don't want to come off as rude. However, when you think about this, it really does make sense. Dressing well and with modesty does get you respect, and can also cause others to become curious of you, but in a nice, respectful way.

I hope this blog inspires at least ONE person out there to want to be a lady, to want to make even the smallest adjustment in their way of living or their manners, and I hope no one is offended either!

First Post Here!

2009-07-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

This is my very first post here on Blogspot and I do hope it does turn out as all it is racked out to be. I suppose this is where I should be introducing myself!
I'm just another gal here using this site for her own pleasure but I venture I am not "just another gal" when it comes to the kind of person I am. I strive every day to be more and more of a Lady, through manners, style, habits, lifestyle, entertainment, and the like. I am not trying to be a "modern lady" but rather a lady of the past. My absolute favorite era has always been the forties but I do love the thirties and like the fifties. I do try not stray away from what is Authentic and I hope my little blog here doesn't bore anyone who happens to come upon it. I'd like to get to know other Vintage enthusiasts here who share similar thoughts and interests, especially those who take a great fancy to film noir! I promise I am very nice.
I am just a beginner using this site so please bare with me as I experiment :)