Pin Curl Projects

Really, this is just me playing dress-up with some lovely friends who let me pin-curl their hair, humoring me since I get major kicks out of vintage-ifying folks for a day. These girls are both gorgeous anyways, but I think the pin-curled look especially suits them, don't you agree? 

My favorite part about doing other people's hair is when they are really obviously pleased with the results and they walk around smiling, with a little pep in their step for the rest of the day. Having helped pep-their-step is most satisfying, indeed. 

I did Jeanette's hair on Thursday night. We sat in the dining room, where some of our friends were beginning an all-nighter for their papers, and I cheerfully pin-curled her hair while she watched Star Trek on her iPod and dozed off, jerking awake every so often to quote a line in the movie while it was being said. 

Auld Reekie, a Weekend Excursion.

I shouldn't be writing this right now... but I need to write something non-academic just to remind myself of the sensation of writing for fun!
A couple of weekends ago, a few friends and I took a train to Scotland for the weekend. We stayed in Edinburgh (apparently nicknamed "Auld Reekie"), in a hostel right smack in the middle of the city - New Town, that is. Old Town, the side that Edinburgh Castle is on, was so lovely and old-looking (shocker, I know) and was definitely my favorite part of the trip.

A scenic park/valley separating Old Town (to the right) and New Town (to the left). 

Point is, I really love the aesthetics of old European cities (more than "old" American cities... is that un-patriotic of me?), and am loving how easy and relatively cheap the public transportation system is here. Once Gracie joins me over here our shenanigans will be unstoppable! Granted, they involve rather tame plans like a day-visit to John Keats' house (drool/fangasm/faint - I am really looking forward to this, if you can't tell), perhaps a jaunt to the Emerald Isle, and who knows what else!
Anyway, I won't ramble on about it. Here are some pictures from Scotland, including me in my sartorial attempts to blend my vintage aesthetic with the functionality and practicality necessary for hostel-hopping with only a backpack in tow.

On the approximately 6 hour train ride over there. European trains are super nice. After hearing Gracie's (horror) stories of Amtrak, this was much appreciated. Me, to the left, and my friend/roommate Carolyn to the right. 

Euphonic Earworms: He Says Murder, He Says

Here's some of the ridiculously wonderful Betty Hutton, being infectiously energetic and entertaining as usual! 

I could use some of her pep during my many paper-writing all-nighters that I've had to pull here (and the many more that lay ahead)... I think a dose of Betty ("a vitamin pill with legs!") would do wonders compared to the weak tea I've been throwing back!

- Emily

The End is Nigh!

I'm not talking about the end of the world, by the way.

My semester is almost over.

Eek/ick/crap. I have a month of classes left and sooooo much work to do, so if I go missing, as Emily has, don't be too worried. More likely than not, though,  I will be using the blog as a means of procrastination. Yep, I'm still doing that.

Anyway, because the quarter is coming to a close I am getting antsy about getting my trip to the UK worked out. I'll be there for three weeks and as excited as I am, I am also scared beyond belief. It's not like I'm going to be alone, Emily and I are rejoining to run a muck in a new country (or two!) but still, travel is nerve-racking.

Mostly I'm just worried about not being able to travel lightly enough... I am not know for my ability to simplify my wardrobe. I like options. Leave me alone.

So far my plan is to pack 4 (warm) skirts, two pairs of trousers, several blouses/unders/stockings (because they can be packed very tightly), rain boots, walking shoes (which I do not own...), maybe a dress, and MAYBE a pair of heels (because I desperately want to go to fancy things and I love heels more than the world).

An outfit I will most likely end up packing. Bad idea? The only reason I think it might be is because I could wear this fairly comfortably in Savannah's "fall" (aka warm) weather... Maybe with wool stockings/tights I'll be better suited.
Top & skirt: Goodwill (Atlanta)
Shoes: antique store (Madison)
Clip: Walmart (Charleston)

Euphonic Earworms: Somebody Nobody Loves & I'm the Lonesomest Gal in Town

I love the video for "Somebody Nobody Loves". It's pretty simple, but cute (and telling of her situation).

These songs are my anthems, in essence.
Jam on, lonely girls.


xGracie

Soldier Blues - Five Days of Being Blue

Salutations,

This weekend was magnificent. I went to my moms (Again, I know. I need to stop) and did some baking and sewing and it was all grand. As a part of my weekend I went to my cousins school for a parade they held. He goes to a military college so it's mostly boys which I find sort of amazing and awesome (to a girl who goes to an art school, this is a big deal, at least) and hotdog! did they look good in their uniforms. I mean they look REALLY good. Forgive me, for sounding shallow and petty, but I am very frank about these things. Anyway, so the whole time I was just ogling the band members. I believe my favorite (a trumpet player, no less!) spotted me trying to take sneaky from-the-hip pictures...

Hunky band boys looking sharp in their wool dress coats and pants. Poor boys, it was quite toasty out that day.

I LOVE bagpipes. My cousin is going to be in the pipe band soon enough! I also really love that they wear kilts!

Art Feature: The Queenslander

Unlike like Emily, I do not put in too much effort to find out the artist of the illustrations I like. This is wrong of me, I know, but I'm lazy. That being said, all I know of these illustrated covers of The Queenslander is that many of them were done by either Esther Paterson, Garnet Agnew, Betty Paterson, Mcbain, and Lance Bressow. I found these wonderful images through  the State Library of Queensland, Australia on flickr. Please indulge in their glory.

Lovely Ladies of the Past: Jean Harlow

I honestly really did not like Jean Harlow a whole lot until a few months ago. I think it was because I only knew the sex-symbol she represented and I resent women like that. Then I started watching her films and became sort of smitten. She is a wonderful actress and is SO, so funny! Even when she plays a slutty manipulative hoe (per Red Headed Woman, which was not the ginger-empowering film I had hoped it would be...) I love her. So now I have a huge girl crush on her... Also, not too sound crude, but HER BODY. Oh my god. I had forgotten about that aspect of her intrigue. It's not a sexual thing for me, but an appreciation for fit, yet very curvy actresses. And really she and Alice Faye are the only ones I can think of that are like this (ok, of my top 6 favorites list, they are....) Also she was pretty short, so that always makes me happy. Also, obviously, men loved her and some (of good taste) still do! This makes me infinitely happy (especially when they're... ehem young good looking men). I will never forgive myself for not giving her a chance sooner!

I have now seen a few of her films and am trying to see most all of them, but Netflix is slow here and I am surprisingly busy. One day I will have seen them all, I swear it! 

For now just ogle over some of my favorite images of her. Some are computer colorized (not by me) and some are black and white. There's a good mix of publicity photos and more candid ones. Hopefully you'll see some you haven't seen or even some you have seen and forgot about and how much you love her! And then you'll love her again. And all will be well with the world.

Euphonic Earworms: How About You?

I love this lovely scene, how about you?
I love Judy Garland way too much, how about you?
I love impromptu dancing and singing, even though I can't carry a tune...
I love Burton Lane for composing this song, and reportedly discovering young Miss Garland... How about you?

I just emerged from a week-long stretch of essentially non-stop paper writing. Four papers. One week. My reward to myself was a day trip to Whales with two friends! T'was marvelous, I really, really love it there. We went to Tintern Abbey, which was amazing:

Okay, it didn't look quite like that, because the sky was one big cloud all day, but still, it was gorgeous.

Also, here is a shitty Mac Photobooth shot of where I am typing right now:

I wasn't very successful at leaning out of the shot, but I'm in a cafe and don't want to weird out the other people. Point is, I just love the architecture here. Ancient or just really old buildings are everywhere, and far outnumber the occasional 70's construction (which Atlanta is full of - ugly late 20th century architecture, that is).

I'll be sharing some better pictures soon, I just need to transfer them off of my camera!

'Till next time!
- Emily

Amusing Annuals #3

It's been a while since I shared photos from my paternal grandmother's high school annuals, so as a means of dedication to this blog (and maybe a little bit of procrastination) I am here to show off the Harrisville High School yearbook of 1951, freshmen year for my gran, Ella. I hope you enjoy!

My great uncle, Sam at the top & centered, looking wistful

Happy Days Are Here Again

"The sky above is clear again" and all that jazz.

Today has been such a very good day. It was my friend Jennifer's 20th so this morning my roommate/scad bff, Tara, and I showered her with cat-covered gifts and strolled down to the theater for a meeting.

I gave her these socks, on which I embroidered little cat faces.

and this card, I made:

Yes, I know, I totally copied this concept, bow and all and that is wrong and immoral and so on, but it was way too cute and perfect for Jennifer. Forgive me.

Help Wanted: Altering a Backless Gown to Suit My Style

I am thrilled to be able to tell you I am going to a wedding soon. I have been waiting for a wedding to come my way for years so you can image how very excited I am! I love weddings... I think. I am not sure actually, as the only one I have ever been to was when I was 7. 

But this one ... this one has to be awesome. My cousin, Scott, and his very longterm girlfriend, Josie are such cool & beautiful people I cannot imagine any thing of theirs not living up to their standards of awesome. Plus, both the ceremony and reception are to be held in late 1930s theater! What could be a better venue to re-introduce me into the magic of matrimony (or at least the party bits of it!)? The theater is gorgeous, from what I've seen of it, and I finally get to get dressed up in period-eque attire and get to fit in with the atmosphere! I am sosososooooooo excited. 

I have a huge problem though... I have no authentic 30s or 40s fancy dress. And I'm far too broke to buy any of the ones I like. 

My (hugely conflicting) solution: Altering a 1980s silk hand-me-down gown to look more similar to the style I like. This could be easy if this dress didn't have an open back. I'm not talking open down to the waist, but open all the way to right above my bum. It is distressing. I am trying to figure if I can craftily add some fabric to the lower bit without it looking bad. I have to go through all of my potential alterations for this dress mentally since the dress is with my mom. It is a problem. 

the back, from what I can recall, is very much like this one. Only not as nice looking on me....

The neck on my dress is high and moderately wide. I think I would like it to be more like this though:

the colors are similar to this dress, as well.

Do you think making the front like this (rather than the 3/4 length sleeves and wide-ish neckline it currently has) would go okay with such an open back?

Now, here are some open back designs I could be very content with if I had a choice (which

And Then I Fell in a Manhole...

The past 30 hours have been... rough, to say the least. I had an architecture project that required MUCH more time to do than I imagined. In constructing it I got a T-pin painfully stuck under my nail. I ended up not sleeping more than three hours last night (really this morning) and it was an uneasy rest. My critique for said project was weak. I was unprepared for the class that followed the architecture one. And to make today a little eventful I managed to fall into a manhole.
Yes, a manhole. And let me tell you, doing that is nothing like modern Alice and Wonderland stories would have you believe.

You have no idea how many runs are really in these tights. Especially on the inner leg, but that made for a very awkward picture and the internet and I are not ready for that phase of our relationship (or ever will be).

Really, only my right leg got sucked into what I am sure is secretly a vortex to an alternate universe, but phrasing it the right way makes the whole fiasco sound much more exciting.

Euphonic Earworms: Poor You AND an Outfit Post... You Lucky Dog, You

Howdy ho!

I would like to share with you a song that Emily introduced me to a while ago. From the first listen I was hooked.
I don't really know what in particular about this song and this rendition, specifically, that I love, but I think it may be one of my favorite songs. I simply love it. So, so very much. It is one of those songs that just plays over and over in my mind and I have yet to get sick of it. I love Judy Garland (not nearly as much as Emily, though. She is like the Judy Garland aficionado of the South. Or maybe just in general... I dunno) and I love how her voice sounds in this version. And the mood of it. And the composition. Just everything.

Sorry for that terrible explanation, I just cannot express my feeling well right now.
Probably be cause I'm quite hopped up on honey. "Why?" you ask. This is why:

That Fur

I love fur.

That is all I have to say, other than a quick "hello" and "goodbye", for I am a master of procrastination and need to actually get some homework done tonight....

So, HI!!!!
and here: the fur I love most right now.

A crappy attempt at coloring this photo. You can see the original version on this post.

This coat can also be seen worn by Ana here.

and worn by me...  looking suuuuuper awkward.

Have a nice day,

Gracie

Pin Curls, as Promised

Hey gals, 

Sorry I didn't get to post this sooner, I made a last minute decision to come visit my mom for the weekend so I got distracted.

Here is my attempt to successfully explain how I set my pin curls. I drew a couple of diagrams which I hope will help. 

Keep in mind my hair is VERY thick so I have to separate it a LOT to get workable curls. 

Euphonic Earworms: Midnight, the Stars, and You

This song. This song is perfection, to me. I swear I've listened to it at least two-hundred times, and I never get tired of it. And every time I hear it, it still brings forth surprise, emotions that feel fresh, daydreams that never get old. I don't even know what it is. I just love it.

This version is the most popular, and it's wonderful. I actually have a slightly different version on my iPod - it's just barely more uptempo, and half an octave higher, but it's still Al Bowlly singing. It's weird, I got my version off of YouTube but I can't find it anymore. Anyway, this is nearly identical and I still love it. I hope you do too!

- Emily