The Cats and the Berries

Oh Me, Oh My.

2012-02-26T17:52:00.002-05:00

Yes. I am posting again... Within minutes of my last post. I am horrid, I know. But I finally am in a location with wifi, so I am taking advantage of it, by golly!

First off, blogs I'd like to thank for being particularly awesome:

(Disclaimer: This does not represent "The Cats and the Berries" as a whole. These choices solely reflect my person opinion, thus Emily cannot be held responsible for any of my bias. Seeing as she doesn't like to play favorites and I am not playing, I really see no problem with this...)

http://adelinesattic.tumblr.com/

http://www.andibgoode.com/

http://esmeandthelaneway.blogspot.com/

http://blog.johannaost.com/

http://mydaguerreotypeboyfriend.tumblr.com/

http://omgcravats.com/

http://screengoddess.tumblr.com/

http://dakota-rodeo.blogspot.com/

http://www.thepastonaplate.com/

http://twonerdyhistorygirls.blogspot.com/

Second, I know I say this everyfriggintime I post, BUT I am really starting to get some ideas in tact for legitimate blog posts. Now the problem lies in my lack of internet. Oh, the hoops I face.

And lastly, some 1950s-style love.

Hair comb borrowed (stolen) from my mum
shirt from Goodwill
Skirt I made
Shoes gifted from Em, but she got the at Goodwill.

from here

oh and Hugo. Modern. 1930s period film. If for some reason you haven't seen it, stop what you're doing and GO. It made me so very happy. I can say safely Emily did love this, too. We saw it when we were together. We both cried a little tear.

Yes just a whole lotta love coming from me, this day. The wonderful bunch of nut-cases who make up my family, LOTR, Sherlock (BBC, obvs.,) and cooking/eating/baking great things have put me in a right chipper state.

I hope you all are happy, too.

Eat cake.

xGracie

Euphonic Earworms: Sioux City Sue

2012-02-26T16:41:00.002-05:00

My hair is red.

My eyes are blue.

So I love this song.

And you should, too.

I first heard the Bing version on a "Hit Parade of the 1940s" album a summer go.

And now that I am driving a car with only a tape player (well, there is a radio, but I don't usually like radio,) all I listen to is my Gene Autry tape. And I adore his version as well. Actually I really love Gene singing just about anything. I mean I LOVE him. His music... erm. right. Cowboys. Yes.

I am fairly certain I'll be doing a Autry Appreciation post soon. Be prepared.

Peace out, girl scout.

oh BUY GIRL SCOUT COOKIES.

For obvious reasons.

xGracie

So Happy Togetherrr

2012-02-19T23:15:00.001-05:00

... that was meant to be said to the tune of The Turtles' 1967 hit.
Though to be honest, the soundtrack of Gee and my travels together in the UK was more of our usual 30's and 40's genres, with a healthy dose of hideously out-of-tune bellowing to Connie Francis tunes thrown in - but never fear, we are not so lacking in social awareness that we did this in public - only on our walks through empty (we hoped) countryside.

Traveling with Gracie was (almost) the perfect end to a wonderful semester in England. I say almost, because for nearly the entirety of our time together, one or the other of us was sick. There were two blissful days where we were both in good health, but even when we were loaded up with LemSip we still had a grand time together. Gracie is a wonderful travel companion, the best I've ever had. Besides the fact that we've been best friends for nine years, we have the same taste and the same interests, so we both wanted to do the same things at the same time. Except for train travel. I loved the UK's rail system, but Gee kept getting motion sick. Poor dear.
Anyway, I hope to go on many, many, many more trips with Gracie before we're both through with this place! (erm.. that would be, life)

So, although I know personal travel pictures are potentially the most boring topic I could choose as my first blog post in.... sheesh, exactly three months!... this is after all our personal blog so I'll just go ahead and share what I like. And I sure loved this trip, with this wonderful friend, through a beautiful region.

In our room at a B&B at Wells.

The adorable and very comfortable room at a B&B in Wells. This was absolute luxury for us, we stayed in Hostels the rest of the time.

Pubbing in Bristol

At Blenheim Palace.

Wells again.

THIS WAS ACTUALLY OUR ROOM KEY. Again in Wells, our second night.

Naptime on a rainy day in Wells. The red curtains made the room glow a really pretty and sleep-inducing pink.

At Millenium Square in Bristol.

Me creepin' on Cary Grant's statue!

Gee with Mr. Grant.

One of many, many Starbucks visits. We went there at least once everyday to use their wifi.

A delicious savoury tea in Cheddar. Cheese scones with... you guessed it, cheddar cheese! And cheddar from Cheddar, at that.

In Abergavenny.

In Swansea.

Abergavenny. It was SO windy, my fingers were going purple since I always had them out on the camera!

Swansea.

At Abergavenny Castle.

Pretty lighting at night in our room in Wells.

I think Gee looks like an (angry) Lillian Gish here, doesn't she?

In our room in Wells.

50 percent of our pictures are us trying to keep our hair out of our eyes and/or our eyes squinting and watering in the wind and cold.

Abergavenny.

I had to be cheesy and get my touristy phone booth picture, but I changed it up by having it taken in Wales! In Abergavenny.

In beautiful, quiet, lovely Oxwich, Wales.

Oxwich.

Oxwich just after sunset.

Waiting for a train to Abergavenny.

Gee on our first day reunited, in London.

One more from our room in Wells. I just loved these, and it was odd how Gracie kept reminding me of Lillian Gish in these pictures!

It certainly won't be another three months before my next post! And I look forward to getting back into the blogosphere and catching up on all of your blogs!

- Emily

Retro, Why Naut?

2012-02-18T17:43:00.002-05:00

Undoubtably you have already spent hours, as I have, entranced by the glory of Retronaut and all of the beauty and information it beholds.

Here are a few of my favorite images from the site. Naturally they are all from the 1930s and are in full color (yeehaw!)

In all honestly I haven't gone scavenging on there in quite sometime, but as soon as I get a free moment it's on my list of internet to-dos (along with tumblr [because I really like being a part of the Sherlock fandom], etsy, ebay, and practically every other history/fashion related site.)

I hope you enjoy these photos (they make for really good computer wallpapers, I've found : ))

Happy days,

Gracie

I like these "vernacular"/candid photos a little bit more than the Hollywood ones because they help remind me that real life could be just as vibrant and beautiful as it was portrayed in the media during such a difficult time.

This man's profile always reminds me of Dennis Morgan.

Making Haste.

2012-02-07T21:00:00.001-05:00

Hi!

Emily and I are once again in the same city and both working far too many hours to remember to come up with interesting blog posts. I know I keep promising I'll post something worth while, but I think we both know that's not happening soon. I really just cannot for my life come up with anything interesting to say. And I feel like the majority of the images I love and want to share would be for nothing since Im pretty positive most of them were snagged from other blogs (i.e. your blog)

so personal photos it is, except Emily is not friendly to the camera. These two are the only ones I got on our day trip to Monroe and Madison last weekend. We did a fair bit of vintage shopping. She brought back a few music sheets (shocker!) and some gloves and possibly something else I cannot recall. I bought nothing since I am beyond skint and the most horrid shopper ever.

Eee looking extremely cool (smug) under a lovely ... erm... vintage shark.

The alligator purse. I, personally, think it is ever-so-slightly cute, but Emily was down right disgusted.

And, lastly, my very own daguerreotype boyfriend. :)

xGracie

Can't Help Lovin' That Man: Antonio Moreno

2012-01-23T13:18:00.002-05:00

Okay, so I am going to be completely honest and tell you now that my experience with Mr. Moreno is limited to "It", but because of that film I can appreciate how very attractive he is. I do hope to see "The Temptress" and maybe some of his earlier films if I can find them, but the local library has a very limited selection. If any of you have seen other films with him (Other than "The Creature of the Black Lagoon", please) do let me know where you found them and if/what you enjoyed about them.

Now for some eye candy;

Not gonna lie, he looks a little creepy/Sylar-esque. aka hot.

He is one of the only men in the world I really like a mustache on.

Happy Monday!

Oh also, bad news: I got a tumblr.... yeah. Now I waste allllll of my time trying to find all of the funny things I had seen previously to reblog. 'Tis a shame. But I almost love it.

x Gracie

The Charleston Museum

2012-01-19T00:02:00.000-05:00

Today I actually left the house and didn't end up at either Costco OR Walmart. It was the most amazing thing. Due to the fact that my car is totaled, I must be driven around by my mother in a rental car (which one cannot drive legally under 25 years old, evidently.) So whenever I can actually get out of the house I am grateful, and today I was even more so because I got to visit downtown Charleston. So what did I do there? I went to the first museum in America.

It.

Was.

Awesome.

Reasons why this is so:

1. They have a pretty sweet collection of revolutionary war artifacts (for obvious reasons)

2. They have an even sweeter collection of fossils/skeletons, including a Moa from New Zealand.

3. They have a really bitching collection of 18th - 20th century textiles and fashion plates.

4. They have a nice little selection of antique clothing you can try on, mind you they clothes are very old, smelly and tattered. but still awesome.

5. (possibly the best of all) THEY HAVE A PIANO GEORGE FUCKING GERSHWIN RENTED! (p.s. that is his given name.)

Take a look-see.

Gorgeous shaw type thing.

Really pretty embroidery on the bum area of this coat.

Beautiful lace textiles

Dusters for the whole family for just 19.99 (pre-Snuggies, ya'know. okay, bad joke. sorry.)

You have to see it (especially the collar) in person to appreciate how beautiful this cape is.

This Cupid fan is my favorite! When it is closed the edge looks like and adorable little arrow!

an attempted close up of said arrow.

mmmm RevWar attire.

I'm sad to admit, I don't think even a cravat could rescue Mr. Calhoun's appearance.

when facial just wasn't an option.

Sherm was a boss. A smokin' hot boss.

best advert slogan.

what Chucktown once looked like.

Need glasses?

Salesman's sample trunk

A Bison.

A giraffe. Somehow, I dont think this is a Charleston native.

gross.

Kitten.

Heyyyy cutie.

THE PIANO THE ALMOST CAUSED MY DEATH. because I was in such a state of shock after seeing it.

his fingers touched thiiiiiiiiissssssss

and goodnight.

gracie

An Update of Insignificant Proportions

2012-01-08T23:48:00.000-05:00

Howdy Y'all,

Things on the home front have been busy and hectic and I haven't really had a chance to get my thoughts together enough to compose a good post, but alas I am going to at least say "hi" and Happy New Year! And I hope all of you have made promises you cant keep but somehow become the people you want to be anyway. Jocularities. But seriously, if you did make resolutions I hope they are positive and attainable and that your every hope and dream may come to be reality.

Here are a few of my "resolutions" (but really I am just making lists of things I can improve so that I feel a little more alive now that I'm living on a very isolated little island)
- Take more photos
- Pet the cat
- Learn to bake something new (at least) bimonthly
- Learn a shit-ton more about film and history
- Write a fan letter to Robert Osbourne
- Sew only what needs to be sewn (meaning of "needs" is flexible)
- Paint my nails more often
- Got to more museums and libraries
- Meet attractive Citadel Boys (just sayin.)
- Learn how to play the ukulele properly.
- Reread The Hobbit before the film comes out
- Read more, in general (psht as if that's going to happen)
- Floss
and most importantly (but not really, because, frankly I think flossing is probably the most important thing on that list) Do more outfit posts on le blog!

So... to attempt to begin fulfilling one resolution, I give you todays attire:

1940s black velvet hat I got in Cardiff, Wales for something like 12 pounds.
1950s (I believe) blouse I got as a gift from my sister.
Black skirt handmedown from my aunt.

And then me and my little Brownie camera which I adore. I mostly just put this one up because you can kind of see how I did my hair (as in: not down for once!)

Happy days are here again!
Cheers,
Gracie

'Tisn't the Season...

2012-01-03T01:17:00.001-05:00

But I've got swimwear on the brain. I know. I'm nuts because it's January blahblahblah, but really it makes sense. It has been getting well into the 70s (Fahrenheit) here for the past few weeks and despite being in the northern hemisphere, I feel quite like it's summer time. I almost like it.

Either way, I decided to share some of my swim wear inspiration, just in case you plan on popping down here or down under (as it's hot in both cases) for a dip or lounging around the beach (as I do.. haha not. I would die.) and because I am going to make a new suit (even though it is FINALLY going to get kind of cold this week tomorrow... of course).

I think I know what I want to do, but feel free to share which are your favorite, you may sway me out of my decision.

p.s. I have made three swim suits of my own previously (Okay... it's 2 and a half. One was a ill-fitting black one piece I cut and altered. You'll see them at the end of this post, just so ya know.)

p.p.s I sincerely apologize for not giving credit where it is due in terms of sources. I am a jackass for not taking note, but what else can I say?

and finally, hello awkward!

Heddwch allan,

Gracie

The Littlest (and Last) Bit of London (as well as Oxford and Blenheim Palace)

2011-12-26T14:54:00.001-05:00

Ill talk to y'all soon, I swear it.

For now:

Where I stayed

WKD

DTXJGFCJGHCK I WAS SO CLOSE TO BUYING THIS

Keeble College, Oxford

xxxxx ggggeeeeee

A Little Bit of London - The Wallace Collection

2011-12-20T13:36:00.000-05:00

It's... Well... Just... I .. ugh just look at the pictures and then multiply all of the beauty and awesomeness by 1000 and you will have some understanding of this adventure.

'Cause Im a pistol packing mama.

x Gracie

A Little Bit of London - The Imperial War Musuem

2011-12-18T22:41:00.000-05:00

So, London was my first stop on my three week trip to the United Kingdom. I stayed in a nice, little (...ish) hostel in Swiss Cottage which made for a lovely daily commute on the tube to the center of the city. My first full day there I spent almost entirely at the Imperial War Museum. It was so fantastic, I cannot even explain it so here are some low quality pictures (thanks to my fancy new iphone thinger) to help assist you in understanding. I only took photos of the Children's War, the 1940s House and bits of the WWI and WWII exhibits, but there is so much more there. If you get a chance you should definitely go, unless anything related to wars or other significant world events doesn't interest you.

I have been a bit overwhelmed with home cleaning/organizing/unpacking/repacking/christmasifying for the last few days since I got home, and I am also on the hunt for work since Im temporarily not in school so you can see why I don't feel up to explaining my wonderful trip right now. Maybe later.

Also, HOLY SMACKERS milk and crackers, how on earth did we manage to get up to 100 followers?! Don't get my wrong, Emily and I are pleased as punch, but very confused as to how we gained 15, more or less, followers after almost month of negligence. We both would like to let you all know how much we appreciate your attention and thank you for sticking with us! I hope to have some interesting things to talk about soon!

Oh! and a very happy 95th birthday to one of my favorite gals! It's a damn shame she didn't get to live out the wonderful life she deserved.

Live long and prosper,
Gee

Meet Me in the U.kayyyU.kayy

2011-11-20T19:44:00.000-05:00

Yes, I was trying to get you to sing "the U.K." like "St. Louis" in a Meet Me in St. Louis -esque way. Congrats to you if you did this with out my helpful hint.

Anyway, tomorrow I am to ship off for England. I will be in and around London, Oxford and Bath for my first week or so, so if any of you who are in those areas would like to meet up with me and possibly Emily (depending on her school work) please feel free to contact us! I would love to meet other vintage bloggers and get tips from any of you about the location, shopping, museums and all that good stuff. Oh and food, of course. Always food. And maybe drinks, too. We'll see.

In the meantime, I'm still panicking a little bit about my passport, which my mother found TODAY (not however many weeks ago I asked her to) and when I looked at it this morning I saw that it expired last June. Apparently adults get 10 years of use and minors (I was 14 at the time) get half that, but she had did not know this and thought mine would be good another five years. Excellent, right? So, I am going to try to get one tomorrow for a big, stupid fee. I am mad and even more stressed out now. But at least you can see passport photo...

Exciting, isn't it?

I'll let you know if I actually make it across the world, but let us pretend I will.

So long farewell, auf wiedersehen, good night,
xx Geezer.

A Pajama and Loungewear Obsession: Part Two

2011-11-19T14:30:00.000-05:00

This part of the loungewear series centers mostly around robes and fancier boudoir wear.

Le sigh... I want all of these pretties! As impractical as the fluffier and feather-y-er ones are, they just look like so much fun to wear!

Ann Sheridan in a silky boudoir robe.

Claudette Colbert in a lovely patterned silky robe, with an interesting corset-y bodice method for tying it up.

A pretty dressing gown/robe on Amy Adams in Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day! A wonderful movie with some great costuming.

Jean Harlow in a glamorous boudoir set (looks like a slip beneath the robe) with some seriously feather-y goodness going on around those sleeves.

Joan Crawford in a silk set.

Carole Landis preening in style.

Miss Crawford, again, this time in the 1940s in a floaty robe set.

Screenshot I took from Moon Over Miami of Carole Landis relaxing in a gorgeous blue silk and cream lace boudoir robe.

From another Betty Grable movie - Betty and June Haver in The Dolly Sisters in matching boudoir gowns.

Jean Harlow again with more fluffy sleeves.

Another image of Jean Harlow in the same robe as the first picture of her.

Jean, yet again, in a less elaborate but still lovely robe.

Greta Garbo in what looks like some men's inspired pajamas and a robe.

Rita Hayworth in a comfy looking dressing gown.

Alexis Smith in a very pretty gown. And those slippers (on the ground by the couch)!

Judy Garland, in a robe with some frilly cuffed sleeves.

Margaret O'Sullivan in a simple robe.

The wonderful Judy Garland again, in a sheer robe/gown.

Audrey Hepburn in a sheer robe that is too frilly/lacey/choking for my taste, but I had to include her.

An absolutely gorgeous robe on an unknown model.

A simple yet glamorous robe on on a lady whose name I am totally blanking on! Somebody help me out, it's driving me mad because she is so familiar..!

Joan Blondelle in a really cute boudoir set. From Screen Goddess.

Alexis Smith, also from Screen Goddess.

- Emily

Weekend Update

2011-11-19T10:30:00.001-05:00

The Wedding clothes

rehearsal dinner:
my first (and only) time wearing ALL vintage.

40s Coat from Etsy
30s shoes from Eee

40s peach dress from a shop in Savannah
early 50s bullet bra
50s girdle
50s (I think?) nylon stockings
and amazingly non-vintage hair.

Wedding:

my sister in a beautiful late 40s dress she wouldnt let me take a picture of

stupid 80s dress with alterations

Ill be back with some questions about international travel soon, so be prepared. this will be graded.
oh on that note; schooooooooooool's out for winter! oh yeah, I'm happy.
- gee

Artist Feature: Helen Dryden

2011-11-13T08:53:00.002-05:00

Helen Dryden was a successful woman artist of the 1920s and 1930s, doing fashion illustration for Vogue under contract from 1909-1922 and in the later 1920s also doing some industrial design. I just like the bright colors and whimsy of her illustrations - aren't they fun?

- Emily

Euphonic Earworms: No Strings

2011-11-12T16:06:00.000-05:00

On a different note from this post, here's a more positive take on the single life. It's all about attitude!...

...Oh, who am I kidding. I just want to share some more Fred and Ginger.

I can't embed the version from Top Hat that Fred Astaire dances and sings (and you see some gorgeous sleep/lounge wear on Ginger), but if you click on the image (or here) you'll go to it's YouTube page:

And here's a version sung by Ginger - I just love this one!

- Emily

A Pajama and Loungewear Obsession: Part One

2011-11-05T15:21:00.001-04:00

If you were to ask anyone who has ever had to live with me, or just knows me really well, about how much I like pajamas (no idea why you would be asking this question, you nosy creeper!), you will unanimously be told - a LOT. Yes, I do love me some pajamas. PJs. Pa-jay-jays (Gracie hates this one). Lounging clothes. Jammies. They're wonderful. As soon as I get home at the end of the day, or even if I get home in the middle of it, I immediately put on my pajamas. It's not that my day clothes are uncomfortable, its that pajamas are just so very comfortable, plus, I can sit however I like in them without fear of wrinkling, eat in them without fear of stains (because unlike much of my dry clean only clothes, I can pop them in the washing machine), and generally just be very comfortable in them.

Very comfy and even more cute: I want all of these!

The thing is, the lovely pajama styles of yesteryear are not so easy to find. And it's not that I frown upon the modern sleepwear trend of sweatpants and leggings, but its just not my own style, and I'd like to find an in-between that blends comfort with style. I've managed to get creative, so I can attempt to do both, and this usually involves one of my vintage slips and my silky (but not actual silk) robe, or, on colder days, a slip top and pajama bottoms and my robe. But I'm not really satisfied with my lounging style. In an ideal world, I would slip into some of the following lovely looks, posted below, when I got home everyday.

At my home in Atlanta, I've got stored away a lovely 1940s boudoir robe, and a 1930s silk nightgown, bolero, and robe set, which I adore. But I can't bring myself to wear them, since a.) they would look extremely out of place in all of my home environments (my parents would tease me endlessly, and my current housemates would probably think I'm mad), and b.) I worry about damaging them and their delicate silk fabric, which would defeat the purpose of them being comfortable. So, I'll save those for my future boudoir (if I'm being optimistic), but in the meantime, I'm searching for the more everyday vintage pajama look: adorable matching shirt-and-pant sets, cotton or synthetic fabric nightgowns, any type of housecoat or robe, and any and all novelties of vintage nightwear in between.

I do think the saying is true: When you look good, you feel good! And what's more comfortable than feeling good?

(These come from all over the internet, I just retrieved them from my massive "clothing" folder on my computer, so I can't remember where I got them! If any of them are yours, just let me know!)

Jean Harlow rocking some PJs that look super comfy.

Alice Faye in some simple white silk PJs, with fluffy silk slippers!

Constance Bennett in a simple but cute top and bottom set.

Gene Tierney looking sultry in a lacy nightgown.

Greta Garbo in a very comfy looking simple set.

An asian-inspired loungewear set on Ida Lupino.

I love the hood!

June Collyer in what appears to be a silk, lace, and velvet set.

The marvelous Alice Faye in what I like to imagine as a red and white christmas inspired set.

Carole Lombard in another cute top and bottom set.

Ginger Rogers in an unusually shaped set. I do love it though - the puffy sleeves, the delicate embroidery, and the lace detailing on the pant bottoms!

I noticed on a later episode of Pushing Daisies that Chuck had on a vintage nightgown with the many-buttoned front - so cute!

Jean Harlow looking spiffy in some crisp PJs.

Sandra Dee, cute as ever in a peasant blouse style PJ set.

B Stan in a silky slip.

Dorothy Lamour, glamourous in what I think is a top and bottom set with a matching robe.

Myrna Loy, perched in a lacy nightgown

Part two will feature some more collected images, this time mostly of robes and/or fancier boudoir wear!

Wishing you happy (and stylish) ZZZ's,

- Emily

My Fickle Eye

2011-11-05T07:59:00.001-04:00

Here is a small selection of dreamboats and cutie-pies of yesteryear who do not meet the qualifications for our "Can't Help Loving That Man" series, as none of them are celebrities and thus not allowing for maximum stalking-esque research.

Feel free to ogle like there's no tomorrow, as far as they're concerned, there isn't.

My favorite. Yes. Definitely. Partially because it's just such a good photo.
From the flickr of the Library of Congress of New Zealand . . .maybe...?

from Flickr (I think)

From the Library of Congress' Flickr.

I always imagine that this boy was tripping pretty hard on something when this was taken...
flickr

Okay, let's just assume all of these are from flickr.

Dude on the left: Holy Phwoar.

I'd go for him, in spite of his 'stache.

New Zealanders

Yeah, he's kind of important.

!!!
Possibly my favorite.

Good Day!

xx Gracie

In the (Moving) Pictures...

2011-11-02T13:19:00.002-04:00

A couple of months ago Gracie and a few other friends were awesome and helped me do this somewhat last-minute project. I needed to have a small film project to submit as part of an application, and seeing as I had never made a film, I needed to make one while I still had some actors (meaning: friends still in town) available, and before I left for England. So we (Gracie helped much) threw everything together essentially a few days before the shoot, and it was all great except: the location, Gracie and my old high school, could only lend us the classroom we needed to use for three hours on a Saturday morning. Three hours! If any of you have ever done a scripted shoot before, you will understand that this is a VERY small amount of time (especially when you get musical numbers involved), even for a four minute clip. So, it didn't really turn out as we had planned - when we would do takes and there were mistakes or we just wanted to re-shoot, it just kind of had to be pushed through since we had so little time! Also, I had no previous experience, so it was a major learning curve, and in retrospect there is a lot I would do differently. But alas, it is what it is! Even though it doesn't match my ideal, I'm still pleased that we did it, and really grateful to all of our friends who helped out!

Also, Gracie is ridiculously awesome. She put up with my, ahem, quirks of directing, and I think she did a really fabulous job of acting, especially when you realize she's never been in front of the camera before (acting, that is). And of course, she's easy on the eyes (she'll be majorly embarrassed that I am saying this..) and looks great as usual, so... give it a watch here if you'd like! Any comments, (constructive) criticism, what have you - it's all appreciated!

- Emily

Pin Curl Projects

2011-10-29T15:19:00.001-04:00

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.

I asked her how she sleeps, in terms of body position, and she said with the side of her head pressed to the pillow, on her stomach. So, with this in mind, I did stand-up pin curls all over her head (top and back) except on the sides of her head and temples so that they wouldn't get squished. For both sets (hers and the next girl's) I did it on freshly washed, air-dried hair (this is important because I think letting it air dry encourages the natural wave to appear, rather than blow-drying it which makes it straight), with only a Lottabody/water mixture sprayed on (not too much - damp but not soaking).

I don't know why I took such a blurry picture... but you can still see that the back is stand-up pin curls whereas the sides are flat.

One more picture, just because Jeanette is so freakin' adorable!

The next morning, we met up again in the dining room and I took out the clips and bobby pins:

Spiral-y right after taking out all the pins.

Then, using a bristle & tooth combo brush, I gently ran it through for the first brushing - I didn't brush very vigorously as I do on mine, because Jeanette has very soft, somewhat fine hair, and I could tell the curls didn't have a lot of tension. Her hair is also quite long, when straight it's a bit below shoulder length, so I knew that would also weigh it down eventually.

After the first brush-through. Success! The shape is there!

I asked her what she wanted me to do with it, and she said something easy and low maintenance. So, the easiest and most low-maintance thing for me was also appropriate: just a bobby-pin on the heavy side of her hair under the marcel-esque wave to a.) keep the hair out of her eyes, and b.) increase the wave's appearance. I thought this really suited her face: she was so cute I had to restrain myself from squealing and doing a happy jig, and then forcing her into a 50's sundress and parading her around like my personal, brunette Sandra Dee. (This is no random comparison: Jeanette is 20 or 21 but she is constantly mistaken for being much, much younger!)

I saw her when she got back from class and the curls were looser, but still there!

Then yesterday (Friday) night, I curled Cadence's hair. She also has very soft, somewhat fine hair, that has the slightest of natural wave to it. We sat down in the TV room and watched Meet Me in St. Louis, the umpteenth time for both of us, while I pin-curled. She also sleeps on her stomach, head turned to the side, so I also did flat pin curls on the sides of her head and stand-up curls everywhere else.

You can see Judy singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" in the background!

The next morning, I took out the pins and clips:

Then did the first brush thorough (again, not very roughly since her curls didn't seem to have much tension). Cadence's hair is medium length, with lots of layers. It's almost like a middy cut, except that her layers are more choppy and modern-style. Still, it worked out very well:

Her hair took on a really nice and strong marcel wave!

She really liked it, which made me very happy. She decided to get into the spirit of things and popped back to her room to put on some red lipstick! :D

She was taking a day-trip to Bath, so she also wanted something low-maintenance for travel and so on, so I also added a bobby pin to keep the wave out of her eyes:

She tried it out with a headband she has, trying to decide if she should bring it along for the trip to aid in hair-management, or in case the curls wilted (I haven't seen her since she got back so I don't know how it held up!)

Annnnnd another set, because she is ridiculously pretty:

So there you have it! I am obsessed with practicing vintage-esque hairstyling on my friends - just for the fun of it! Tonight, I might be making my first attempt at vintage hairstyling for men, if my guy friend holds up his promise (it took much pleading, gleeful jigging, and poking and prodding in order to get him to agree to let me do this)! I'll share the results of that, assuming they aren't horrendous!

- Emily

Auld Reekie, a Weekend Excursion.

2011-10-27T12:51:00.002-04:00

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.

My friends Lian and Victoria on the train ride.

A rather un-flattering and matronly take on the headscarf (perhaps made more so with the addition of an oversized carpet bag and my floppy trench coat), but a necessary one. It was so windy, and I needed my hairset to last all three days, since I didn't bring any hairstyling materials with me. I did a roller set the day before we left, then left the curls more ringlet-y, as opposed to brushing it out like I normally do, and it did work - my hair was still quite curly by the time we got back late Sunday night! The headscarf was essential to this though, since it was at times both humid and whippingly windy (is that a phrase? It is now).

Victoria and I in the Royal Botanic Gardens - so pretty there!

I removed the headscarf for pictures after realizing I didn't want to be perpetually commemorated in the stupid thing. Unrelated, but I realize that in almost all of the pictures I have of myself from that trip, I did the exact same turn-to-the-right-smile-awkwardly-and-reservedly pose every time! Sheesh.

I discovered Robert Burns in the Scottish Writer's Museum, and I decided that he is my newest dead boyfriend. I could pretend that it is solely based off of an admiration for his poetry (as my undying love for Keats is) but let's be honest - Burns was freakin' hot!! Especially his statues - if they don't lie, then phowar, Mr. Burns was one finely formed fella. Seriously, look him up. He pulls off a cravat with knee-weakening aplomb.

An awkwardly worded review card at the pub we went to for dinner on Saturday, held by an amused Victoria.

The view of the city from Edinburgh Castle.

Victoria and I trying to put the moves on some poor unsuspecting Scottish lad.

- Emily

Euphonic Earworms: He Says Murder, He Says

2011-10-26T20:17:00.000-04:00

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!

2011-10-24T20:31:00.001-04:00

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)

My biggest concern is how I am to chose which sweaters I should bring. I LOVE.LOVE.Love. sweaters. A lot. And I have lots of them. And I could justify bringing almost all of them on a three day trip if you asked me to. It's pretty bad. I'll have to pay attention to my wardrobe choices over the next few weeks to figure out which ones I really love and which will be the most sensible for the climate over yonder.

One of my favorite sweaters. Also, yes I'm brushing my teeth... I don't know what I was thinking by taking this picture, but it's the only one I took of this outfit... I know. I don't understand either.
Late 1950s beaded sweater: Scott Antique Market ($35)(outside ATL)
Blouse: Goodwill (ATL)
Green felt skirt: handmade two weekends ago (DEF taking this with me. It is warm and toasty. and green)

Any suggestions from those of you who have experienced the weather of early December in the UK? I have only been in the summertime and in late January, and I haven't the slightest idea of how much the climate changes over those months (I mean between early December and almost February.)

If you think of anything else I should know whilst planning this trip don't hesitate to mention it! (Especially in the way of traveling affordably and lightly.)

xxGracie

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

2011-10-24T01:00:00.002-04:00

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

2011-10-17T20:55:00.001-04:00

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!

Like many of the fellas, the campus is also really beautiful with some awesome architecture!

My purpose of this post was really meant to be about my outfits from the past few days which happen to all feature my favorite color!

Today's outfit.
Blouse from Emily (circa 1950s).
Skirt I made out of the prettiest color/softest fabric ever.
I call the color "soldier blue" because it's so similar to the military uniform color.
Please excuse the weird reflection on my skirt.

again, today... better light...

Sunday's outfit. The ONLY tee-shirt I ever wear, from Australia my dad when he was in the Navy.
Pants I made. Same fabric as the soldier blue skirt.
Black heels from Emily.

Saturday (aka parade day) outfit.
Blue blouse from Anthropologie. Coincidently, the blue of my shirt is almost the exact same as the Citadel's color. Green felt skirt I made friday night.
Shoes from Emily for my birthday.

The closest I will be to having a pumpkin this year. My mum hates buying them, which makes me so very sad since Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and fall my favorite season!

Friday outfit. Blouse from Em (same as today's).
Skirt from Goodwill.
Shoes from Etsy.
Okay, so I didn't wear blue Friday, but having blue eyes counts right?

A beautiful fall sun set in Charleston that I could not seem to get a good picture of.

Thursday-sanding-and-priming-friendly outfit.
Blue blouse from Walmart.
Cream linen pants I made last year.
Tasseled Weejuns!!!
Ok, I lie, I did not wear these shoes for class, I didn't want to ruin them so I wore my blue Keds...

Something substantial will come your way soon. I hope...

- Gracie

Art Feature: The Queenslander

2011-10-15T16:18:00.000-04:00

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.

She looks awfully mischievous to me.

Hahah I love this one. It perfectly expresses how I felt about school for most of my life.

Nice sub-caption, huh?

I really like the pin-up nature of this one.

xxGracie.

p.s. I'll be bach. .. soon. probably.

Lovely Ladies of the Past: Jean Harlow

2011-10-11T13:07:00.004-04:00

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.

One of my favorite colorizations!

Looks like a bit like a Chap event, doesn't it? I love her costume!

She is so adorable even holding that funny looking pup.

I've always loved this one because of her hair and the little bow!

I am biased and love this quote from "Red Headed Woman".. you know why (even though I'm naturally blonde)

Ohmygeeee I love her outfit. Look at those shoes. Just look.

Does she not seem like she would be a total dream for a friend?! I think she would be. As most of her fans do, I wish she had lived longer if not to continue to make her mark on Hollywood, to at least get a chance to enjoy a happy life she fully deserved.

I'm gonna go stick some ribbon in my hair and go to class now,

xGracie

Euphonic Earworms: How About You?

2011-10-11T12:05:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-09T23:04:00.001-04:00

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

mmmm b-ball boys. Gotta love those minishorts.... : /

Cute outfits and my great aunt, Sybil, is the second from the right on the bottom row.

Even cuter uniforms! My gran, Ella, is the third from the left in the back row.

A school paper staff never looked so good.

Ella is fifth from the left on the bottom row.

Ella is the center on the bottom row.

Oh that Ollie Harper, again.

THAT GIRL IS HOLDING KITTENS!!!!!! and it makes me so glad.

I really love both Seth and Vaughn's senior quotes.
"Happy am I, from care I's free" &
"I'm not lazy, Im just saving my energy."

Lots of cute clothes. Ella is in the bottom photo, on the very left.

A close up, just in case you wan tto pretend there is some resemblance between us (other than being short)

Can you say "metropolis"?

xxGracie

Happy Days Are Here Again

2011-10-08T01:40:00.001-04:00

"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.

Afterwards we three got ice cream. It was super delicious and super over priced, but the cute guy working there made it worth it.
The place, Leopold's, is pretty neat inside, in fact I was attempting to take a picture of the patriotic flag lady when Tara decided she wanted to stick her big ol' head in the way and proceed to not move.

The gift Tara gave Jennifer is that scarf , which has tons of little cats on it!

We had a great time there and then wandered down the street to the Paris Market, which is basically like Anthropologie without the clothes or franchises. We were all gawking over the gorgeous home decor and complaining about being poor, though I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who is actually poor (yay debt!) It was so, so very grand. After leaving empty handed they headed home and I wandered around neighboring squares realizing how little I experience in this city.

Savannah is a wonderful place filled with so many beautiful places and I am so happy to have been able to live her for a year, but I really feel disconnected with it. I guess that is in part because I am scared of getting lost so I try to not to go where I am unfamiliar, but I also noticed that I feel disconnected with everywhere I've lived. So I'm wondering, is it even possible to be able to "experience" a place, especially on one's own? I am sort of in doubt. I think being with people creates experiences and everything around just contributes to it, like the setting and whatnot, but I don't think that constitutes a "connection", per say. I wish I could say I felt at home and at ease everywhere I travel to, since I have been fortunate enough to travel so many places, but I cannot do that.

What do you all think? Do you feel like you really connect with the place you live? I hope some of you do, that would give me some hope :)

Anyway, other good stuff:
I found a dress to wear to the rehearsal dinner!

She decided to "photo-bomb" all of my pictures so I just let it happen. Sorry for looking weird.

The dress is dark brown velvet and has a hole in the front but seems easy enough to mend. And the zipper does this annoying sticky-outy thing making my love handle on the left side look very prominent.... Any solutions for that?

I had a considerably good hair day yesterday.

Im seriously considering dying this yellow dress to green/blue-green. I just really don't like the yellow on me and it's from Goodwill and modern and I've seen the exact same dress at a different Goodwill, so... I really wouldn't mind.

Speaking of yellow-ness: I got my "Woman in Yellow" perfume 3 days earlier than I expected!! It only took me 5 months to buy it again. I stupidly dropped my last bottle, losing all of its contents and Anthropologie stopped selling it in stores so I was disheartened about ever finding it again.

My room smells awesome, like Christmas time thanks to my apple cinnamon ~~candle~~ I mean... room fragrance... we have not candles and hot plate here...

It smells like the way this looks like it should smell.

anddddd lastly, I cleaned up my room (finally!) which is why I'm a little less ashamed to show the photo of my pigsty.

All in all, I have wonderful life full of wonderful people and things and I am just so oddly content with everything, especially since I really should be panicking about midterms.

I hope all is equally well wherever you are,

Gracie

Help Wanted: Altering a Backless Gown to Suit My Style

2011-10-06T13:09:00.001-04:00

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

I don't)

That said, any feedback, suggestions, recommendations and such would be appreciated. I only have a little over a month to figure out what to do, so I would prefer that any work I need to do be quick and easy (because people generally want things to be difficult and time-consuming...)

Thank you in advanced to who ever can help me!

xx Gee

And Then I Fell in a Manhole...

2011-10-05T20:21:00.002-04:00

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.

I got a couple of nasty scratches and bruises, but I think I'll survive. What upsets me more than my minor injuries (both physical and emotional... people did see this happen to me so I'm quite embarrassed...) is that my last pair of intact tights got shredded. Thankfully they weren't my stockings, that would have been truly upsetting.
Gosh, I'm just full of complaints, I'm sorry!
I'm really not terribly sad or angry (at the city for having faulty hole-covers) or anything, I just felt like explaining what things have been like lately as a sort of excuse for not posting anything too great.

In the meantime, if you're curious about that architect, Erich Mendelsohn, of whom I now know way too much about, here are some images of my favorite projects of his.

Mossehaus, circa 1921-23, Berlin.
This is my favorite design of his.
It is actually an addition to a pre-existing sandstone structure which was damaged during post World War I rioting in Berlin.

A sketch of his design for the Universum Kino, which is the theater I did my project on.

A photo from the early 30s showing some of the front facade of the Universum. This is one of the only early photos I could find of it.

This is the other early photo I was able to find. I really think this theater was awesome. I love the whole German movement of movie theater design of that time. The notion was "No more Rococo palace for Buster Keaton"

What the site of Universum now looks like. It was restored in the early 1980s, several decades after it was mostly destroyed by bombings.

Sketches Mendelsohn did for a department store, I believe.

My apologies to those of you uninterested in architecture, but being a historic preservationist (in the making) I happen to want to share my love for such lovely creations. Architecture is, after all, the most public form of art!

I bid thee farewell and good wishes,

Gracie

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

2011-10-03T21:12:00.008-04:00

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:

Yes, my mother sent me back to school with a bottle of honey as large as my head. I am convinced I will never run out... except not really since I have very little self control.

What's that? You want me to show off my outfit?
Fine. Stop being so pushy.

I have been trying to accomplish a pageboy hair do a lot lately, but it almost always reverts to normal curly-outy-ness after a few minutes outside. Today I was particularly determined because I am soooo in love with Ginger Roger's pageboy in Vivacious Lady, which just happened to be on TCM the one night I was at my mom's house (I have no TV here,) so we watched it. Thankfully she enjoys TCM as much as I do, unlike Emily's folks.

I had seen this film before and took screen shots of it then (I watched it on Youtube before TCM decided they actually had it and wanted the world to see it) so forgive me if the images are not too clear.

This is the hair style I trying to get:

Vivacious Lady (1938)

Notice how smooth the sides are and how the top is frizz-free...

But I got something a little more like an very un-perfect version of this:

Stage Door (1937)

Which I still like a lot, but as I said, it didn't last too long.

But I REALLLY wish I could do is this:

Vivacious Lady

... But that will never in a zillion years happen.

Oh and another good, yet completely irrelevant part of my gloriously cool (70 degrees!) weekend with my mother:

HOMEMADE PIZZA DOUGH. I love dough of pretty much any variety, but my ma's pizza and bread doughs are the absolute tops. As is the pizza we made out of this lovely dough.

Now I need to go watch The Harvey Girls and simultaneously do a huge architecture project. Go me!

Farewell,

Gracie

That Fur

2011-10-03T00:08:00.001-04:00

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