My Fickle Eye

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...?

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.

Lovely Ladies of the Past: Barbara Stanwyck

What can I say about B-Stan? First I must declare that I fell for the dame a couple of years ago when TCM played "Remember the Night" immediately followed by "Christmas in Connecticut". Or was it the other way around?... either way I've adored ever her since. Though I've only seen half a dozen of her films, I feel confidant in saying she is a fabulous actress, though sometimes in not-so-fabulous roles (or maybe I just really don't like hyper-dramas), often with a don't-mess-with-me attitude and with astounding comedic timing. Every part I have seen her play she is the embodiment sass, smart, tastefully sexy and cunning beyond belief. She portrayed (almost) everything any self-respecting girl should admire and aspire to, and for that I am wholly dedicated to her.

Oh and by the way, she is friggin' gorgeous. 

Here's some evidence (in no particular order) incase you don't believe me (but why wouldn't you? You know me so well, after all.)

Probably my favorite picture of her. 

More Vintage Family Photos

I found a few more old family pictures on my computer - they aren't as pretty, style-wise, as the last set I put up, but I thought I'd share them anyway.

Some distant male relative, looking like he feels pretty bad-ass in his uniform and sunglasses. 

A Bit About Weddings

I love weddings. Or the idea of them at least. I actually have only been to one wedding in my life. I was 7 so I sort of hated it. Anyway, I now appreciate them because they are one of the few times large groups of people get together and have to dress nicely, and that makes me really happy. Also, there are some really pretty weddings so I am really excited to go to any weddings in the future (my cousin just got engaged so I will going to at least one soon).
Anywho, I was snooping about in my Grandma Ana's stuff and found her wedding album so I took some pictures of the photos. She was married in '52 I think... and must have gotten knocked up pretty quickly since my mom had two older brothers, and she was born in '55.
... anyway...

A Walk Down Other People's Memory Lane

As I’ve noticed several vintage bloggers point out, it can be really fun looking through old photographs of family members and ‘real life' people (as opposed to celebrities). It’s fascinating (and sometimes humorous) to see pieces of life from so long ago and useful to get an idea as to what regular folks looked and dressed like on a day-to-day basis. It’s just as frustrating to look at studio portraits of celebrities from the past and try (and fail) to achieve their look as it is unrealistic to expect similar looks to the styled and Photoshopped stars of today’s popular culture.

But mostly, I like leafing through abandoned photo bins at antique shops and the pages of my family albums to get chuckles out of awkward 60s hairdos and stoic Victorian era portraits, and to marvel at the fact that these people, some of them of my blood, lived through these eras and saw times I am forever trying to connect with and understand. And to them, it was just regular life, but many of them would live long enough to see so many milestones of history that would change their idea of regular – the internet, the Civil Rights movement, WWII, the Red Scare, the cell phone, food preservatives, gender-integrated gym classes (something my grandma was shocked to learn – that I did gym class with the boys. Well, to be honest, I wish I hadn’t, because they were awfully rude in Frisbee and made me lurk on the edges of the field for fear of getting Frisbee-d in the face and stuck with a permanent dent in my forehead). 

Anyways, the point to this: below I’ve posted some old pictures of my family and their friends. They were all scanned by my mom months ago, as she was assembling a family history project. Hopefully you enjoy them – they’re not that great, as most of my mom’s family settled in North Dakota and Minnesota and were farmers, so they weren’t exactly glamorous. But when Gracie uploads some of her family pictures soon, that’ll be a treat – her family was living in New York City during WWII!

My grandma Joyce when she was 14 in 1944. She had naturally curly hair, which of course I couldn't have had the good hair-fortune to inherit.

My mom as a wee tot.

I'm pretty sure this is Laverne, my great-grandma.

A picture I really like of Amy and her husband. She's some great-great relative of mine.

My great-great grandma Harrington and her brother Charles. He's rather dashing in his uniform, isn't he? I wonder what that uniform was for... I'm no good at identifying that kind of apparel.

Great-great grandma Harrington, great-grandma Laverne, and my grandma's sister Linda. I just feel so frustrated when I look at this picture because IF ONLY my family had been uber-economical and saved more of their clothing! That bag! The jabot! THOSE HATS!!

Not very good quality, but this is great-grandma Laverne, probably in the mid 1920s.

Probably my favorite. Luella, my great-grandma's sister. I think she and this picture (and her hair, if only I could do that!) are so pretty. 

My grandma Joyce in high school (she's the farthest to the left).

And last but not least.... the great beauty of the family!

Just kidding. Obviously. Although I'm not kidding about this fellow being family, he actually is. William Sowden is the name. I'm not sure how we're related, but we are, he just goes wayyy back, as evidenced by the quality of this picture and style of his beard.

Till next time!

- Emily