How to look good in finger waves when you don't look good in finger waves.

This isn't the best finger wave attempt in the world, but I consider it a success since I didn't burst into tears.

Not once!

Honestly I'm most proud of the fact that my bangs swept away so well, and that it stayed intact all day. I did get a haircut, but it's not this short, the ends are pinned to the back of my head and hidden by the beret. My square/full face shape looks a little off in such a clingy style, so I have to add height to my crown with a hat to not look squished. Since the right side of my hair had more length and wave than the left, I pulled the hat to the side, and added a pretty decorative hat pin to balance it out, pointing the pin upward to bring the eye up, again, so the overall look doesn't appear so flat.

So there you go. If I were to leave the hat behind, it would have a completely different impact.

Oh the magic of a hat.

I Capture The Castle

In school I used to use study time in classes to sneak to the library and read historical fiction.

I was quite the scoundrel.

Just before school was out one year I spent some sunny days reading I Capture the Castle, a book about a young girl in the mid 30s who lives in a crumbling English castle with her family, as they wait for her father to write another bestseller. The film adaptation is currently on Netflix instant watch, if you need a bit of 1930s english inspiration.

Images from here

July 1937 fashions

I had the luck of finding a few 1930s McCalls magazines at a thrift store the other day, and bought them without even flipping through the pages much. I was pleasantly surprised to find these illustrations for their latest patterns, the last set in particular I've been searching for after seeing the amazing potential!

A little thing to notice is the girls hat on the left. See how the ribbon comes up from the back, and rests on the front of her head, separate from the hat? It's like a backwards tilt hat, I though it was so interesting, never seen a hat worn like that before!

I make old things look older.

I fell in love with this dress from Fab Gabs the instant I saw it. It has a perfect little yellow and black plaid, with those fantastic details like pin tucks on the cuffs, and geometric panels on the shoulders. So very 1930s, yet when I put it on and started styling it, it went in a very victorian direction! Sam said I looked like Laura Ingalls Wilder :)

This amazingly Vixen Vintage appropriate vintage fan was a gift from Desiree of Pretty Little Things. Eeeee!

Photos by Sam

Rest of outfit from Urban Eccentric Vintage

Easter Sunday

Easter was a busy day, we had breakfast with Sams family, lunch with my family, and dinner with friends. I must say I can't imagine how those socialites in days past handled so many social calls in one day all the time. No wonder they had fainting chairs!
This is what I wore to lunch at my Aunts house. I've had these wax orange blossoms from the 1920s packed away for years, and thought it was high time they saw the light of day. It's too bad they're so delicate, they would be pretty to wear all the time :)

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

1930s dress-Gift from Twila Jean

Boys club

Last night Sam and I watched Sherlock Holmes, can you tell? This morning I realized I don't really have anything reminiscent of that look, so stole some of Sams clothes instead :)

I tried to make a hat work with the look, but it just wasn't happening. So hatless I am.

Vest, socks, and pocket handkerchief-Urban Eccentric Vintage

Pants-Part of a suit

Blouse-Camas Antiques

Shoes-Chie Mihara, from a yard sale

Gloves-Don't remember, cut the fingers off after the fingers wore through.

Vintage pajama, fondu, white elephant, un-valentines, cocktail, party.

Saturday night I made it out to one of Julie's fabulous parties, this time with a vintage pajama dress code! It was fantastic to see all the colors, fabrics, and glamorous silhouettes all in one place. The cozy mood was set with a fire in the woodstove, fluffy pillows on the floor, and endless yummy foods and cocktails. Everyone seemed so at ease, pajamas and loungewear are definitely an icebreaker! The girls were all in loungewear and dressing gowns from the 30's to the 60's, and the boys had classic p.j.s or smoking jackets.

This is what I wore, Julie snapped the pic of me last minute (thanks Julie!), I just had to show what I wore too! I found this Thursday at Magpie, almost by chance. It was hanging on the back of a pillar, and I've been looking for a tailored wool dressing gown and loved the clean late 1930s lines. When they took it off the wall for me, I saw the polka dot silk hood and was sold! It's like something you see in old movies that you think couldn't possibly exist in the "real" vintage world. It was perfect to wear to the party too!

Spring in the 1930s

It was another sunny day, which seemed perfect for a rare mix of silk flowers and fur. Sam and I went to Portland for some shopping, he found some nice Marc Jacobs pants at Buffalo Exchange, and I found the most amazing dressing gown at Magpie Vintage. It's an early 40s navy wool zip front, and best of all, it has a fantastic silk polka dot hood. It's makes me feel very chic while eating Mexican take out on the couch :)

And a true 1930s outfit couldn't be complete without some torn stockings. What started out as a little pull, turned into both my knees feeling quite chilly.

At one point I got stopped by an elderly gentleman who inquired about my outfit. He loved that I dress in vintage everyday, and just happened to have a picture of him back in 1954 at a military dance, and a reunion. Sooooo cute!


We also stopped at Fl\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\sdddddddddddddddddddddddrt6ghyg

Um, my cat decided to use my computer as a sidewalk. Anyway.

We stopped at Flutter to look at all the pretties and say "hi" to King, the adorable shop kitty who is basically the gray version of Hobbes.

And of course the photobooth at Ace Hotel is a must, as you can see, I tried my best to make Sam smile.

I've been waiting to wear this hat for a week, Poppycock Vintage graciously sent it to me, and I'm just in love with it. I usually don't to full on shop promos, but this fantastic Etsy shop specializes in vintage hats! Right up my alley. And since lots of readers ask where to buy affordable vintage hats, I think you should know about it!

Here's a couple hats from her shop that fit into today's "spring meets winter" ensemble. You can purchase both, and many more at Poppycock Vintage!


1930s jacket and fur collar-Urban Eccentric Vintage

Skirt-Made by me with a 1930s pattern

Sweater-Fab Gabs

Shoes-Chie Mihara, found at a yard sale

Purse-Michael Kors

Gloves-Thrifted

Hat-Courtesy of Poppycock Vintage