1 minute 7 dresses, I think

So today I was looking for singer on you tube and instead ran across this and I had to share.  Ok ladies is it just me or is dress #3 and dress #4 the same one.  My own favorites are dress # 6 the darkest one she wears and dress #7 love the dramatic collar and cuffs on that one.

Hope you enjoyed it , good night

Stylish Blog Award

How exciting an Award and my very first as I have only been blogging since December.  Thanks to Lina Sofia at  spiffingsporadics I have really enjoyed reading others blogs and am very humbled that people read and follow mine.  OK so with the award you are supposed to share 7 things about yourself.  Where to start.

1.  I am a high school art teacher. Right now I am teaching drawing, ceramics and a mixed media class.

2.  I have been collecting vintage since I myself was in high school. In fact some of my old friends on face book just reminded me of how I introduced them to some of my favorite vintage shops back then.

3.  I have a lovely husband who is a barber.  In fact this last year he was able to purchase his own Barber Shop I am very proud of him it was a brave move and it has been difficult he is working hard to make it a success.  Here we are in Vegas right before our Wedding via Elvis impersonator.

4. I have two sons whom I love dearly one is nine going on fifteen and the other is three and wanting to stay a baby.  They definitely keep life interesting there is never a dull moment in my house although my nine year old would tend to disagree.

5.  In college the main are media I preferred was glass.  I really enjoyed blowing glass and hope to do it again some day.

6. I own a 1959 Chevy Brookwood wagon.

7.  I love to dance and used to go out 5 nights a week swing dancing before kids and husband.  I don't get many chances anymore so this year I decided that I should find a new dancing outlet so I am taking a belly dancing class (something I can do myself with out my husband as he is very self conscious about dancing).

Ok so that is the 7 things about me my nominations for other blogs for this award are:
obsessive-jenny
bettysvintagemusings
dakota-rodeo
vintageburlesque
ofpearlsandpetticoats

Ok thats all for now take care everyone.

Hair Set Results

Ok sorry I didn't get a picture of my hair last night but I usually like day the second day of the set best anyway.  So here is my hair today.

Going Out Tonight

Ok so tonight I am leaving the kids and my husband at home and I am going out.  One of our friends lost her job over a year ago and has been unable to find employment here so she is moving back east to live with family for a while.  So this is my chance to say goodbye.  So I thought I will set my hair do my make up and put on some pretty duds and go out.  This has been a very stressful week lots of deadlines to be met and no free time.  Tomorrow I must work on my January monthly make as that deadline is looming too and I just haven't had time to get to that either.  Have I mentioned that I am a working mom with two boys.  Did I also mention that I am taking a belly dancing class right now?  Well I am and I am terrible but isn't that always the way when you start something new.
Anyway here I am under the dryer.  My latest preference for my sets has been for perm rods rolled under.  I like to sit under the dryer for an hour them leave them in for an additional couple of hours afterward.  I have a lot of hair and I found with sponge rollers it was taking my hair much too long to dry but with perm rods it seems to dry much quicker and I find them surprisingly easier to sleep in than sponge rollers.  My friends always tell me I look mad in photos so if I do please excuse not mad at all. I will try to publish a finished hair picture tomorrow.

Arzberg Soup Tureen

My Mother In Law recently showed me a soup tureen that she recently inherited from her mother.  It has a very mid century look to it.  She was not sure when and where Anne's tureen had come from.  Anyway I greatly admire the piece but know very little about it other that it is a German company.  I plan to keep researching though but in the mean time here are some pictures.

Holiday Sewing Frustration

Ok so I planned to spend my holiday sewing which I have but have become very frustrated.  I completed my muslin of Simplicity 4044 and decided I couldn't have found a more unflattering pair of pants for my body type so I will not be completing the end product.  So out of frustration about not completing a project I decided I would work on the most simple pattern I could find.  The pattern is Advance 4091 which is a peasant style blouse.  It has 3 pieces to the pattern and so far the most difficult part of the pattern looks to be sewing 3 eyelets for the ribbon to close the neckline and the sleeves.

I started by grading the pattern up a few sizes and I plan to make the muslin out of a bed sheet a purchased at a thrift store a few months ago ( you can see it right above the pattern).

Here is the Grading with Pattern and Sheet

Since I thought I would need more than just a bit added on the sides of this pattern I decided that I would try a new (to me) technique of slashing the pattern and adding the inches in between.  Hope fully this will work.  Since this is such a simple pattern I think it will come out fine (knock on wood).  I am hoping this will be a success as I get very frustrated with having nothing to show for my time in the last 2 muslins I made.  Hopefully I will show you some results by the end of next week end.  Take Care All

My Hair Today

 I have my hair cut in a long middy style cut but I only really set my hair on the week ends.  This Friday nights I didn't get around to setting it so I had to try styling with out a set this morning.  I saw a cute style yesterday on Miss Lina Sofia's blog Spiffing sporadics of a vintage girl. and thought her hair was cute so I tried some thing similar ok well I thought I would but I have a lot of hair and well if got a bit out of control I still can't decide if I like it.  I rolled my bangs back and put victory rolls on the side.  

Monthly Make

So I have decided that since one of my goals of the new year was to really amp up my sewing efforts and work on making more of my own clothes I decided to take the A Make A Month 2011 challenge.  If you too wish to join the link is on the side bar (thanks Felt Fairy for the help with getting that up).  So I have to think what I wish to make over the next year.  I definitely have oodles of vintage patterns as well as some wonderful repros and lord knows I need some new clothes that fit me (I have unfortunately not been able to take off much baby weight in the last 3 years so not much fits).  I have been working on a muslin of some 40's repro Pants but may have to revamp the waist as I think the current design will be quite unflattering on me I also have a muslin in progress of Wearing Histories Smooth Sailing Blouse but I put it down for a while to work out the pants.  I need to go back in put the cuffs on the sleeves as well as get the button holes since I have never done buttonhole before.  I also may need to make it a tiny bit bigger as I think it could be tight but I think doing to buttons will be the deciding factor and yes I know I don't need to do the actual buttons on a muslin I want to for two reason: 1.  I need the practice 2.  I want to double check the fit for sure since I think it may be snug.   Well anyway here is the pattern if you are unfamiliar with it.

So that is two projects I also was looking at my family's Christmas stockings this year and decided the ones we have are not only quite shabby but also they don't all match.  So I thought I might make us all new stockings for Santa to leave us goodies in this year.
Some other clothes I have been wanting to attempt a Swirl like Wrap dress I don't know yet if I found the right pattern for this. Rosie the Riveteresque Overalls I was thinking I might use the decades of style pattern I purchased this fall.

I also purchased 3 other decades of style patterns this fall when a local shop had a sale on them so here are 3 other potential projects.

Here are also some recently purchased vintage patterns.

Ok well I am sure I am getting ahead of myself here as I would call myself an advanced beginner in sewing so I often get stuck on directions and have to visit my sewing mentor Aunt Marybeth to help me solve my sewing problems. So perhaps I will have to rotate simpler and more complex projects so I can succeed with my make a month challenge so perhaps it will go, Pants, Christmas Stocking #1, Smooth Sailing Blouse, Christmas stocking #2, Sweetheart Overalls, Christmas Stocking #3 and so on.  Anyway that is the plan for now.  So happy sewing all hopefully you will see a project posted soon.

Family Photos

Today I was digging around in my terribly messy sewing crafting room trying to bring some order to the madness and I ran across some of my photo boxes containing of course photos.  I found some old family photos in the box of my Great Aunt Veronica.  She was a stylish lady back in the day so I thought I would share the pictures that I found.

Not sure who the Gentleman in the Fedora is but that is Veronica on the tire.

Great Coat Great shoes wish I could see the hair more closely

Next One is later in her life I am guessing the 40's

Nice Suit she looks well put together again. 

Love the suit, the hand bag and the luggage.

Happy Birthday Elvis

Today the King would have been 76 years old.  Happy birthday Elvis!!! Good or Bad I am obviously a fan.  I think Elvis had a unique style that much of the world still appreciates, I know I do.

Wishing and Dreaming of clothes continued

Ok I couldn't help it I had to post again about some lovely clothes I would love to add to my wardrobe.  I often post on the Fedora Lounge and I get so many shopping ideas that I simply can't afford but kuddos to all those lovely ladies in the powder room that inspire me to think beautiful thoughts of style.

OK so I have always loved the Store Vivien of Holloway via the internet anyway I have not had the opportunity to visit the Brick and Mortar Store across the pond.  I do own two of her halter style tops and I have to say that they are really flattering and well made so I would definitely purchase again from the store if the funds were available.  So here are my top 3 pick from todays window shopping on the websight.

Pick #1 

How cute is this for a summer picnic! 

 

Pick #2 the Black Polka Dot Tea Dress 

I could see this as a great everyday dress.

Pick #3

I can picture wearing this blouse with some black cigarette pants and a cardigan with a sweater guard. 

Now onto another store that I love Zombie Kitten Originals and I already have too many of her pencil skirts(Ok well maybe a girl can never have too many pencil skirts).  If you like horror theme or even just a plain pencil skirt I would recommend you to her web store I have loved everyone of the skirts I have bought from her and I have been buying them since about 2004 when I met her selling them a car show in Indianapolis, I think I have a total of 6 now.

I have to say looking at her online store if I was to make a purchase I would be torn between these two.

#1 The Monster Skirt

I have to say I am a sucker for the pom poms!

Or # 2

The Retro TV skirt

Ok well I think that is enough repro online dream shopping for one evening.  Take care until next ramblings. xoxo

Wishing and Dreaming of Clothes and Shoes

Well Santa was on a tight budget this year so I was afraid to ask for too much.  I myself am on a no spending spree for a few months, but a girl can still dream of a new wardrobe (hey and maybe Santa will read my blog and grant a few wishes later).  So my plan is to occasionally post my wish list here so Santa and his helpers might be able to grant some wishes next year.  Also it will help me know what to order when I win the lottery which I am sure will happen very soon.

Ok one store I would love to have a dress from is Trashy Diva

or perhaps this jacket

I would also love some new shoes from Remix (I already have 3 pairs of wedges and they are my absolute favorite shoes to where with vintage outfits and they are also very comfortable)

Or as I a new interest in 30's styles perhaps these.

Well that is all for today but I plan to keep up my wish list more will come later. So toddles for now.

Happy New Year

I am very excited for a new year to begin.  2010 was a rough year for my family and while we had some ups we had lots of down so I am welcoming a new year with open arms and hoping that it will be more positive for everyone (and yes I mean everyone everywhere).  I have made some personal commitments to myself.  I want to put aside a half an hour a day for myself.  Half an hour to sew, exercise, or maybe even take a belly dancing class.  I already started my 1/2 hour a day by working on a muslin of the Simplicity 4044 40's pants.  Although let me say I am not sure if I like the waist line on this one I think I prefer a waistband so we will see when the muslin is finished if I should have opted for the Simplicity 3688 but since I started the muslin I think I will follow through and finish before making a final judgement but I am just not sure that scalloped waist will be flattering on an apple shaped girl like myself.