Wednesday 25 May 2011

Little Miss Bossy goes Facebook

I have made my blog alter ego a public figure on Facebook!
And no I haven't lost my sanity and no my 138 followers on my blog have not gone to my head. But after some timely consideration and an argument with Mr. Bossy I have come to the conclusion that I need a different platform than my private Facebook profile page to share my vintage adventures and Twitter is just not my thing. I was very lucky recently in gaining so much knowledge about what's happening in and around Bedford in vintage regards and I met - some only virtually - many new people. But that also meant that I have broken my rule to never add anyone I don't know personally (with very little exceptions I have stuck to this self applied rule for 4 years of having a Facebook account).
So there we go - I have created a public figure page which I hope you will all "like". Please do not think I have gone completely doolally in exploiting myself - it is the complete opposite I want to protect my loved ones!


The profile page is of course a brand new work in progress but to be found HERE!

Tuesday 24 May 2011

How long do you take?

Now look into my eyes!
Look into my eyes and tell me how long do YOU take to get ready?


But seriously - this is a question every vintage gal is propably asked a zillion times at least. I certainly get it very often and the questions vary of course! It ranges from unbelieving exclaims like "It must take you hours to get ready!" to ruder comments like "Bloody hell how much time have you got on your hands!". My favourite ever was - "You clearly don't spend only 5 minutes in front of the mirror!".
No I don't, I never did and I certainly hope I never look like it.
But that doesn't mean that I spend hours of my day getting ready.

For absolute donkeys years I have always given myself an hour to get ready. This hour includes breakfast, shower, getting dressed, daytime make-up and hair. And this "rule" is still applied ever since I went into vintage mode on a daily basis. Of course I have days where I faff around for ages and I also have days where I am much much quicker. I also have a stropping toddler to dress - that sometimes takes way longer!

I still haven't quite gotten used to people now seeing me as "elegant" (that's a word I would have never linked with me when I was younger, it makes me very proud now), "glam" and "perfectly groomed". I am not always but I try and a few tricks of the trade help tricking people in thinking so!

Faux bangs and a ponytail are propably my favourite hairdo and also one of the quickest of my repertoire. How I do them I told already HERE! A pretty bow tied around my ponytail and a matching flower near the bangs and my hair is done in 10 minutes good to go!

 Even quicker is this quiff-roll. I shall do a  how-to tutorial very soon! This do takes me under 10 minutes!

Victory rolls of course take a tad longer but with some practice they just need double the time of the do shown above - but with the back shoved into a snood I don't even need to pre-set my hair!



And that brings me to the most tedious and lengthy part of vintage hair. The set! I like to wet-set my hair the previous night when my child is already asleep - so again not much time is taken out of my precious daytime. I do admit I am not great at setting my hair but here again - practice will make me perfect and more important: quicker!
Brushing it out in the morning takes no time at all - so actually pre-setting hair on a sunday night is good for rushed monday mornings! But with all that wind going on currently I prefer my barnet in rock solid faux bangs or victory rolls. Ah what would I do sans my hair spray!

 And quite contrary to popular believe I don't wear a lot of make-up. I love make-up and I enjoy applying it but ever since I had my son I use it very sparingly!
Tinted moisturizer, concealer, a dab of powder, brow pencil (why that one so obviously you can read HERE), blusher and lot's of mascara. Lippy I don't wear every day, some days I also use eye shadow and at night an eye liner. But that's it!  I've been putting my face on for a good 16-17 years - I have so much practice it only takes me a few minutes!

The end result does look well groomed but that is because vintage styling is perceived as very ladylike and elegant.
And I say thank you!

Which brings me to this mental leap!
Stepping out in vintage gear causes a lot of attention. No denying that and it would be a lie to deny that I enjoy the attention. I get a comment a day and nearly all of them are kind and nice. People at check-out tills or market tenders comment the most. But the other day I got stopped in the street by a random woman who actually made me blush because she was so sincere and nice in what she said. And all I was wearing was this measly unexciting outfit:


When I went to Austria a few months ago I was astounded by the hostility of people. I was so show stopping that I even caused a little accident on the road. But it was really striking how openly rude people stared, one woman even gaped with a kind of disgusted look in her eyes. Given that she herself was sporting a 80s short hair permed head and an upper-lip moustache it wasn't that offending but it still showed me how much different the polite English are. Here in sleepy little Bedford Vintage seems to be quite widely spread and as mentioned I get a nice comment a day.


I didn't take many pictures back home in Austria but above were all taken at my parents flat.

So tell me fellow bloggers - how long do you take and how does your envoirement perceive you?
The very beautiful Lindsay of Vintage Rose has asked a similar question HERE!

Friday 13 May 2011

Feeling the 50s

In the winter months I found myself strongly favouring the 40s - high waisted trousers, woolly snoods and such! But now the weather is getting warmer - albeit the sun seems to be always accompanied by a frosty breeze - I'm really feeling the 50s.
Floaty skirts and high ponytails feel ever so summery to me!

 And I realised I had never tried a certain hair do. Whereas I've been living in rolled bangs and a ponytail in the previous month or two I now really discovered this hair style for me. Ever so easy and quick and I suppose I'd do Gwen Stefani proud!


My old school Gwen Stefani hair interpretation - though currently made popular by Imelda May.

I took these pics when it was getting a bit warmer - but I had just ran out of my last pair of intact natural tights so the dark ones had to make do. They came off during the day as it was really a bit too warm like this.
I really like this outfit - this is actually a long top (New Look) worn under a linen skirt (Primark) which I hoisted up and cinched in, the cardigan (French Connection)  is a sheer thin fabric and unfortunately I have broken my beloved sweater-guard! All the items I have owned for many years.

But actually I am living in this "uniform" - I totally adore my simple white shirt and I am combining it nearly daily (I do wash it inbetween!) with various floaty skirts I have. As I still haven't won the lottery I still have to be creative with my not growing wardrobe!

The shirt is from Primark, the skirt from New Look - both items I had for ages. Here again I have pulled the skirt up and cinched it in - it does fall nice and puffy but a little too short!

Different brooch but the same outfit in a yellow variation - skirt also from Primark. And a very weird grin on my son's face!

 I am absolutely no sun worshipper, I quite like my pale skin and I really don't like baking in the sun. But I do admit a few rays of sunlight in my face do make me happier!


So let's see what the English summer brings for us!

Thursday 12 May 2011

Home is where the vintage heart is - Rose-tinted Vintage Bedford

Finally I want to put the spotlight on a few local Vintage lovers and sellers. I've been keen to do this ever since I started up my blog again but as you know technology was not my friend recently (camera broke, computer broke, car broke...)

When I started researching for this series I found incredible sources in and around Bedford. Our little town is ever so vintagey, there is quite a lot going on. I embrace my mummyhood and I don't crave going out much but I do sometimes wish I had more energy and opportunity to actually check out the many vintage events at night!

But first things first! Let's begin with putting the spotlight on Kat from Rose-tinted Vintage in Bedford!

The lovely Kat manning her stall at a vintage fayre in Flitwick

Rose-tinted Vinatge is based in Bedford and they offer an array of affordable casual vintage clothing, handbags, jewellery, scarfs and lot's more!




Kat from Rose-tinted Vintage aims to make vintage clothing affordable! And it is!
You can check her events page to see at what market or fayre they are to be admired or you can also ring or e-mail and book an appointment - Kat is like Vintage on wheels, she brings it to yor house! And of course there's also Etsy!

I hope she can fulfil her dream one day and open a shop in Bedford! I'll certainly be a regular!

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