Confessions of a drama queen

It's been half a year since I have blogged. 6 flippin' months. Such a long time that the changes here on blogger are totally alien to me. Help! 

In these 6 months so much has happened and I wasn't ready to share. I have a tendency of playing austrich during a depression. But I suppose it's time to get my head out of the sand. 2012 should have been a great year and it started great but soon after my life had come crashing down on me. So many times I had wanted to share on here and wrote mental novels but in the end I never did. And now I don't want to write a novel about it and take apart every single bit of emotion.  So just the very short version - Mr. Bossy had cancelled our wedding.

The important thing is - we've made it through and we are still together albeit not married. I don't think we've yet come out the other end but we're on our way there. We've caused my family a lot of hurt and financial trouble and inconvenience with the cancellation and we were both truly sorry for this. But it was something he had to do and I have come to understand why and I also think in the longer run it was for the better.

Another thing that had been depressing me for the past 6 months is a flippin' chronic allergic eye infection and eczema and/or psoriasis. For half a year now I've been wearing full time glasses. Granted they are fantastic glasses from Dead Men's Spex but no make-up. Or hardly ever. And if I wore make-up I'd regret it soon because it drives me frickin' crazy. After many appointments at the GPs and a long wait for a referral I finally have an appointment with the eye clinic in hospital in about a weeks time. Yay! Am still waiting for a referral for allergy testing and the dermatologists....

It is so very boring not to wear make-up. Hair spray is also a no no for me these days. Hence my decision to cut a fringe so I can leave my hair down just like that and still look how I like to look. It also covers up the alopecia caused by the eczema/psoriasis. I now feel like Rachel Berry off Glee - with my pretty mostly polka dotted dresses, alice bands and long straight hair and a fringe (bangs). Certainly got a nose to match hers!

Ok enough moaning done. I do hope my superficial vain problems will be sorted soon - the Twinwoods event is happening in the very near future and this year I've entered the beauty pageant. Purely to pick my moany old vain self up. So girlies - I'd be really grateful if you'd vote for me. You have to like the Twinwoods Event page first (that's a condition so votes count) and then like my pic. Thank you so much!

Having finally updated my blog feels really good! Really really good! Soon more to come!

Baby it's cold outside!

I love my elaborate hair dos and I love my berets - but funnily enough I don't like berets on elaborate hair dos. Well at least not on my head. Whenever I try to put my berets further back behind my ears it just doesn't look right on me - to me. And my ears get cold!

So during the very cold days I am very happy to ditch the hair styling and just plonk a beret on my head. The school-run is also much more on time that way :-)

Moustache-pin on my beloved grey beret - I made it. Watch this space - soon to be on sale!

For the New Year I made the superficial resolution not to buy so many polka dotted garments anymore - I own so many! But this LOVELY dress I bought just after Christmas - didn't count then!

Digging brown accessories at the moment - I am all in love with this black polka dotted very comfortable dress.

I am also very much in love with the beehive currently! And yes same dress again!

Practice makes perfect - I still need a little while to get ready when sporting a beehive but I get faster every time. I crocheted myself some padding and yes there's a giant moustache in my hair. I told you - watch this space!

When I was around 17 I was totally into the late 60s - very short black and white dresses, big round dangly earrings, bouffant hair, the make-up and big big knee high boots - but these days it's the early 60s that make my heart beat faster. 

Watching my current favourite series Pan Am certainly inspired me!

Home is where the vintage heart is - Sarah's Doo-Wop-Dos

A 2 months hiatus and then 2 blog posts in a day? 

 Ladies get your smelling salts out!

 You've heard about Sarah before - she's also the owner of 4th time round curiosity shop (blogged about HERE) and you've seen her amazing work in my previous post. Sarah is my personal vintage guru in Bedford. If you want something, need something, like something - she will know or probably possess it. She's one colourful and great lady!

Her newest venture is a vintage hairstyling business - Sarah's Doo-Wop-Do's. Specialising in the 40s, 50s and 60s she can also cover all other eras and has great experience with psychobilly style and synthetic dreads.

 One of the most squee-worthy events in Bedford recently was the start of a vintage Shop - Rose-tined Vintage has opened it's doors (blog post to follow) and Sarah has her own little hairstyling booth in the shop. It looks so pretty and like so much fun you want to move into the little booth!

 

Sarah's flyers

(c) Jez Brown Photography

(c) Jez Brown Photography

(c) Jez Brown Photography

(c) Jez Brown Photography

The booth in Rose-tinted vintage

The gorgeous lady herself

Have a look at more of her work - Sarah's Doo-Wop-Dos

You can find Sarah at the Rose-tinted Vintage shop (4 Clair Court, Bedford) every Saturday. Book appointments there Saturdays between 10am - 5pm, other times by request.

Styling prices:
Just victory rolls £10
Simple full vintage do £15
Vintage up do £20 (but price will depend on complexity of style)
You can always email a picture of a style you'd like her to re-create.

Email Sarah at curiosityshop4@hotmail.co.uk for more details or to make a booking or just pop in and see her one Saturday!

She's also holding a vintage hairstyling workshop this Thursday the 13th - there's only one place left, so hurry if you are interested!

Home is where the vintage heart is - Jez Brown Photography

Call me Phoenix. 

I am back blogging rising from the ashes.

Or with a little less drama - I've stopped sulking and I'm getting on with it.

In the past year I've gotten to know the vintage scene in Bedford and the quite exciting members of this circle. Jez Brown is one of them.

Being hooked on all things American already as a child - like comics and Happy Days  (I am not getting the theme song out of my head now!) he fell in love with the 50s very early on.

In his youth he was heavily involved in the psychobilly scene (one of my regrets - something I never knew of and would have loved in my youth) and up to this day he is a huge supporter of rockabilly music and organises quite a few music events in Bedford. 

He is also a selftaught pin-up photographer who created the world of "Reckless Girls" - they are his take on a pin-up and vintage loving community in Bedford. And the community is thriving!

For the upcoming year he'll bring out a Reckless Girls calendar!

(c) Jez Brown Photography

(c) Jez Brown Photography

(c) Jez Brown Photography

(c) Jez Brown Photography

(c) Jez Brown Photography

(c) Jez Brown Photography

(c) Jez Brown Photography

(c) Jez Brown Photography

(c) Jez Brown Photography

(c) Jez Brown Photography

(c) Jez Brown Photography

(c) Jez Brown Photography

(c) Jez Brown Photography

Recently I also had the pleasure to work with Jez - it was really good fun with a very pretty outcome - will share very soon.

Have a look at his photography - Jez Brown Photography and Reckless Girls.

If you would like to book a session prices start as litte as £25 per hour and negotiable editing rates. If you'd like to have a stylist, he can organise Sarah's Doo-Wop-Do's who did all the styling and hair on the pictures shown. I will blog about her and her prices very shortly. Hair accessories are by Lil' Mischief - and again, I am repeating myself, will blog about it soon.

Contact Jez - brown.jez@gmail.com

Versatility of Victory Rolls

I am a bad blogger.

But I am such a moody cow these days that I just can't be bothered.

With a better mood more inspiration will come. 

I hope.

Anyhoo, this cheered me up. My son thinks my victory rolls are a great home for his lego knights

When I unravelled them at night I actually found a helmet and another sword. Hadn't even noticed half of the day. :-)

Sucker for nautical goods

Yes that's me. Guilty as charged.

Right after worshipping polkadots I am obsessed with anything nautical. I see it and I want to possess it. Badly.

This loverrrrly dress I found months ago at the Flitwick Originate Fayre in February - it cost a mere £3! I loved it straight away, obviously. It's an interesting dress - it has an (I think) expensive looking top with two golden sailor themed buttons at the back and a fairly long skirt but with a drawstring. I think it's very typically 80s does retro.

Ever since I took the shoulderpads out I love it even more. And it has pockets!

Heels would be better of course but I do a LOT of walking a day (I am talking about 3 hours at the minimum) so even wedges leave me sometimes crippled at night. These also very nautically looking red flats are from Primark about 5 years ago.



Attached is my 1940s bow brooch which I have shown several times before.



And the obligatory shots of my hair....

Ship ahoy!

Quick fix set - video tutorial review

Over at Lina Sofia's fabulous Spiffing Sporadics I came across this little video tutorial.

I was intrigued - you are meant to put an alice band on your head, twist your hair around and et voilà - curls in record time!

I washed my hair, used setting lotion and attempted a wet set with a plain elastic alice band. Indeed the set itself was done in a jiffy - but I had troubles at the back and because my hair is so fine and slippery it just kept coming out again. Instead of the suggested 70s flick at the front I opted for an elevated pin curl with my fringe rolled under. I then had the head band across my forehead which gave me a headache within a minute. I kept on moving it and settled for having it very near my roots - now that was a bad mistake because when I woke up the next day I had the band deeply - really deeply - imprinted in my skin. And bloody hell was that sore. So in the morning I moved it behind the pin curl - like on the picture below. I wish I'd done that straight away because the imprint lasted for 2 days! And it's still a little sore to the touch. I may have very sensitive skin (or head) or my band was just to tight - but I won't be doing it like that again. But on the plus side - it was really comfy to sleep on, much more so than pin curls.

The outcome wasn't bad but certainly not groundbreakingly good. It curled a bit more at the sides but the back was only wavy at the most. I suppose it would be ok for a Veronica Lake peeka-boo look - but for some odd reason I could not brush the curls/waves over my hand - they liked staying very separated. I have to mention that my formerly blue Lottabody setting lotion turned purple in the sun. Maybe it has lost it's magic? Has that ever happened to anyone before?

 

I did not like the very very flat back, elongated front section and a flat back - that is a style that doesn't suit me.

I also didn't quite like that the ends seemed to be very - strawy. With pin curling you tuck them in and they get curled aswell and I suppose with this method they just get stuffed into the band without actually bending them around.

 

I didn't trust this set so I decided to do a little Vivian Leigh and pin it back at the front - and I was quite right it only lasted a few hours. By the evening my hair looked like tousled california girl beach hair - which isn't a bad look per se but it's not my kind of look.

 

And on a different note - maybe it's the summer (well the 3 days of sunshine we had here recently) or maybe I have just watched to much Ugly Betty - I am really into yellow at the moment. I never disliked yellow but I was always quite indifferent to it. I'd never buy anything yellow nor choose a yellow thing. This skirt I only bought 3 summers ago because I just had a baby, could only fit into skirts and it was reduced to a £1 in Primark. And now 3 years later I wear it all the time! I suddenly love yellow!

Maybe it's just my constant sunny disposition! Cough, splutter...

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!

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!