Why I never forgive Drew Barrymore

 Now don't get me wrong. I love Drew Barrymore. She's one of my most favourite celebrities. She's a few years older than me and has been since the 90s one of my most influental style icons. She's one adorable tomboy and still does being glamorous so well. She's been through a lot, she's a clever woman and she's so quirky - that's what I love most about her.

Chris O'Donnell and Drew Barrymore in Mad Love 



When she was in Mad Love I kind of worshipped her. I had a very similar haircut (though dyed black) and let's face it - grunge was cool in the 90s. But I had a mono brow. I didn't exactly resemble Frida Kahlo but nevertheless it wasn't a pretty sight. So what did I do? I copied Drew Barrymore. She was cool, remeber?



Drew in the 90s - famous short do and look at those brows!
I loved them. Past tense I hasten to add. Past tense.



I don't say this very often but I should have listened to my parents. My dad kind of cried over my lost bushy brows because he liked them and my mother in wise knowledge predicted what had happened to her. But I didn't believe her. She warned me that they won't grow back. Of course I didn't believe her - there's a whole business out there. Why would women go on about plucking, threading, tweezing or what the heck else they do with their brows if they never grow back anyway?

Well she was bloody right. Apparently in our family they indeed don't grow back.



Drew in more recent pictures - and with beautiful full brows all grown back.



And that's why I never ever forgive Miss Barrymore. It's all her fault. I'm stuck with her 90s brows and she's got them full, pluckable and shapeable.

I do still love her though. Why? She's a great gal, not only in attitude but also an icon fashion-wise (she has fun with fashion, her quirkiness always shines through and she's also one who can do vintage effortlessly). And I know this legendary moment a good 15 years ago was propably very much drug induced but still just unforgettable. And she's cleaned up her act since then!

Happy New Year!

I wish you all a very happy New Year!

I rung in the new year very chilled and relaxed but certainly in style! We spend a lovely calm evening with Mr. Bossys sister and her fiancée. And lot's of food :-)

I styled my hair around this brilliant little Janine Basil fascinator my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas. She is by the way the BEST present giver - she always finds the most amazing little trinkets, never fails to surprise and in general I think never ever gave anyone a bad present. Just lovely!

My beautiful red fascinator - the bow is either very dark blue or a blueish black - I can't decide :-)



I went a bit pin curl mad - not a truely authentic vintage hairstyle but certainly inspired by rolls and pin curls. And did I mention that I love my fascinator?




I adore my dress. It is my very first genuine vintage buy and I just love it. It's perfect for me, it fits me exactly, it's in my favourite colours red, navy and white and it has many many different sized polka dots and stripes all over. It's just beautiful. I don't know what era it exactly dates back to. Not sure.
I bought it via Ebay, my red Mary Janes are from Peacocks - bought about 4 years ago.



A few outtakes - in my house it is near impossible to get a picture without my little one trying to get in it. Or in this case under my skirt. :-)



Also worth mentioning - one of many beautiful pins and brooches dating back to the 40s and 50s I bought within an estate sale on Ebay. I just love Ebay, you can find so many vintage treasures from all over the world for so little money!



I hope you all have a lovely and successful 2011!


Edit:
I had a very constructive comment, I love learning about fashion history:
"The material looks like a polyester in the close up picture- what is it made of?Because if it's a polyester mix I don't think it's that old- it was just invented in the 40's and really started to be used in fashion within the 60's-
They did a lot of dresses like that in the 70's, a lot of fashion used in the 70's was based on 30'3-40's- the wedge heels for example."
It is indeed 100% Polyester! That would explain then why I thought that the stripy pattern on top and the fact it buttons up so tightly and highly looks actually very 70s! That's another beautiful thing about vintage - the history behind each garment.

Vintage hair journey

Vintage styled hair is the first thing a passerby notices - I think only the fashion trained eye can pinpoint eras of clothing or even recognise vintage or vintage inspired outfits. But the hair and make-up is so obvious. It's also a great way to achieve a full time vintage look if the wardrobe is very limited. As I am only starting my vintage journey I don't have a lot of outfits to offer - I try to put together what can pass as vintage inspired. With the right hair I do look vintage even if I'm not really.

(click to enlarge pictures)




My 31st birthday back in October - an absolutely atrocious very 1st try on vintage hair. 10 minutes and not enough research is most certainly not giving you the right look. But never mind it was only a start.

 


A few days later and another try - I think it was not that bad considering I have dead straight hair and I did not curl it beforehand.



In preparation for Christmas I did a hell of a lot of research, I made a lovely snood (pattern to be found HERE), I got myself a nice little book (THIS one), I followed the advice of trusted vintage blogs and got a setting lotion (LOTTABODY as recommended by many) and did some pin curls the night before Christmas. Indeed this was very fiddly but I felt sort of glamorous sleeping on pin curls with a silk scarf around my head :-)

And et voilà:



Christmas Day: when I took out the pins I had an incredible full head of tight curls, after I brushed them out it was literally an afro. Incredible. My hair was so unruly it was quite tricky to smooth it down for the victory rolls. But I was still quite pleased with the outcome.




Boxing Day: the next day my hair had the most perfect beautiful soft curls, the victory rolls put themselves into place and looked lovely and smooth. I indeed loved my hair that day.




Day 3: there was still quite a curl to the hair though I did the updo in a rush - and that's how it looks. I should have taken more time. The back rolled up nice and easy and at first I thought - who needs a rat! Well until I saw the picture :-) It is quite droopy - I suppose a rat would make it nice and even. I shall whip one up for myself in the very near future!



Alright. I love vintage hair, I think I have quite established that. But do I want to pin curl my hair from now on every few days? Because let's face it - with my dead straight hair a vintage look is not done in a jiffy. It needs curls.

The easiest way is a Rosie Riveter style. I've been wearing a scarf in my hair since October 1-2x per week. A nice pompadour at the front and straight hair has a vintage make-over. But today I wanted to try this:



Most of my hair is pinned to my head, just washed and straight as it is. I left out a few sections at the front which I curled quite tightly with a curling iron. I then divided it in 2 sections and rolled them into victory rolls - the rest of my head is covered by a small scarf/bandana. I had to pin it down quite strongly as it was so far at the back. But I was really pleased with the outcome!
Still quite time consuming though....


I always enjoyed playing around with my hair. From age 20-25 I had fire engine red (and I mean fire engine red) hair that reached down to my waist - I loved all kinds of elaborate hairstyles. At 26 I chopped my hair off and ever since then I had midlength cuts, Liza cuts and even an Edie Sedgwick cut - I really enjoy having longer hair again - for now I'm actually letting grow out my trusted fringe (bangs)! Let's see how long it takes me until I go back to my Bettie bangs. Haven't had u-shaped ones in years, just plain old straight!

Vintage and me

I always had a strong affection towards vintage. I just never knew.

When I was little I would watch "High Society" over and over again - I just loved Grace Kellys hair and how her beautiful frocks swished when she moved. I've also always been fond of Elvis movies and old German/Austrian films from the 50s (Peter Alexander, Roy Black and the likes ♥).



Grace Kelly (in my favourite dress of the film) and Frank Sinatra in High Society.

Later on as a teenager I adored American diners and Grease - though I think the first has a lot to do with my strong affinity to the colour red and the latter with my little passion for John Travoltas blue eyes :-)

In my late teens and early 20s I admired and emulated mostly the 60s - Bardot was a great idol for me - big hair, smoky eyes and pale lips - to this day I think this is the sexiest and prettiest look ever.

My first flat at 19 was plastered with Vargas and Ramos (though those are 60s pin-ups) prints - I adored them. I also always felt quite partial towards Lucille Ball as I sometimes got told I look like her (my mimics and facial expressions).

Alberto Vargas Pin-Up





In my 20s then I had a revival of my love for swishy skirts, Carrie Bradshaw and Marc Jacobs are partly to blame for this. I think circle skirts are the most beautiful garment ever made for a woman. The epitomy of feminine clothing. Slowly I realised that I just LOVE the 50s, the dresses, the cardis, the make-up. Women were women and the tailoring actually fits and flatters me. They had boobs and bums in those days :-)

In the last few years I aquired quite a few 50s inspired items and I would dress up on special occassions.

And then I turned 31 and gave yours truly a little present - I told myself I don't need occassions to dress up and I also don't need to go vintage full time. I allow me at least one retro day a week, one day I dress up or wear at least partly vintage (or inspired) accessories. And that's how I discovered the 40s for myself. In my 20s when I had flaming red hair I would have made a BRILLIANT psychobilly but now it's the elegance that's luring me towards it. I feel grown up and demure in a very good way when I dress up in a 40s outfit. The hairstyles are so elaborate and so much fun to do. In a 50s outfit I feel more playful but equally beautiful. I recently started collecting actual vintage - I now own 2 genuine vintage dresses and quite a bit of jewllery. That's just the start!

So even though red lips on a daily basis are an impossible thing to achieve for me (not so kissable with a little toddler around) I am really looking forward to a new vintage year ahead!

Round two!

Nearly a year has passed and I have let my blog die down. Why? Well I don't know why exactly.

It became a bit of a chore, posting wasn't as much fun anymore. What started off as a pregnancy diary for my friends and family back home in Austria soon turned into quite a crafting blog with a pinch of baking in it. After a while I just couldn't keep up with other blogs I had the urge to compete with. Silly I know.

So what now? Now I will just go back to the original intention - my little self needs a vehicle for showcasing my vanity. Those of you who know me know I am an exhibitionist at heart and the blog is just the ideal tool for this, isn't it?
Here's my dilemma - do I post in English or German or both again? I tell you what I'll stick to English for now, you all understand and frankly I don't care much about writing everything twice again.

So what will it be about now? Didn't I make myself clear? Moi, it will be about moi! About the things I love, the things I do, the things I make and this time round I will incorporate much more vintage and fashion.

So on that note I'll promise you lot's of pictures and less waffling in the next post!

Valentins-Bäckerei/Valentine's baking

Wie bereits erzählt, hat bei uns die diesjährige Valentins-Bäckerei ein paar Tage verspätet stattgefunden. "Traditionellerweise" färbe ich meine Kuchen sonst immer rot ein, da wir aber ab jetzt einen Kuchen-Mitesser haben, blieb ich der roten Farbe (die ja angeblich die schlimmste von allen sein soll) fern und somit ist auch der rosa Zuckerguss sehr spärlich eingesetzt!

R. hat sich trotzdem gefreut :-)

As I already mentioned I did my yearly baking for Valentine's day a few days later. "Traditionally" I dye my cakes red - but as we now have another cake hungry mouth I steered clear of the red food dye (which is apparently the worst of all) and that also means a scarce use of the pink sugar writing.

Ryan still loved it :-)

Bin wieder da!/Back again!

Ich lebe noch..... Bin aber derzeit so unmotiviert.... Nix mit bloggen, häkeln, fotografieren.... nichtmal meine E-Mail Korrespondenzen halte ich aufrecht.

Schluss damit!

Ich wünsche euch allen einen schönen Valetinstag! Wir haben unseren aus diversen Gründen auf nächste Woche verschoben!

I am still alive... I am terribly non-motivated at the moment... no blogging, crocheting, taking pictures, I don't even keep up with my e-mail correspondences.

Enough of this!

Happy Valentines Day everyone! We will celebrate ours due to a different reasons next week!

Ein bisschen gehäkelt hatte ich aber schon vor Weihnachten, aber nur ein bisschen:

A little bit I did crochet before Christmas but just a little bit:

Ein paar Weihnachtsbaum-Anhänger für unsere Kirchengruppe und eine kleine Amigurumi-Kugel als Weihnachtsgeschenk verschickt.

A few tree ornaments for our church group and an amigurumi bauble that I sent as a christmas gift.

Um diesen Frosch tut es mir besonders leid.... Er war meine erste Auftragsarbeit, das erste Häkeln gegen Geld - und er ist in der Post verloren gegangen!!! Ich hoffe er hat ein schoenes neues Leben gefunden und muss nicht als Paket für immer versauern....

I am really sad about this frog - he was my first custom order, the first thing I ever crocheted for money - and it got lost in the post!!! I hope he has found a good new life and does not have to be a crunched up parcel forever....

Und eine besonders süsse Muffin-Brosche - ein Weihnachtsgeschenk.

Ebenso ein Teaser was hoffentlich bald in meinem zukünftigen Etsy/Dawanda Shop zu finden sein wird....

And a very sweet cupcake pin - a christmas gift.

Also a teaser what you will find in my upcoming Etsy/Dawanda shop - hopefully soon...

Grosse Neuigkeiten/Big News

Nun sitze ich hier zu Hause in Österreich in der Wohnung seit Tagen mit einem kranken Kind fest.

Und doch war Weihnachten - immer meine liebste Zeit im Jahr - nochmal extra besonders dieses Jahr.

Der Holde stellte mir nämlich DIE Frage aller Fragen!

Auf Knien mit geöffnetem Ring-Kästchen in der Hand und selbstgeschriebenem Gedicht.

Und ich sagte JA! :-)

I am stuck back home in Austria in the flat with an ill child for days.

But in spite of that this christmas - always my favourite time of the year - was extra special.

Because my love popped THE question of all questions!

On his knee, with the little ring case open in his hand reciting his own poem.

And I said YES! :-)

12 von 12 am 12.12.!/12 of 12 on the 12th of the 12th!

ENDLICH habe ich es wieder geschafft - wir waren nicht auf Urlaub, nicht krank - alle Zeit (und Nerven) für 12 von 12!

FINALLY I've made it again! We have not been on holidays, no one was ill - all the time (and nerves) for 12 of 12!

Guten Moooooooooooooooorgen!

Good Moooooooooooooorning!

Die erste Sauerei des Tages

The first mess of the day

Fertig zum ausgehen!

Ready to go!

Bei Grandma und Grandpa zeigen wir stolz die verschluckte Münze!

At Grandma's and Grandpa's we are proudly showing off the swallowed penny!

Ryan und sein Opa - ein Herz und eine Seele ♥

Ryan and his grandad - one heart and one soul ♥

Mein Sohn ist derzeit der Oberkuschler - hier am Vergewaltigen der Urgrossmutter :-)

My son is THE cuddler at the moment - here he is raping his great grandma :-)

Zu recht später Vorabend-Stunde noch schnell eingekauft

At a quite late early evening time a quick run to the shop

Das Wichtigste: Windlen, Klopapier, Katzenfutter und Geschenkspapier :-)

The essentials: nappies, toilet roll, cat food and wrapping paper :-)

Typisch britischer Abend - bestelltes Essen vom Inder....

Typically british night - a takeaway curry....

.... und das X-Factor Finale Teil 1

.... and the X-Factor final part 1

Die letzte Sauerei des Tages

The last mess of the day

Und der Weihnachtsengel schläft

And the christmas angel is sleeping

Es weihnachtet... noch nicht sehr/It's Christmas time... not fully

Kind hat Magen-Darm-Virus

Kind verschluckt Münze -> Notfalls-Krankenhaus-Aufenthalt

Kind hat Mandelentzündung

=

keine Zeit für Weihnachten. Grummel.

Mittlerweile ist aber alles wieder in Ordnung, Ruhe ist wieder eingekehrt und langsam, aber sicher widmen wir uns ENDLICH der weihnachtlichen Vorfreude!

Child has a tummy bug

Child swallows penny -> emergency hospital stay

Child has tonsilitis

=

no time for Christmas. Grrrrr.

But in the meantime all is well again, we're back to normal and slowly but for sure we can dedicate ourselves to the happy anticipation of Christmas!

Also hat mein Sohn am 6. Dezember sein erstes Nikolo-Sackerl bekommen!

On the 6th of december my son recived his first "Nikolo"-bag. Nikolo is our version of Father Christmas/Santa Claus. He originates from the same legend, the same person, but in our tradition he only brings one small present accompanied by nuts, oranges and sweets on the 6th of december. Traditionally the bag was put in a shoe- the custom goes back to the same origin as the anglo-american stockings.

On Christmas Eve the "christmas child" (baby Jesus) brings the presents (and tree) in Austria!

Aber Raymond scheint noch nicht voll in Weihnachtsstimmung zu sein - diesen Anzug hasst er einfach!

But Raymond does not seem to be in proper Christmas mood yet - he just hates this suit!