Puppies as fashion accessories are passé. What we need is a colorful, cruelty free alternative to the dyed easter chicks. Tiny inflatable ponies are all the rage. These are adopted from Japan, although they originate from an Italian breed. They are quite calm pets, although they tend to squeak when left in their kennel for too long.
I’ve been watching 1940s house for the last few days. What a show! It’s so exciting and emotional, furthered on by the historical context and war-time committee that influences the event in the family’s life. They must black out their windows, build an Anderson Bomb Shelter, and eat on rationing tickets. I know I’m about 10 years behind in discovering the show, but if you haven’t seen it, it’s a wonderful show to experience. The way “living” in the 1940s has changed around the life of the people in the show is really inspirational. The grandmother of the show cut her food budget by 50% by shopping for grocery items in a 1940s way, that is, less packaged food and fresh produce and meat from the butcher.
Today was rather cool so I could wear Gabardine, which Texas heat usually does not allow.
Here is my 1930s style manicure, with the moons and the tips left naked. I was apprehensive to try out this style because I thought this would be difficult to execute, but it was so simple! The secret is to paint horizontally on the nail, not vertically like normal paint jobs. I have very pronounced moons in my nails, so I was able to follow them with the brush and create the pattern with little problem. I always notice 1930s manicures because there is inevitably a close up of a woman holding a telegraph letter. I’ve cut my nails into little sharp points for about 4 years now and it’s a very satisfying shape and it makes my nails grow longer because there is less surface area on the edges to nick.
Today was B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L! After work I went on a long bike ride and sat under some windy trees that were in full bloom with jasmine and honeysuckle scents wafting in. Spring! You are so short, but so so sweet!
Bellewether wears
a yellow rosebud dress
with peach cameo
yellow hand dyed vintage slip (embroidered by me, it reads “C’mon sweetheart, show me yours!”)
Yellow/Pink flower hairclips by Hello Kitty – Toy Joy, ATX
Victorian/Damask black earrings – Urban Outfitters
Sex Pistols Shirt – Urban Outfitters
1970s black sailor pants (made into shorts by me) – Military Supply Store, Seattle
Black wedges – Melissa, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
I really debated on if I should post this outfit or not, since it’s not my normal 1930s style, but since it is technically 1970s, I guess it’s okay.
Plus, I don’t want any of you to think I’m a vintage snob/purist, although I do get put into the “Authentic Vintage” category by other vintage blogs
I have wanted a Sex Pistols shirt since I was 14!!!! I look for them on ebay every once in a while but they are always $75.
I know it’s not my normal style, and that it’s not very punk to shop at Urban Outfitters… but here I am in a t shirt!
When I sing karaoke, I always choose Sex Pistols songs or Outkast. Now you know all of my dirty secrets. Here is my yellow eyeshadow. It’s by Makeup Forever and I like to bust it out for special yellow occasions. Johnny Rotten is an adorable old bastard. He falls into my ideal of suit wearing/crust punk gentleman. I know I’m not supposed to say that the Sex Pistols are cute, but I will.
In preparation for Angel’s Infamous Easter party, I wore my springtime ensemble to work. Since my only religion is Capitalism (har har) I did not mind too much to work on Easter Sunday, especially at a toy store peddling bubbles, candy eggs and clip on bunny ears to last minute shoppers. Most liked my pastel fineary but there are those select few who haven’t learned how to politely stare. This bunny comes in a game set called “Retro Bunny Bowling” and he has a little base that he sits on. One is to roll a ball (shaped like lettuce!!) at the formation of bunnies to try and knock them over. It’s very cute! He has a little bell, and he doesn’t mind if I bite his ears. After a cascarone was cracked on my head!!! Happy Springtime, everyone!
This is such a sweet video from The Innocence Mission. The styling is so lovely in this video (the singer is wearing a 1930s style feedsack dress) and it reminds me of a Sally Mann photograph.
Yellow ribbon as belt – I think this was tied around something I got from etsy!
Black patterned stockings
Yellow road stripe heels
I look pretty wholesome and sweet, save for the black, pointed nails! It’s so very windy outside today! All of my wind chimes woke me up this morning! I love these garters! I bought them from an etsy store that only had one thing for sale, EVER, and it was this pair! They are hand-painted little flapper girl faces. She’s perfect: reddish hair, blue eyes and red lips! I’ve emailed the company several times to see if they were going to make more but I’ve never gotten a reply. Etsy is like that sometimes! There was a band playing at my house until 3 am so I’m a bit tired. It was difficult to sleep.
Have a nice Sunday, everyone! I hope it’s sunny where you are.
Maroon silk scarf as headband – Arles, France while I was an exchange student at 18
Falling apart 1920s dress (crepe?) – present for my last birthday
Black lace slip
1940s gold locket (I finally put pictures inside!)
Black geometric tights
Maroon flocked platforms – Melissa Store, B.H., Brazil
If I wait too long in the morning to take my daily outfit photo, the Texas sun is too bright and makes me squint! Even though we’re only a bit over halfway through January, today already feels and smells like spring! Oh, how I love friends who give the most thoughtful gifts. This dress is from the incredible Angel as birthday present this past August. I must document every single time I wear it! It’s like a ghost – I fear it will not last very long! There is the most incredible colour of yellowy/cream that only comes about through decades and decades of aging: sheets of music, aging chiffon, handwritten notes. I never want to soak/wash this dress because I don’t want to lose this color! Here is another time I wore this dress, last September. The earrings belonged to my Great Grandmother who came to NYC from Poland before the Depression. I remember looking through my mother’s jewelry box when I was young and finding these earrings. My mother used the earrings to tell me about my Great Grandmother and how she never learned to read because her school house burned when she was in the 1st grade and it was never rebuilt; how she left Poland at age 20 and never saw her parents again; how she opened up her own grocery store during the Depression and ran a boarding house and made pies every night, how she could do complicated math in her head. The locket was a gift from my mother, but she did not include a photo! Last night, I was looking through piles of old photographs that I’ve gotten from estate sales and I noticed a photo of two women standing in front of an old house. Now, if you’ve ever tried to put a photo in a locket, you’ll remember that it’s quite difficult to find a photo that is small enough to put in the frame! Photos I’m sure will be small enough turn out to be gigantic and comic peeking out from the gold frame. This photo, however, was taken far enough away to where I can frame the two women and still have some space around them.
The woman on the left: dark patterned dress, dark stockings, white heels, shorter, hair parted in middle, holding a bag or stole or case in her left hand. The woman on the right: short cropped bob with waves, light dress, white strappy shoes, she’s a bit overweight, she’s taller than the woman on the left.
The other side of the locket is a piece of a printed handkerchief. I like fabrics or teeth or hair in lockets.
Red corduroy bow – snipped off one of my Hello Kitty plush dolls and affixed to a pincurl clip
Red Scarf – Thrifted in Lawerence, KS
Red leather gloves – estate sale, Eugene, OR
Black jacket with Red/Yellow/Blue flecked Tweed Details – Buffalo Exchange, ATX
1930s dress with Primary color daisy details – Buffalo Exchange, ATX
Red knee high socks – URBN
Black Patent Shoes – Target
It was actually raining really hard when I took this photo! Like I’ve said before… I LOVE MATCHY MATCHY!
Just the small bits of primary colored tweed that compliment the dress make this outfit very successful in my eyes Here are my little bows! I scalped my Hello Kitty plush and now she looks SO much like Dear Daniel with no bow!
I stitched one single pronged pin curl clip to the back of each bow, so I can slip it on when I feel like channeling Hello Kitty.
Puppies as fashion accessories are passé. What we need is a colorful, cruelty free alternative to the dyed easter chicks. Tiny inflatable ponies are all the rage. These are adopted from Japan, although they originate from an Italian breed. They are quite calm pets, although they tend to squeak when left in their kennel for too long.
There was a band playing at my house until 3 am so I’m a bit tired. It was difficult to sleep.
