~Temperamental Broad~Vintage and Rockabilly Blog

Tiki Oasis (Sunday at least...)

2013-09-01T14:24:00.002-07:00

I don't know what it is, but I am never motivated to go to Tiki Oasis. You'd think I would be because it is a weekender that takes place here in San Diego. It just never sounds really exciting to me. Maybe its been the themes. Maybe its that I haven't been financially able to go (until recently). Or maybe I've just been too busy or lazy. I guess its all of the above.

Anyways, Fernando's band played the car show on Sunday so we made it out for that day at least. I had planned on wearing my fabulous 40s rayon Hawaiian shorts. When I put them on though, I realized that I bought these when I was about 10-15lbs heavier. Needless to say they didn't fit. I was running late so I threw on a dress I purchased recently from Kim and headed out the door.

Even though I wasn't decked out in Hawaiian I got a lot of compliments on my dress. I really do love it! Plus, it goes perfectly with my Miss L Fire wedges.

The car show was quite small. Only a few cars. I got drunk on rum and had a great time though. I got to see my San Francisco and LA friends too which made the day a lot of fun. Monica and I went through the vendors but didn't find anything. It was a lot of 60s Hawaiian. The few vendors that had 40s and 50s were asking a lot of $$. Oh well. I think I have plenty of Hawaiian at this point!

We stuck around to see Elvez and Big Sandy and Fernando and I even got some jiving in to DJ Okie Oran.

This girl was Miss Tiki Oasis and she performed with Elvez. She was super cute. Elvez is a trip!! If you ever get the chance to see him definitely do!!

My SF crew. So good to see them!

It was fun to finally go to Tiki Oasis but I am not sure I would make a whole weekend out of it in the future. I wish there were more bands I guess. The venue is great though and would be perfect for a rockabilly weekender. I didn't get a picture of the pool but it was really pretty. All the rooms have balconies too, looking over the pool area. I had fun though and got to see my friends so all in all it was a successful day out.

The Caezars 'When I'm Not a Foolish Kid'

2013-08-12T20:07:00.002-07:00

Danny from the Caezars asked me if I would share their latest video with you guys. If you don't know, the Caezars are a rock n roll band based out of the UK. They played Viva Las Vegas 14 a few years back and generated a lot of buzz about them during that weekend because of their unique sound and energy on stage. They even appeared on TV with Tom Ingram as he plugged Viva on the news (watch it here). They aren't rockabilly, exactly. More like early Stones and Beatles mixed with Rockabilly, and some modern Hives thrown in. They definitely have that early 60s English garage band sound. Heavily influenced by American Rockabilly, but just as influenced by all the English bands that came afterwards. They used to be on Wild records but have moved on to Ambassador Records, which is releasing their newest album, 'Welcome to the Mainstream", which may be an appropriate title. I hadn't heard anything from these guys in a while and was wondering what they were up to. They added a fifth member and ditched the upright base and look more Mod than before. Glad to see they are still plugging away. Maybe they will make it out here for a US tour one of these days too.

Check em out:

This video makes me seriously crave pastries.

What do you guys think???

Find them at:
Facebook
Thecaezars.com

Recent Purchases-Kobeys Swap Meet and Thrift Store Finds

2013-07-16T15:27:00.001-07:00

This is part 2 in my 'Recent Purchases' posts.

Kobeys Swap Meet:

On Sunday there was a vintage flea market here in San Diego. I did not go. This is the 3rd one they have had and I have not gone once. I want to go, but it always falls at the wrong time for me. I am either out of town or just completely broke! This time it was the latter. I had about $40 to spend and there was no way I was going to get anything for that there! I could, however, possibly find some treasures at the swap meet. And I did.

Vintage bread box with confetti print.

$10

I can not tell you how long I have been looking for a bread box!! At least 10 years. I really liked this one and the price was right. I have never seen one like it either. The brand is Nesco.

Gold vanity shelf.

This is another item I have been searching for. They are always quite pricey on Etsy (especially when you figure in shipping). This one works great as storage for my Bakelite, which I have recently decided needs more green bangles. I have added that to my hot list as well.

Vintage wedges.

$10

These are gorgeous and they fit!!

Marciano snake skin wedges.

$10

Not vintage, but don't they look from the 40s?? They are a size 8 so I will sell them. If anyone is interested just let me know. They really are quite beautiful!

I got both shoes from the same vendor and she threw in a vintage shirt I had picked out for Fernando. Its a Towncraft button up shirt in a blueish/gray color. Perfect for him!

Curcao tourist scarf.

I love tourist scarves!! I need more. Add that to my hot list too.

Vintage scarf.

I love the print on this one.

I think I had such good luck at Kobey's because all the usual swap meeters went to the Vintage flea market. Hopefully next time I will be able to go.

Next are some items I found at various thrift stores.

40s crepe rayon dress.

I got this beauty at the Salvation Army in Point Loma.

Layered peplum skirt.

Beaded collar.

The dress is in perfect condition! The only issue is that the zipper is missing a few, what do you call them, rungs?? Not sure. Even though it is missing some parts it still zips perfectly. This is another item I will be selling. If anyone is interested let me know. I can take better pictures and get sizing. Its a small size.

This last item came from my very favorite thrift store that I have written about here and here. I love this store so much. I have never found so many treasures in one place on so many trips for so little money. They must have a treasure trove of Bakelite or something because here is what I found:

Carved Bakelite bangle.

On this particular day I went straight to the jewelry display and found this lovely bangle sitting on top of the counter. I was quite distracted so I didn't immediately realize that it was bakelite. I actually assumed it was just plastic so I just gave it a cursory once over. I had the sales person hold it for me while I looked around. When I went to check out she handed me the bangle and it was while I was holding it that I realized what it was. It was marked $7.99, but everything was 75% off so I wound up paying $2.00 for it.

Its a really beautiful piece and I have no idea how I didn't immediately recognize it as bakelite. When I got to my car I looked it over and thats when I got really excited. No scratches, no seams, nice weight, definite smell when rubbed. I couldn't believe my luck. Again! This thrift store has turned into a gold mine of treasures for me. I need to make sure to shop there more often.

Recent Purchases--VLV 16, Ebay and Vintage Shops

2013-07-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

I haven't shared my purchases with you guys in ages! I am doing this in 2 posts because it is just too much to put in one. It spans about 4 months and I don't remember what I paid for some of these things. I will do my best to guess though.

Lets start with what I bought at Viva. Honestly, I did not buy much. Nothing was really screaming my name this year, sadly. I did get a couple good items but nothing really amazing.

49er jacket.

You all know how much I love these jackets!! I couldn't resist this one in red and gray. It was on sale too at Donnaland. I believe I paid around $20 for it. She had others on sale too, but this is the only one that fit.

40s/50s wedges.

I got these from Donnaland too. She has the best prices! I have a hard time finding vintage black wedges that fit and aren't stiff leather. I did have to add slip guards on the soles though, because they were quite slick. These were cheap, maybe $15??

I bought 2 bottles of Hawleywoods Grooming Spray. I love this stuff, as you know, and figured I'd stock up. It wasn't til afterwards that I was reminded that Ben, Roy Rapid's guitar player, is a barber at Hawleywoods and could get me a discount. Oh well. At $10 each I don't mind paying full price. Plus, one bottle lasts forever!!

This next couple of purchases came from vintage stores in San Diego. There are not a lot of vintage stores here. A new one opened up a while back but it is, IMO, way overpriced so I never go there.

Vintage sweater set.

$18

It looks white here but it is pink. It is rare to find these sets together and this one was so cute!

It has rhinestones and cute little plastic bows that are all still intact. I do not remember the name of the shop I found it at but it was in South Park.

50s capris.

$10 from Frock You Vintage.

Capris and cigarette pants are on my hot list right now. I have a hard time finding ones that fit and aren't a lot of $$. I got these on sale because the zipper has come apart. I need to take them to a tailor to fix but for the price I think it is worth it.

I wish Neiman-Marcus still sold stuff like this!!

This next set was bought from Ebay. This was hands down the worst Ebay experience I have had as a buyer! It was a lot of back and forth with the seller and a long wait to get them in the mail. At least I didn't pay too much for them.

Vintage multi colored wedges.

Vintage raffia wedges.

At least the trouble was worth it. Both pairs are in good shape and I think I paid less than $20 for both. The multi colored ones do need to have the interior leather replaced on the straps though. Hopefully that can be done at a shoe repair place. If not, those ones are toast!

Stay tuned for my next set of recent purchases from Kobey's swap meet and my favorite thrift store :-)

Hello Stranger and a VLV 16 Recap (Finally!!)

2013-07-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a while hasn't it?? I'm sure to all of you it seems like I got left behind at Viva. I promise I didn't. Basically, life has gotten in the way and I had no time or energy to blog. I am finally feeling settled, however, and think I will ease me way back into it.

So lets start with Viva. Personally, this was the worst time I have ever had at Viva. And I've gone like 11 times. Parts were ok, and a lot of fun, but overall I was unimpressed and uninspired. I hate to say this, but I feel that Viva has gotten too big. I feel like it has lost sight of what it was all about. It is sooooo commercialized now! Its all about contests and car shows and pin up girls and prizes and sponsors. Yuck!! Maybe its because I have been going since it was a fairly small event at the Gold Coast that I am just put off by the size of it now. Ever since it moved to the Orleans it hasn't had that same feeling. I wish they would bring the Rave back and do it at the Gold Coast. Just have an event for music and dancing. No car show, no burlesque, no anything else. I would be a happy girl.

Well, lets get on with my long overdue recap.

Thursday

Fernando and I drove to Vegas with no problems on Thursday. Roy Rapid was playing that night in Brendan's Pub, along with our friends The Rattle Rockin Boys. During the drive we bacame aware that there was a missprint in the schedule. It said that RR was playing in the wrong room. I put the word out with everyone on Facebook to let them know. Dollie Deville helped too, posting it on her page (thanks Dollie!). For the record, I feel that they should be playing the main stage already and I was disappointed that they weren't. I knew they would kill it though.

Our roommate lil e. He wasn't feeling Viva either. This was his entire weekend.

Fernando requested that I wear this dress.

Hoaloha sarong dress.

With Fernando. I love this dress because it makes me look tiny!!

Alyx and Kat

The band had a bit of drama for the evening. Ben, the guitarist, had to take his state boards to become a barber that day in LA and was running late. They had Jacob from The Rattle Rockin Boys fill in until he arrived though. He did a great job! Ben arrived in true rock and roll fashion though to finish out the set. During one of the songs his guitar strap came loose and Jacob jumped on stage to fix it. Then, on the second to last song the bass fell apart and Josh, RR's original bassist, jumped on stage to help David fix it. Even with all of these problems the guys killed it. They had a ton of energy and the crowd loved them. I think it was the most rock and roll set I've seen in ages. From any band.

Jacob fixing Ben's strap.

All members of RR past and present. And Russell.

Thursday was by far the best night. Fernando and I danced a lot and I wore a really amazing outfit to the record hop that I have no pictures of. Black velvet cigarette pants with matching halter top. Guess I'll just have to wear it again!!

Friday

This was my absolute favorite outfit of the entire weekend. I got so many compliments on it. I just loved how it came together. Its like all the pieces were made to go together, even though none of them were.

Repro Hawaiian tie top. Its part of a set with pants.

Vintage Hawaiian halter top.

Vintage Hawaiian cuffed shorts.

Bakelite. Orange kissing fish, yellow resin and blue moon.

With Melanie from Incendiary Blonde.

With Mar from Conventional Heretic.

I cruised through the vendors for a bit. I only bought pomade and setting spray though. They were too crowded!!

Late night outfit.

Thrifted Elsie Krassas sarong dress. I definitely need to have it taken in. It just fits a bit big.

Bakelite. Root beer, prystal and black.

Room party.

Friday turned into a real shit show. I have no idea why people would wait until they go all the way to Viva Las Vegas to start drama when they could do it at home. It was stupid immature bullshit. The whole thing was super annoying and I let it effect me. I am not used to girls acting that way. My girlfriends are awesome girls that just want to have a good time. They are not interested in getting in fights, or talking smack about people or acting like mean girls. They are there to have fun and dance and drink. Thats it.

Anyways, Friday wasn't all bad. I danced some and wore an outfit that I really liked. Black and gold cigarette pants and yellow bustier top. Not a great option to dance in however. I felt like every time I raised my arms my boobs were gonna pop out! I don't need anymore pictures of that (thanks Patrick!).

Saturday

I have no pictures from Saturday because I did not leave the room. Me, Fernando and e stayed in and ordered pizza and Fuddruckers. This was the first time I have ever stayed in for an entire day during Viva. We were all just so sick of the drama that was literally following us around that we even debated going home early.

Sunday

I actually made it to the pool party. Applause!

This outfit takes a close second. Vintage Shaheen 2 piece set and Miss L Fire wedges. I had a girl offer to trade me her Shaheen for it but I had to decline. I have never seen this one before and I got it for a steal. Plus, she was wearing one that my friend Tina owns. If she ever comes back to Viva maybe we can swap for night.

The bakelite. 2 of the pieces came from that lot I won on shopgoodwill.com. My new obsession is root bear. I only have a few pieces and I want more!!!

Gotta love a Shaheen playsuit!!

With a bunch of Denver broads including Emma to my right (she JUST had her second baby) and Haute Rockabilly Fashionista.

I have to say that I really liked my hair this weekend. I have mastered the art of teasing and have big hair because of it. Yay me.

With E. He finally made it out to the jive contest.

I wore my Waltah Clarke sarong dress.

San Diego and LA broads. We were there to see Roy Kay who was amazing!

The jive contest really pissed me off. I'm sorry, but they need to specify that you must be dancing jive in order to place. Not lindy hop, not boogie woogie. Just jive. Lets keep some things traditional at Viva if we can. In the end the right couple won. Katie and Seiji were awesome and deserved the win.

And finally, video of me and my Jive partner dancing. Maybe one day he'll give me the footage from our win in 2001. Sooooo many years ago!!

All in all it was a disappointing weekend. I know the hotel is already sold out and honestly I don't care. Unless Fernando's band plays next year I don't know if I will be going. If we do, maybe we'll stay elsewhere so we get a break from all the festivities. I do think the drama that happened is largely to blame, especially since it spilled over onto Facebook once Viva was over. So childish. I just won't let negativity invade my life. Just because you're unhappy doesn't mean I have to be.

Instagram

2013-03-28T07:13:00.003-07:00

Hey guys! I'm leaving for Vegas in just a few minutes. Im going to be taking lots of photos, so if you would like to follow me on Instagram please click on the link below.

Temperamentalbroad

If you would like me to follow you as well leave me your Instagram address in my comments.

Viva Inspiration

2013-03-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

I am exhausted. I really have no other way to describe how I feel other than that. The idea that Viva is in 2 days is completely insane to me! I have not packed. I am not done sewing. I do not feel ready at all. I am usually completely packed by now and I haven't even begun. The only promising thing is that I do have all of my outfits planned. At least I have that going for me.

I know I can't be the only one that is feeling overwhelmed at the moment, right? I want to be excited to be going to Viva but I just feel stressed and annoyed. Its not with any one thing in particular; just everything, I guess. I've been working so hard but I don't feel like I am getting ahead. If anything, I feel behind. And the fact that I am not having fun just plain sucks. I think I need to take a break and clear my head. I want to have a fabulous time at Viva because I really need it. I need a vacation in every sense of the word. I need to re-inspire myself.

So thats what I am going to do. From here on out I am going to get myself excited for Viva. I am going to stop thinking about everything that is stressing me out right now. I am going to stop worrying about money and my job(s). I am going to ignore those people in my life that bother me. I am not going to be depressed that I gained 4lbs. I am not going to worry about how tired/hungover I will be afterwards. I am not going to let negativity overtake me.

Instead, I am going to get inspired and think positively. I am going to listen to Motorbilly radio and R&B stations on Pandora. I am going to go back and read all my old Viva Las Vegas posts and watch videos on Youtube. Instead of stressing over an extra 4lbs I will just remember that at 35 I think I look pretty damned good! I have some awesome clothes that I can't wait to wear, even if some are repeats. And more than anything, I simply can not wait to see all my friends and to dance the night away!!!

For added inspiration I am posting a few of my favorite pictures from VLV's past. I will use these to remind myself of why I go every year.

Waiting for a taxi to the Venetian with TnT.

Lisa is such a bombshell!

My girls.

After Emma and Tyler won the jive contest.

And the year lil e and I won.

Back when they didn't care if you brought in a case of beer, but only if they weren't in the case (wtf!).

Tina.

Me and Fernando.

A rare pic of lil e smiling.

Tara's husband Nathan did a cool bit of Photoshopping to this one.

Vodka shots and chips and salsa.

T-Dawg and Holly Bomba!!

He had no idea I did this until he woke up the next day.

One of my all time favorite pictures.

Looking at all these pictures has helped get me excited. That and the fact that its going to be in the 80s all weekend! Now it is going to be hard to focus on anything else!

This will be my last post until I return from Viva. I will have lots of pictures to share with you guys, I promise!

An Outfit Post

2013-03-12T14:25:00.002-07:00

Nothing much. I wore this to a BBQ at our house. I drank sangria all day and ate carne asada and managed to not spill any of it on my clothes. Its the little things!!

Mexican ruffle top.

50s polka dot capris.

I got a haircut too and I am just loving it!!!

That is all for now!

Viva Update

2013-03-07T11:45:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness! Where has the time gone??? I haven't meant to ignore my blog, I promise. I have just been busy, busy, busy!!

All of a sudden there are only 20 days until Viva!! I can't believe how fast this year flew by! I am almost completely ready for it though. I have my tickets, which is good because the event is now sold out. I also found out just the other day that I have a room at The Orleans. My amazing friend Asia gave me her room since she can not go. I am sad I won't see her, but over the moon to get a room!! The hotel and all those surrounding have been sold out for almost a year! I was a bit worried. Also, my best friend Lil E will be staying with me and Fernando. Very excited about that, as E has been my partner in crime for many years!

Bitches

I have also been fervently planning my Viva wardrobe and getting it ready. Lots of sewing, mending and cleaning. This is going to be the year of Hawaiian's and separates. I really don't have any new dresses to speak of, aside from a couple sarongs, so almost every dress I am taking will be Hawaiian. I haven't had the money lately to make any big personal purchases, and seeing how the cost of vintage is a bit insane right now, I have to just stick with what I have. And what I have are Hawaiians. Not a bad problem to have, I suppose?

A lot of repeats too. At least they are quality repeats.

Aside from the dresses I have a lot of separates. If you've followed my blog then you know that I have a ton of shorts and halter tops. I have some I have never worn and some repeats that I am putting together in new ways. Thats great and all, but they are day items. Shorts are not allowed on the dance floor!!!! Thats a rule I live by! To mix things up a bit with my separates I have added a few cigarette pants in the mix. They are perfect for late night record hops! I only have a few pairs so far, as this is a new obsession of mine. They are quite hard to find and never in my size!!! They have to fit snug or they just look awful on me. I did find an amazing pair of black velvet cigarette pants that I am in love with though. They were inexpensive and fit like a dream! Now if I could only find 10 more pairs exactly like them in other colors I will be set!!

I can never decide if I am taking too much, or not enough?

Aside from that I have been working a lot and selling on Etsy and Ooh La La to save money for the trip. I won't have a ton of spending money but I am not too concerned about shopping the vendors this year. I want to relax, drink and dance! Fun is the only thing on my agenda. No drama! I will state that again in case someone didn't get it the first time: NO DRAMA!!!!

For those of you that are going to Viva--are you ready????

Shag the Movie

2013-02-15T14:51:00.005-08:00

Shag came out in 1989 when I was 11. To say that I was obsessed with this movie would be an understatement! I loved everything about it. The clothes, the music, the dancing, the teenage rebellion. Even their proper southern drawls sucked me in. I watched this movie every chance I got and I knew it from beginning to end.

As I got older and discovered Rockabilly, this movie became a source of reference. My bestie Tara and I would watch it so that we could copy the clothes and, more importantly, the dancing. The dancing in the movie is Carolina Shag and even though I much prefer Collegiate Shag we still tried to copy the moves.

Shag, for me, is summer. Every time I watch this movie I dream of dancing at an overcrowded, too hot bar on the beach. Of wearing sun tops and capri pants. Of drinking too much, dancing too late, and flirting non stop with pretty boys (Obviously the flirting bit is a joke as Tara is now married with kids and I am in a committed relationship. I just had to throw that in because thats what the whole movie is about!). If you haven't seen it I highly recommend you do. Its cheesy in that 80s-does-60s way but it is still a very entertaining movie. The music alone is worth it!

I almost bought Melaina's (Bridget Fonda) gingham cropped top at the Rose Bowl. It was too big though.

In photo left to right:

Luanne

Goody two shoes turned fiance thief.

"If I'm not engaged by the time I'm twenty, I'm gonna kill myself."

Melaina

Bad girl turned wannabe Hollywood Starlet.

"Look Luanne! Im not goin to college like some people. And I sure as hell aint marryin a damn Ralston. And I aint gonna die in a parish house in Spartanburg, South Carolina, thank you. Luanne, Im as pretty as any of those girls in Hollywood. This is my chance! Jimmy Valentines gonna discover me today, and it aint gonna be in your mamas hoop skirt!"

Carson

Good girl gone rogue.

"Luanne, why don't we just go up there and say "This was our last weekend together, and we didn't feel like going to Fort Sumter and touring goddamn colonial homes. We wanted to go to the beach and meet boys and go to wild parties and dance." I mean why can't we tell them the truth?"

Pudge

Wall flower turned dance champ.

" It isn't even a bone at all, its a muscle. This cousin of hers dated a Clemson Tiger who sprained his in a game, and she had to massage it every night when it got hard because he was in so

much pain."

Blog Award and Vintage Tag

2013-02-14T14:25:00.000-08:00

Its been a while since I received a blog award! Jordan over at Jordan's Vintage Kitchen nominated me for a Versatile Blogger Award. So sweet of her! Make sure you head over to her blog and check it out. Its one of my new faves!

So here are the rules for the award:

Nominate some other bloggers

Let them know you have nominated them

Share 7 random facts about yourself

Thank the blogger who has nominated you

Add the Versatile Blogger Award to your post

The bloggers I would like to nominate:

1-The DC Metro Retro (In an effort to get her blogging again!!)
2-Viva Victoria Vintage (Another blogger that needs to post more often).
3-The Kim Show (So glad she is blogging again after her hiatus!)
4-Miss Molly Doll (She is adorable!)
5-Snoodlebug Vintage (New to me. I adore her hair tutorials!)

Seven little known facts about me:

1-I will be turning 35 in about two weeks. I do not feel my age at all.
2-I LOVE coffee!! Can't go a day without it.
3-I don't know how to whistle or snap my fingers. I can fold my tongue into a loop though.
4-I currently work 3 jobs. My office job, cosmetics at Macy's, and my Etsy shop.
5-Even though I love vintage there are many items I do not like at all. Western, one piece jump suits, and saddle shoes are 3 things you will never see me wear. Ever!
6-The first vintage era I was obsessed with was the 20s. I used to have a bobbed 'do ala Louise Brooks. It was not flattering on me.
7-I do not like Wanda Jackson. I respect her, of course, but I do not like her voice. I much prefer Ruth Brown, Wynona Carr, and Lavern Baker.

Thank you so much Jordan for the award!! I will pass it along to all my nominated bloggers.

Also, there is a vintage tag going around that I thought I would partake in. Feel free to do the same!

1. Who are your style icons?
I don't really have one icon. Some of my favorite though are Rita Hayworth, Carole Landis, Betty Grable, Lauren Bacall, Diana Dors, and Jayne Mansfield.

2. What is your favorite way to get inspired?

I get inspired by pictures of old Hollywood starlets, candid photos of women from the 40s and 50s, and modern bloggers. Pinterest and Flickr offer up tons of material!

I would wear everything that these gorgeous ladies have on here.

3. What's your most-used hair tool?

Aside from my hands I use foam rollers, Remington Tight Curls and Hot Sticks.

4. What's your favorite hair tool?

A vintage scarf. When I am in between washes or just don't feel like doing my hair I wrap it up in a pretty scarf and feel glamorous again.

5. Updo, down, or half-and-half?

I do not look good in an updo. I just do not have the jaw line for it! I prefer it half and half, but when I'm "lazy" I just leave it down.

6. Is vintage something you do every day, on weekends, or for special occasions?

I wear vintage every day. When I am at work I wear more casual 49er jackets and dungarees. When I go out I get all dolled up.

Me in one of my favorite dresses.

7. What's your favorite blush and lipstick?
Blush-anything peach colored. Lipstick-Makeup Forever and MAC reds are my favorite.

8. Dress, skirt, or pants? Heels or flats?

All of the above. I am working at having a truly diverse wardrobe, as I used to only buy dresses and skirts. I don't wear heels often unless they are springolators. I prefer wedges or flats. I am also really obsessed with ankle tie flat sandals as well.

9. Off-the-rack or homemade?

Off the rack. I can mend pieces but I can't make them from scratch. I have gotten pretty good at taking things in to fit my tiny body though! Nothing ever fits right!

10. Do you swing dance?

Absolutely!! I've been dancing Jive and Lindy Hop for 12 years and Collegiate Shag for 4. I can not imagine being a part of this scene and not dancing.

This is me jiving at Viva last year before the contest. I did not enter. I wish I had footage of the year that me and my friend e won. It was 2002. Sooooo long ago!!!

11. Extreme vintage or subtle touches?

Extreme, though I've gotten lazy with my hair. Its so thick right now that I have no patience to curl it. That will be remedied soon though.

12. Favorite perfume?

Gucci 'Flora', Chanel 'Chance', Dior 'J'adore'. I like florals that are really feminine.

13. Favorite skincare product?

Dior Hydra Life is my favorite face moisturizer but I also can not live without Bio Oil and my Clarisonic.

14. What does your family think of your style?

By now they are so used to it that they probably don't think much of it. I've always been a little different. When I first started dressing this way my mom said that it was way better than the baggy clothes I wore in high school. At least I was dressing like a girl!

Only part of my large family.

15. Favorite accessory?

Bakelite. I feel bad for all my other jewelry, gathering dust in my jewelry box.

Part of my collection.

16. Do you find the vintage community welcoming or snobby?

Yes and no. There are snobs everywhere in every scene. Some people will always be snobby no matter what. I really don't care though as I will do as I choose and I don't care what others think of me.

17. What drew you to vintage style?
The rockabilly scene in my home town of Albuquerque. Most everyone wore vintage and I was really attracted to that. I became obsessive rather fast and it has just gotten worse as I've gotten older.

My fabulous OG 'burque crew. And me when I had red hair.

18. Favorite places to shop vintage?

Ebay, Etsy, antique and thrift stores and flea markets.

19. What vintage eras are your favorite?

Obviously I like the 50s. I think that it looks the best on me. Specifically late 40s to mid 50s. I love the 40s though and have a soft spot for the 20s and 30s too.

20. Most glamorous film stars?

Rita Hayworth and Carmen Miranda. Gene Kelly and Humphrey Bogart.

21. Favorite vintage object that you own?

Wow. This is a tough one. I have so many things that I can never imagine parting with. I think though, that my favorite item is my 2 piece Shaheen set. It is a bathing suit with a matching sarong and I won it on Ebay for less than $100.

My plan is to wear this to the pool party at Viva this year. That way I can show off the amazing swim suit.

Recent Purchaes for Viva

2013-02-07T14:28:00.002-08:00

I have been quite sick lately and have not been in the proper mental state to write a decent blog post. I figured I would just share with you all some recent purchases I have made. All of them were made very deliberately. Meaning, I bought them because they are pieces that I desperately needed in my wardrobe. I also need them for Viva outfits and since I do not have the money to be buying new fancy dresses, these are pieces that will help complete items I already own.

I bought these gold confetti earrings to go with that Elsie Krassas dress I got at the thrift store. I think they will match well. They also match my confetti lucite purse, which I have mended. This will be a Viva outfit for sure! I figured out a way to take in the dress without actually taking it in. Criss cross straps make all the difference in the world!

Etsy

I bid randomly on this lot of jewelry and wound up winning. I like the orange bangles (not bakelite) because I need more of that color. I literally have 1 orange Bakelite bangle, which is simply not enough! The green earrings will hopefully match the Bakelite clamper I got, but I am not sure. They may be too green.

Ebay

$9.99

I bought this repro black halter because I have a million things I can wear it with!! Its a really important basic that I did not own. I have to adjust the straps, of course. Nothing ever fits me right! Even though it is repro it is very well made and look like the real deal. I really love it.

Ooh La La

$20

Of course I found an even better option the day after I bought it. This vintage black velvet halter top is perfect!! I already have about 10 outfits I can wear it with! Plus, it fits perfectly, for once. The main thing I bought it for is to go with a pair of amazing vintage pink and black shorts I have owned for a few years. I tried them on together and this will be another great Viva outfit. I even have matching black Bakelite bangles and pink lucite spacers!!

Etsy

$28

I felt a little silly buying 2 black tops, but in actuality they are different enough that I will get a lot of use out of them. That has been my main thing lately. Buying items that I really need and will use a lot. I don't have money to be spending on lots of new elaborate things, so if I can complete a multitude of outfits for under $100 then I feel pretty good.

The Perfect Vintage Eyebrow

2013-01-30T21:21:00.000-08:00

This post has been requested of me by quite a few of you, so it is long overdue! I will say that I don't do tutorials mainly because I don't have a video camera. This was an experiment of sorts and a bit of a challenge. Its not easy taking pictures of myself while trying to do my own makeup!! Once I get more accustomed to it, and maybe set up a tripod, it will be easier.

This tutorial is going to be about achieving that perfect, arched brow. Lauren Bacall had wonderful eyebrows, and actually helped usher in the new shape. Until then the brows were more rounded in the 30s and more straight in the 20s. Her brows were unique. So much so that for her first studio test the makeup artist was yelled at for rounding them out. The studio wanted her as she was, arched brows and all!

Brows for me have always been important. They have changed with my evolving style and have gone through many versions. Naturally, I have thick, straight brows. I decided to shape them when a mean boy commented on how thick they were. I worked very hard at developing the arch that I have now. It took years of bad tweezing and regrowing. While working at Benefit I learned how to properly brow map and honestly it changed my life! My brows weren't horrible before. They just weren't right. Now they are one of my favorite features and I get compliments on them quite often (oddly I get a lot of these comments from men).

So I am going to share with you guys some of my eyebrow knowledge. Its all based off of the shape of the face so anyone can do it. If you are still nervous and unsure about finding the best shape for your face though I highly recommend getting your brows waxed professionally. Benefit has Brow Bars all over the world and for $20 they will brow map you, wax, and show you how to fill them in. After that just tweeze away the new growth to maintain your new, fabulous shape. Believe me it will be worth it!

Lets get started!!

What you will need:

A rat tail comb or anything that is long and straight.

An eyebrow brush. This one is from Benefit.

An eyebrow pencil. This is NYX in Brown.

To fill in the brows you can use one or both of the following:

A colored eyebrow gel. This is Revlon's Brow Fantasy. One side is a mascara wand and the other is a pencil.

A wax/powder combo. This is Benefit's Brow Zings in #2

Not pictured:

Tweezers

Concealer

On a side note, that pretty pin up girl is my grandma!

Step 1-Brow Mapping

Brow mapping is the art of mapping out your brow shape according to your face. This is the best way to give you well defined brows. Do not use a stencil!! They do not take into account the size of your nose or eyes. Take the time to actually brow map!!

What we are going to do is take the rat tail comb and place it against the nose, right along your nostril and in line with your tear duct. This will give you the starting point of your brow. Dab your eyebrow brush into your colored wax, or use your pencil, and make a mark right along the edge of the comb.

Next we are going to make a mark for where your arch should be. Keeping the comb against the edge of your nostril, angle it so that it goes through your pupil. You don't want it to be directly through the middle, but off to the outside just a bit.

Again, take your brush and make a mark.

Next we are going to mark where your eyebrow should end. Still keeping the comb against your nostril, angle it so that it lays against the outer corner of your eye. Make another mark with your brush.

Now we have three distinct marks along the brow. For some of you these marks will not be where you have eyebrow hair. That is ok. That just means that you need to stop tweezing in that area and let the hair fill in. I had to do this and it took almost 6 months for the hair to fill into this shape.

Next, I take my Revlon Brow Fantasy gel and brush it through the hair. This will fill in the shape a bit, allowing me to see what the brow will look like when it is done.

Step 2-Connect the dots.

An arched eyebrow is basically 4 straight lines connected together. I know I make that sound easy but it does take practice. Take your eyebrow pencil and make sure it is really sharp. Now just draw straight lines, connecting the marks you made together, outlining your brow. I stay really close to my actual hair so that I don't have really thick brows.

If you are uncomfortable with outlining your brows with a pencil, use the wax side of the Brow Zings. It is lighter and may be easier to control. It is also a little more natural looking. I use the pencil because I like the definition.

Now you have an outlined brow. As you can tell I did not go heavy handed on the tail. Once we fill it in it will look more defined.

For those of you that are doing this for the first time this will be a good time to tweeze away all the excess hair outside of your brow line. To clean it up and remove the lines we made from mapping just clean it up with some concealer.

Step 3-Filling them in.

For this step you will want to take your brush and dab it into the powder side of the Brow Zings. If you are using a pencil just fill in with that. The great thing about using a brush is that it will blend out the lines you made with your pencil, giving it a more natural look.

For the inner edge of the brow simply make a straight angle and pull it across. That will give you a clean edge.

Once you have filled in your brow it should look something like this:

A filled in brow really livens up the face!

If you still have marks left over from mapping just clean up the edges with a little concealer.

Next you can add some highlight to your brow bone. This is especially nice to do when you are getting all dolled up to go out. A good product to use is Benefit's High Brow but you can use eye shadow too.

Add it along your brow bone. Then use a brush or your finger to blend it out.

The effect is subtle but it really makes your brows stand out.

Now do the same to your other brow and finish the rest of your makeup.

Voila!

Now you have perfect arched eyebrows!! This may take some practice and time but it worth it. Brows complete a look and really step it up to the next level. I don't leave home without them ;-)

Drool Worthy Shaheen Collection

2013-01-25T13:08:00.000-08:00

If you love Shaheen dresses like I do, then you need to head over to Mar's blog Conventional Heretic. She is showing off her amazing collection and this is just the tip of the ice burg. She will be sharing more of her drool worthy pieces in the coming weeks. I for one am completely jealous!!

Keep em comin' Mar!!

Thrift Store Score

2013-01-24T14:07:00.004-08:00

When I got off work yesterday I decided to stop by a couple of my favorite thrift stores just to see what they had and if I could find anything for my Etsy shop. I went to the first one and found a couple decent things. Nothing amazing. Then I went to my absolute favorite thrift store, which happens to be where I scored those 3 carved Bakelite bangles for $8 a few months back. I was perusing through the racks, picking out a few 70s-80s dresses for my shop. When I got near the end of the rack my eyes stopped on something spectacular: a black Hawaiian sarong dress.

It took a moment to sink in. I grabbed it to inspect it, of course fearful that someone would notice my glee and rip it out my hands. Silly vintage collector phobias! I looked at the dress up close. Black, brushed cotton with a bit of a sheen. Hand painted gold and white flowers. Gathered bust with boning and sarong skirt. The only thing wrong is that it lacked a label and had a plastic zipper. Besides that, it was obvious to me that this was indeed an actual vintage sarong dress.

Blurry photo of the dress.

You can see the sheen of the fabric.

It was hard to contain my delight. I was positively giddy. The price tag said $10 and the sales lady informed me that everything was 30% off. Perfect!! I finished shopping and gathered up all my other goodies and got rung up. After discount the dress cost me about $7.50 with tax.

When I got the dress home I tried it on. It fits, but is slightly too big in the bust. Also, the buttons on the halter straps are missing. These are easy fixes. There is also a small faded streak on the skirt that isn't too noticeable. Aside from those, and the plastic zipper, this dress is in amazing condition!

Now came the task of determining what label the dress was. It's definitely not a Kamehameha so I compared it to my Shaheens. The gathered bust was close, but not the same. The painted flowers looked like something that Shaheen would have done so I went online to research further.

I didn't find any Shaheens in that same print so I continued to look. Then I saw this:

Source

Thats it! Thats my dress! Same print, same bust. Turns out I got an Elsie Krassas of Waikiki. She designed dresses from the 50s-80s. Chances are my dress is from the early 60s, which explains the zipper. I couldn't find too much info on her but did see some completed listings on Ebay where dresses similar to this one sold for almost $200 in 2011. That doesn't matter too much though because I am not selling this baby!!

This was a great find for me. I was going through my closet trying to get ideas for Viva and I realized that I don't have a lot of new dresses. This one is a great addition! I don't have a single black Hawaiian dress either which is an added bonus. I can't wait to rock this baby at Viva!!

Now I am going to go shopping for some gold confetti lucite jewelry to wear with it. I already have my gold confetti lucite purse and some gold Frederick's of Hollywood springolators to round out the outfit.

:-)

Going Bid Crazy

2013-01-18T11:24:00.000-08:00

Definition:

"Bid Crazy"

Adjective

Mentally deranged, esp. as manifested in a wild or aggressive way while bidding on items on an auction based website like Ebay: "Jane went bid crazy on Ebay last night. Spent $500 on a vintage dress!!"

Every now and then I head over to shopgoodwill.com and see if they have any hidden treasures in their auction. I haven't been on there in months! In fact, I don't know why I got the idea to look on there now. Fate? Maybe. Anyways, I was looking at their bracelets section when lo and behold I came across a lot of Bakelite bangles. Here is the main photo:

Do you see them??? Here's a better look:

That glorious beast is a clamper!! Not only is it carved but it has what appear to be tiny rhinestones or metal balls. Mmmhmmm.

I am pretty sure that this is an applejuice bangle with rhinestones. Fingers crossed!!

And the rest:

The green bangles on the top may be Bakelite. Not sure. I will have to test them. The rest in this lot don't appear to be much of anything.

Well, when I discovered this fabulous lot it had 30 minutes left with a high bid of $66. I knew it would go higher but figured I'd give it a try none the less. As the time ran out and the bids increased I kept bidding and kept getting outbid. With 10 seconds left I tried one more too-high-for-me bid, and 'Success!!' That's what flashed across the screen. Apparently I had won. Winning bid--$125.99.

I felt a little nauseous, I will be honest. I did not intend to spend so much money an an untested lot of Bakelite bangles (even though I know that clamper is Bakelite!!). I don't have the money right now to be spending so much on plastic (darn plastic!!!) but something came over me. I went bid crazy!!! Has that ever happened to you???

The last time I went this bid crazy was almost 10 years ago. It was over an amazing Shaheen dress. I was at work when the auction was ending. This was before Iphones so I was on the phone with my mother, instructing her to 'bid again', 'bid again', 'BID AGAIN'!!! As the price crept over $200 and I kept screaming 'bid again', my mother finally yelled back 'Holly are you crazy!!??' And I realized that I was. I was bid crazy. So I stopped cold turkey. Needless to say I did not win the fabulous Shaheen dress.

I think it is safe to say that most vintage collectors go a little bid crazy every now and then. I want to hear your stories of a time you went bid crazy. What was the item; how much did you bid; did you win or lose; and if you won was the item worth what you paid? I also want to hear your thoughts about my latest bid crazy moment. Did I spend too much? Or did I do ok??

Comment away!!

Memory Lane-Viva Las Vegas 11

2013-01-16T12:17:00.000-08:00

Viva Las Vegas is exactly10 weeks away. It is crazy to think that it is literally just around the corner! I have so much to do!!! I will be doing a few Viva related posts leading up to it. This is the first one, and it is about a prior Viva. This is from Viva Las Vegas 11, which took place before my blog existed. With Viva 16 coming up I am getting pretty excited. I like to look back on these old events as a reminder at how much fun I had. I also like to see my old outfits and hairstyles, to decide what to do or not to do again.

The only Viva I have missed since I started going was #10. It was stupid not to go and I regretted it.
Viva #11 was still at the Gold Coast. In fact, it was the last year it was held there. Parts of the event were already being moved to the Orleans, like the pool party. I miss the Gold Coast. Even though it was smaller and more ghetto, the Viva's there have the fondest memories for me. This Viva was especially great because almost all of my friends that would go to Viva, did go to Viva. It was a great time. I will do my best at remembering all of the fun through photos. I am also going to pick apart my outfits and hair, mostly for myself.

Dinner at Firefly. It was Hawaiian themed for the OG's (Original Girls-Tina, Tara, Holly).

My blue Hawaiian dress cost me $25 on Ebay, back when one could still buy Hawaiians for that price. Its a no label dress but I love it.

My hair-I was still wearing my bangs down at this point, but was straying away from baby bangs.

Albuquerque is represented well here, along with a few Denver and Vegas people.

Downstairs in the Showroom, my favorite room.

More Hawaiians. I would like to also point out that both T's are wearing my jewelry :-)

I don't remember how much I paid for my navy sarong dress or where I got it. It is a Kamehameha.

Blurry photo of us strolling. I rarely ever stroll anymore, and only when I am super drunk.

E was in a foul mood all weekend so we tickled him to make him smile.

Shots and chips and salsa. Sometimes Tina has a good idea.

Booty dancing...

and booty grabbing...

...and more booty grabbing.

Besties.

Tina, Tara, Beth, and me.

Seth got drunk too.

And he apparently found the chips and salsa.

We made our own pool party at the Gold Coast.

I have not worn this outfit since this Viva. I think I will dust it off for Viva 16. I do remember the skirt being quite tight, so hopefully it still fits!

This is one of my favorite photos. The graininess of it gives a real vintage look.

My black bathing suit I found at a thrift store. The crochet cover I got from Buffalo Exchange.

I like my hair better here. I always look better with it down.

Double fisting, Viva style-Beer and ice cream.

Dancing Lindy at Viva may get you dirty looks, but strolls are the best tempo for them!

This is one of my favorite vintage dresses. I got it on Ebay.

I just love this picture. Tina cracks me up.

Seth and Tara dancing jive.

Seth, Chris and Kris.

Chris is the first person I ever danced with. It must've looked funny because he is about a foot taller than me!

Dancing with e is always a pleasure.

Jiving with Seth.

At the car show with Beth.

Helping Tina out of her dress. Thats what friends are for!

Also, I am wearing the bulk of my bakelite here. I literally had like 4 bangles.

Photo shoot.

The OG's getting frisky.

Dancing with Dezi, in one of my favorite dresses. I got it from Boss vintage in Denver.

I didn't get the polka dot memo.

This is my Fred Perlberg dress that I love.

Besties on sunday. I do believe I gave Tara that purple Kamehameha. I found it at Buffalo Exchange for like $10 and it just did not flatter me! The waist was too long. With the going rate of Hawaiians these days maybe I should've kept it...

Ok, now I am really in the mood for Viva!! Are you???? Who all is going???

Vintage Twins-Hawaiian Dress

2013-01-14T21:59:00.002-08:00

I always love it when I see vintage items for sale on Etsy or Ebay that are very similar to something I own. I stumbled upon this little beauty today:

$165 Here

I bought a very similar dress in San Francisco a few years ago. I bought it at a flea market and I haggled the guy down to $40.

Here is my version:

(It looks better on.)

Almost identical, except for the halter straps, gathered bust and the pocket. I gotta admit...I'm jealous of that pocket. Its super cute! And I wish mine were a halter as my one complaint with the dress is that the straps are a big on me.

Even though the one for $165 is a bit nicer than my version, for $40 I'm not complaining!!

White Shelf Re-do

2013-01-10T18:35:00.001-08:00

I inherited a plain white bookshelf from my office about 2 weeks ago. I knew I wanted to jazz it up to use as storage in my dressing room. I didn't feel like painting it though.

Not the actual bookcase. I forgot to take a picture before I started putting the contact paper on it.

My idea was to get pretty contact paper to cover the shelves. I went looking for said paper and found a great variety at Marshalls.

They had a bunch of different colored geometric prints. 2 rolls for $5.99. I can handle that! I decided to buy the blue zig zag and black honeycomb.

The blue zig zag went on the backing of the bookcase.

The black honeycomb covered the shelves.

Voila!!

Now it is the perfect display case for my Bakelite bangles, lucite purses, and jewelry box.

I also added all my perfume bottles on the new vanity mirror I got at the swap meet.

On the bottom row I have a bin of scarves and more purses. In the future I hope to fill that space up with more lucite purses :-)

My bakelite bangles.

My packed jewelry box.

This is just the first part of my dressing room redo. Right now I have an old futon, boxes of vintage clothes, and my steamer crowded in there. I am waiting to pick up a vintage 40s corner hutch my friend Monica is giving me. It will be redone as well, and will be used to hold the rest of my stuff. I would like to put my vanity in there but I have to save some room for guests when they stay over.

Resolutions For the New Year

2013-01-08T20:23:00.002-08:00

I'm not normally a resolutions sort of girl. I tend to just go with the flow in most aspects of my life. I am trying to be a bit more goal orientated though, as I feel most successes come from working towards them. I made a few last year that I actually achieved (get a better job; buy a car) so I thought I would do the same this year. These are all small things, really, that added up will help improve my life.

Do my hair more.

I have gotten incredibly lazy with my hair lately. I really only curl it when I know I am going to a show. Otherwise, it is just left straight or tucked up under a scarf. My goal for this year is to be more consistent with setting it. I have not gotten off to a good start though, because I have been sick for the first part of this year and haven't done a thing with it!! Thats ok though. I can still work on it. It needs to be trimmed a bit, but my bangs need to grow out more. Once my bangs do get longer I can try some more styles with them too, as I keep falling back on two styles currently. I did try my first ever pincurl set (blog post soon) which I plan on doing more often.

I just realized that I feel better about myself when my hair is done, so why wouldn't I want to take that extra time each day for myself? Plus, I thinks its fun.

I want to try this style.

Dance more.

I have fallen into quite the lull as far as my dancing is concerned. I used to dance quite a bit in Denver, but since moving have fallen out of habit. I only dance at Fernando's shows; never going out to any of the swing nights here. This is mainly due to 2 reasons: money and time. I am pretty strapped financially and swing nights aren't cheap. Also, I work quite a bit so by the time I am off I am pooped. I need to make it a priority though. I love dancing and there are some great leads here. Also, its great exercise!

Get my mending pile fixed/shop my closet.

This years Viva is going to be a tight one so I will have to dig into the depths of my closet for inspiration. I have a huge bag of things that need to be mended, either by me or professionally. There are plenty of things in there for me to wear to Viva. Also, I want to pull out items from my closet that I haven't worn in quite some time. I have shoes, dresses, halter tops, and shorts that I haven't worn once!! I also have many things I have worn very little, that would be perfect for Viva.

This goal isn't just for Viva, mind you. I tend to wear the same things over and over in my daily life. I want to be more creative and wear more of my wardrobe. Also, if I get all that stuff mended I will have a plethora of great everyday items!!

Go back to Denver

I left Denver in quite the rush and in my hurry I left behind about half of my belongings. My best friend Beth was kind enough to let me store them at her home. My plan was to return to Denver within the year to get them. That hasn't happened yet, mostly for financial reasons. I miss my stuff and desperately want them back so my goal is to go get them this summer. It will be a pain in the butt to do, but I have a ton of vintage goodies stored away that belong in my home; not in Beth's shed.

More than that though I really want to visit my Denver friends and the place I called home for 6 years. I miss it sometimes (never thought I would say that!) and I want to show Fernando some of my favorite haunts. I also want to eat, as my favorite Cuban and Thai restaurants are there, as well as the best cupcake place on earth!

Eat less salt/cut out soda

I never noticed how much salt I consume before Fernando (incessantly) pointed it out to me. I love flavor and tend to go overboard a bit. I also heard a program on NPR about Americans love of salt and how unhealthy it is. I decided that I would not add salt to any of my meals. I am not going to cut out salt completely, as it is still used in cooking, but I will just not add any afterwards. So far this has been difficult but I have been doing a good job. Hopefully I can get to where I don't even notice it anymore!

Both Fernando and I are also cutting out soda. We got in the habit of drinking it; so much so that we would just buy one even if we weren't craving it. He wants to lose some weight and cutting soda is a great way to do that. I just hate drinking it, as it is unnecessary calories. I have gained a bit weight on my hips (like always) and would like to shed a few pounds as well.

Bile beans. Yum!!

Blog More

I fell off the blogging wagon quite a bit last year. Due to a lot of the above I did not feel I had anything interesting to write about. Even when I had ideas I often got too lazy to actually write the post. Bad Holly!! My goal for this year is to be way more consistent. Even if I'm not going to shows or shopping I can still blog about lots of other things. I have requests for tutorials, which I am working on. I plan on doing some Viva posts and also a giveaway when I get to 600 followers. One thing I know I need to do is carry my camera with me more to document shows and events. I also need to remember to take outfit and hair photos, as I enjoy sharing those with you guys.

Your feedback is always welcome! If there are any posts you would like to see from me please leave me a comment. It might not happen right away (due to aforementioned laziness) but I will do my best to do them.
So please, comment away!! I would also like to know what your resolutions are for the new year as well!

Swap Meet Finds

2013-01-06T16:36:00.000-08:00

Today Fernando and I went to the Kolbey Swap Meet here in San Diego. We go there occasionally and I usually only buy fruit, but today I found some goodies.

Raffia and bamboo purse.

Vintage vanity mirror.

Vintage clip earrings.

Wives With Beehives-My Opinion

2013-01-02T14:36:00.000-08:00

I wasn't sure I wanted to post anything about this show. Dollie is my friend so I figured I'd just let her deal with it. I decided though to give my opinion about the whole flawed premise of the show because it has a lot to do with what my entire blog is about. Plus, a lot of people now have screwed up opinions about what our scene is all about so I though I would just give my opinion on why I am a part of it.

Living in SoCal I heard about this show quite a lot over the summer. Most of the people at the pool party are friends of mine and of course I heard about it from Dollie. I will be honest, I was not a supporter of it from the get go. I was aware of Time Warp Wives that was shown in the UK (see it here) and I knew the drama surrounding it. I had a feeling that the same editing would be done to the American version. More than anything I was scared that they would make my friends (and our 'scene') look silly. As shooting progressed I heard grumblings from Dollie and Amber, among others, so by the time the show aired I already had a lot of misgivings. There were already negative articles and Facebook posts about the show even before it aired so I had a feeling it was going to be worse than I thought. Fernando and I settled in to watch it however, and I tried to have an open mind.

My Opinion:

The name is awful. Beehives are 60s. The dialogue was super campy and it was obvious that the set up of the show was only about being a 50s housewife and nothing else. If they would've just kept with that it would have been fine; tongue in cheek and kitschy. However, it was very obvious that the editors were trying hard to set up a rivalry between Shelby and Dollie. In the end it turned into a well mannered version of The Bad Girls Club.

I do not know if Shelby and Dollie really don't like each other and honestly I don't care. Sometimes people don't like each other. Big deal! I do know that if the camera had been on me, and I had been upset like Dollie was, I would've come across as a catty bitch as well. I am a venter and I also have a tendency to speak my mind. If taken out of context or edited together, it could definitely seem as if I were saying things I didn't. I have read Dollies post on the matter and I have to take her at her word. I have no reason to not believe her. I feel bad that people are saying such mean things to her and are even telling her to kill herself (for fucks sake!!). The real enemy here are the editors of the show who decided from the get go how this 'reality' show should play out.

They have displayed so many falsehoods that I feel I need to clear them up.

1-Every 50s loving gal wants to be a housewife.

Fuck you. Excuse my language, but seriously??? I have zero interest in being a housewife. I will not 'serve' my man (sorry Fernando). He is a big boy and can take care of himself. We share everything--the bills, the chores. We both work ( a lot) and I rarely cook for him. Plus, this show only focused on how these women want to be a 'house wife' and not a 'stay at home mom'. I have absolutely nothing against women (or men, as my brother in law is a stay at home dad) who decide to take on the role of 'stay at home parent'. It is not easy and it is quite noble to decide to put your children first, staying home with them to raise them instead of sending them off to daycare. But not many people can do that and most of those that I know who do are also doing other things for themselves. James has his own business, Tara is going to school, and Emma is becoming a personal trainer. It is not about giving up yourself to serve your partner. It is about putting your family first, while also doing things to better yourself as an individual. The show barely talked about Leslie's daughter and didn't touch on if the ladies had jobs at all. In fact, it never mentioned that all of these women have careers and hobbies. Why not mention Dollie's blog, or Amber's band or Shelby's clothing line or Leslie's job? Because that wouldn't be very authentic, would it?

Shelby's clothing line Loveland & Sea

2-The scene is very white-centric.

I'm sorry, but if you live in CA or you've ever gone to Viva you will know that the majority of this scene are Mexican, Spanish and Japanese. Also, a large majority of us worship black music. I would not be in this scene if it weren't for that because I am just not a big fan of hillbilly stuff. Give me R&B, Doo Wop and Soul and I'm a happy gal!

3-We want to live in the past.

My blog description has always been 'a rockabilly girl living in a modern world' and I state plainly that I have zero interest in living in the past. The 50s were not a good time for anyone who was not a white male. As an outspoken Liberal woman I would not last long in that era. I am a fierce supporter of gay, civil and womens rights. I am anti-religion and haven't dated within my race for years. I am covered in tattoos and I don't give a shit if anyone thinks they are appropriate or not. I am also 34, unmarried with no kids, and living in sin with my not yet divorced boyfriend. Plainly put, I would not have lasted long in the 50s being the woman that I am.

4-We like the 50s because of the morals and family values.

Please. I like the 50s for the music, dancing, the rebellious attitudes, the fabulous clothes and furnishings, the hair and makeup and the beginnings of a truly free society in America. I get enough Christian based morals/family values in politics. I don't need it in the rest of my life. Please refer to #3 if you have any further questions on that.

5-50s lovers are materialistic.

Yes, we like the 50s for the style. The design of things was so much better than it is now. Its not materialism. Its pride in ownership. I bought that. I worked hard for it and I love it so I am not just going to throw it out for something better. Our whole modern culture is a 'throw away society' and why is it wrong to think differently? By not shopping at Wal Mart for our items we are not supporting sweat shops. By buying and using vintage we are not adding to the landfill. If anything we are helping the planet by not being so wasteful.

In summary:

This show missed the mark and I pray that it doesn't get picked up for a series. It did not represent the rockabilly scene correctly (and for those of you that have a problem with the words 'scene' or 'rockabilly', get over it. Call it whatever you want). It did not show these women for who they are. They are all independent, successful women who also believe in marriage and family. They believe in living life in style and taking pride in themselves and not going the way of Honey Boo Boo. Of not losing their identity and standing out in a world where that is not ok. I wish the editors would have focused on that. Instead, they took the modern approach and, like everything else, just threw it away.

So...what do you think???

The Best (and Worst) of 2012

2013-01-01T15:31:00.004-08:00

I don't think I've ever looked back on a year and thought 'man that was a great year!! I'm so sad to see it end.' I am usually so exhausted from the holiday season that I am ready for a new start. 2012 was no exception. I am tired and sick and so glad for a new beginning.

2012 was tough, but not all bad. There was a lot of drama (refer to 'the worst of' below) but there was also a lot of good. I achieved some goals, like getting a better job and buying my car, and failed at other goals, like visiting Denver and paying off debts. I did not have as much fun this year due mostly to being broke and working a lot. I feel like I just couldn't let go and have fun because I was stressed about money. This also effected my blog in that I didn't go out as much or shop so I felt like I didn't have a lot to post about.

All of that being said I thought I would take a moment to celebrate the good things of this past year, and also make not of a few of the bad.

1-Best Vintage Purchase/Most Worn:

Vintage blue chambray shorts

I bought these from my friend Deanna and I am so glad I did!! I wore them constantly during the summer. They go with just about anything.

2-Best Vintage Winter Item:

Blue 49er.

This is my favorite 49er. The fit is great and it keeps me warm.

3-Best Vintage Summer Item:

Mexican novelty skirt.

This vintage sombrero skirt was meant to be mine.

4-Best Vintage Extravagant Item:

Deadstock Hoaloha sarong dress.

I love sarong dresses and I was so excited to add another red one to my collection. This one was $99, which is quite a steal IMO. I will definitely be wearing this gem in Vegas.

5-Best Vintage Score:

Thrifted Bakelite bangles.

Three carved bakelite bangles found at a thrift store for only $8 is definitely a score. I especially love the yellow honeycomb one and I wear it often.

6-Best Non-Vintage Purchase:

Miss L Fire Wedges.

I adore Miss L Fire shoes and these are my favorite pair I own. The rick rack trim gets me every time!

7-Best Purchase Period:

2009 Chevy Cobalt

I love my car. Its red, small and fast. Basically its perfect.

8-Best Live Show:

Viva Las Vegas 15

This Viva was a lot of fun with a lot of great bands: JD McPherson, Si Cranstoun, Jack Baymore just to name a few. Even though I lost my camera and the Jive contest was awful (the booing, not the dancers), I got to hang out with besties Emma and Beth, the latter of which surprised me with her presence. It was a great time. My plan for next year is to make sure I make it to the pool party. The line to get in always bums me out.

9-Best Comic Moment:

Dropping my vintage compact in the toilet at the Queen Mary.

This also goes down as my favorite blog post of 2012. I regret not taking pictures of my beloved compacts demise, but I was too horrified to think of grabbing my camera. Hopefully I described it vividly enough for you in the post. Oh, and I still have not used my compact since then.

10-Best Time at a Party:

Zack and Dollies Rockabilly Prom.

This was Zack and Dollie's wedding reception and it was seriously a riot of a time. Nicole got trashed, which is a real rarity for her, and we all got a little crazy. It was a ton of fun and more than anything I was happy to share in their special day.

Now onto the worst of 2012.

1-Worst Purchase:

60s home made sarong dress.

This did not fit at all. The boning was weird and bagged on me. I sold it on Ebay.

2-Worst Vintage Death:

Confetti lucite purse.

In a freak Tiki accident my beloved lucite purse met its demise when it, along with my mojito, got knocked to the floor. Actually, the mojito got spilled all over me and the only part broken on my purse was the handle. So I guess its only injured. Pretty sure I can fix it with glue and I will post about it when I do.

3-Best Thing That Didn't Happen:

The end of the world.

Am I the only one that was slightly disappointed that the Mayans were wrong??? I mean, I didn't want the world to end, don't get me wrong. I just wanted the Mayans to be so awesome that they could rightly predict the end of the world.

4-Worst Moment of 2012:

Losing my lil love bug.

Hands down the passing of my feline soul mate, Calvin Wayne, was the worst moment of 2012. Cal was 16 years old and went into kidney failure and I had to put him to sleep right before my birthday. I held him in my arms when he passed. It was the hardest thing I ever did and I still can't think about it without crying.

5-Worst Person of 2012:

Fernando's ex wife.

I haven't said much about her on here (even though she left some snarky comments on a post along with her name, thank you!) and I won't now. She is one of the few people on this planet that I can literally say nothing good about. So I just won't say anything at all.

So there you go. Those were best and worst of 2012 for me. What were some of yours??

It's a Gift-a 49'er!

2012-12-20T14:53:00.001-08:00

First, I would like to say that last week was quite a somber one due to the horrible shooting in Connecticut. Even though I knew my family was ok (my sister and her kids live 20 minutes away) I was saddened for those kids and their families. I won't get into it too much on here but I wanted to say something about it. Hopefully something like that never happens again.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

Even though it doesn't get nearly as cold here as it did in Denver we do have winter. It's just more in line with what I was used to living in New Mexico. I'm thankful that I don't have to experience snow and below zero temperatures anymore!! So even though I no longer need the heavier stuff, I still bundle up. I am a notoriously cold person (in temp, not heart) so I feel like I am always dressed in sweaters. In an effort to broaden my winter wardrobe I have developed a mild obsession with 49er jackets.

It's a gift...a 49'er

Pendleton starting making these jackets in 1949 (hence the name) and actually still make them. They have such a fabulously casual yet stylish look about them that they have become quite the collectors item. Finding them in my size, however, is a bit of a challenge. Usually I have a problem with the sleeves being too long. I would own an adorable pink one if my arms had been longer. Instead my friend Kat owns it. Oh well.

Here are the 49ers I do own:

I wore this to work yesterday. My coworker is always saying how I remind me of old photos of her mom in the 50s. This one is blue with cream and orange. It fits me quite nicely so I wear it often. I love the buttons on it!

This was my first 49'er. It is red and green and just a bit too big. I don't care though. I love the shell buttons and red and green are my favorite colors!

I always style my 49'ers with dungarees and a head scarf. I'm not very creative I guess as all the old adds feature them with pencil skirts.

This is my most recent acquisition that I haven't even received in the mail yet. I am completely in love with the lilac color!!

It is newer I believe. The add says 60s but I am not sure. I may see about changing out the buttons if I can find ones similar to those on my blue one. I just love those!

It is a Young Pendleton so hopefully it fits well. It looks soft and comfy and I can't wait to wear it!!

So ladies...how many 49'ers do you own? In what colors???

Holiday Sweaters

2012-12-04T13:28:00.000-08:00

For most people, when they hear the term 'Holiday Sweater' or 'Christmas Sweater' they think of tacky, 80s mom sweaters and properly themed parties to go with. For me, I think of all the fabulous knit varieties from the 40s and 50s. I've tried to collect these through the last couple years but they are hard to come by. When I do find them they are also usually a bigger size so I have been looking around for modern knock offs.

I was in Forever 21 yesterday and found a cardigan that has the look and feel of the vintage ones I love so I picked it up:

$22

Love the reindeer!! They have it in red online as well, which I am really tempted to buy.

This is my one and only 'vintage' one:

Its actually from the 70s or 80s but I really like it.

Here are a few from around the web that I covet:

Here's a picture of a his and her's matching set:

Fernando would never wear this sweater, ear muffs and mittens set! I'd rock the sweater if it weren't a turtle neck. Plus, I love her heart shaped belt!!

Here's an adorable red reindeer print:

I'm not sure who this lovely model is. I found this picture on Pinterest. This image is what inspired my search for the reindeer print cardigan from Forever 21.

Here's an almost identical one that just sold on Ebay:

It sold for $52. Not bad and I'm quite jealous I was not the winner!

Here's one that is currently for sale on Ebay:

Love that the snow looks like flames!

Find it here for $99.