A picture-perfect weekend

Unfortunately, I don't have any photos to show exactly how picture-perfect my Saturday was, so this promotional shot from the show Pushing Daisies will have to do. An adorable gal from Kiss Me, Kate and I took Saturday to have a picnic in a local park. We had everything for a picnic, bar the  basket. Our blanket was spread out in a sea of daisies right by a playground.

While watching the numerous children play, we ate pb&j sandwiches on yellow plates, had juicy and exotic fruits, drank sun tea from my new iced tea jug, and had much too much fun with melted ice pops. I brought my cribbage board along, but with such a gorgeous day and many distractions, we didn't even get halfway through they game.

Looking ever the young ladies we are, we were both in spring-ish dresses (or in my case, a long skirt worn belted with my new crinoline) and got the cutest comment from a little charmer. As he was speaking to his father, we overheard the little boy say, "Those girls look like they're in a movie!" Gee whiz -  that little chap sure knows how to flatter a girl!

Other tasks were accomplished on Sunday, including mending a new dress that I acquired on Friday that was a little long in the bodice. I also finally made an ill-fitting half slip a wearable straight slip by attaching darling little straps of ribbon and lace.

Now, it's back to another week of schoolwork and theater work. I do, however, have something very exciting to look forward to next weekend... Mom's Weekend! All of the mothers of OSU students are invited up to spend some time with their college-aged kiddies. I'm planning to see many an antique and thrift shop and a trip to the Architectural Salvage in Philomath. Let's cross our fingers that my mom will be giddy with that particular destination!

Spring is in the air!

It may be a little bit premature to  proclaim my love of the start of spring weather (as Oregon has a nasty little habit of mid-spring hailstorms) but it's how I feel nonetheless. As most of my blogs seem to start, I must apologize for the absence. My life has been two things as of late: Busy and boring.

As soon as spring break ended for my university I found myself spending more time in the library than any first weeks prior to this term. In addition, after a weeklong break from Kiss Me, Kate the cast was lagging a little, especially in the dance sequences. Outside of the theater, my term is filled with accounting, macroeconomics, media writing, and retail buying classes. As a studious college girl, responsible cast member and choreographer's assistant, I threw myself into my real life, completely forgetting about my online life. Only after I caught up reading blogs that I had neglected to check for the past few weeks, did I feel like writing again.

I regret this, but I have not been wearing vintage all that frequently lately. I shall blame the weather and my constant running between my room, the library, and the theater. However I must confess, dear readers, that I've also been bit by the lazy bug. Having piles of washing, mending, homework, and books to sell can do that to a person. But fear no more, for I am back and as fresh faced and ready to return to the interwebs as ever!

After quite a drought of good shopping trips this past winter, I am glad to report that my last few shopping attempts have treated me well. I've added five dresses, a shorter length crinoline, navy pumps, a purple hat, and a babydoll nightgown to my clothing collection in the past few weeks! In non-vintage buying, my mom treated me to new black and white cardigans which I have been wearing all the time! And then, there are the things. I try to keep my collection of "things" to a minimum because my storage space in my world is minimal at the moment. Still, I could not pass up mini-muffin pans for $3 apiece. Likewise, a jewelry holder for traveling, a dress pattern, and a card of snap fasteners, the book The World with a Fence begged to be taken home as did a red-handled biscuit cutter (which I have needed for some time).

After all of my previous indecision, my hair is brown again. It really was a fluke, because the result was much darker than expected, but I've been told it suits me. Brown may suit me, but this monster that is residing atop my skull does not. Very high on my to-do list is to get my hair cut, but I'm not sure if I'm ready for a middy long cut, which is what I'd really like. Oh decisions, you must wait until another day.

In the meantime, I'll be dreaming of summer and relaxing in style like Ms. Charrise.

Raven or Auburn or Platinum... oh my!

I'm one of the most indecisive people you will meet.When I was younger, I swore that pink was the worst color ever to be invented. Now, I can't get enough of it! I switched my major from Environmental Science (aka: rooting around in the woods) to Merchandising Management (aka: being an aesthetics expert). And now, finally, the thing I haven't been able to keep from toying with for the past 6 years has come back to haunt me. Yes folks, I am talking about my innate need to change my haircolor.

I was happy enough as a child. Born a blonde, my hair had darkened to a light brown by the time I was finished with middle school. The summer before high school and a bottle of Sun-In left my long hair with some lighter brown and blond tones, but by sophmore year, I had to change again. I took my hair up to my shoulders and a dark blonde shade. I was happy for quite a while, but after a few months, it was time to go darker. A dark brown and some side bangs gave me a new outlook on life, not to mention they were a perfect contrast to my milky complexion. Senior year saw me wanted to change again. This time, it was a burgundy-red color and a shorter length that was way too hard to keep perfect. I went down a few shades to a brighter red, but knew that it wouldn't stay for long. After getting some of the color bleached out, I was a gorgeous strawberry blonde for my senior prom. I didn't do much with my hair that summer, because of the damage the bleaching did. But by the time I was about to move to attend college, I decided on an a-line bob, blunt bangs, and a deep brown shade. The bangs reminded me of elementary school, so I started growing the whole lot out and didn't dye for a while in an attempt to look more natural. This past summer, I was stricken with a fever to change my hair drastically and went a dark brown that might as well have been black. I was so happy, that color and I had a long and healthy relationship. Subsequently, when I started to see my romantic relationship tumble down, I decided that black and I were not meant to be. A weekend was spent stripping the dark out of my hair and getting to a natural auburn shade, which is where I am now.

I am now stuck. Where do I go from here? As of now, my hair looks ginger-peachy (does anyone get my pun, or have I just seen Meet Me In St. Louis too many times?). I had planned to go the whole nine yards and further lighten my hair over spring break in hopes of going platinum this summer. But I've begun looking at pictures of Dita Von Teese, and I feel like rekindling my romance with raven locks.

See my jam? Which of the colors do I choose? I know what Marilyn and Grace would say, but I've always been more of a Jane or a Bettie. Still, that iconic color captured best by Lucy and Rita gets me every time.

Starting to feel for one again.

I suppose the "his" in His Vintage Sweetheart is now only hypothetical. In the last weekend of February, I ended my relationship of two years. This post is very hard for me to write, but I believe it is a step in the healing process. I've only begun to see this as not a failure on my part, because I'd been trying for so long to make it work between us and it's only gotten worse in the last few months.

Hmm... We had our ups and we had our downs and in the end, I suppose life will go on. Now I'm sitting here, so much more alone than I normally am, just waiting to feel again. The worst thing about my relationship is that in the time we were together, I stopped feeling for myself and instead felt for him. When putting one's feelings ahead of your own, you must not lose yourself in the process, as I have done. It's time for me to climb out of this hole I've dug and learn to feel for one again.

A salute to girly underthings!

I can already see that this post is going to go from a little blurb to a full scale proclamation of love. I've been enthralled by lingerie since the tender age of 12 and my first viewing of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, a great movie that my mom still has on VHS. Anyhow, from the opening scene and "Twenty fans were Turning" to "Itty-Bitty Pissant Country Place" and finally "Hard Candy Christmas," all of the ladies are decked out in their best (80's) lingerie. Let's not discount the lovely Miss Mona (Dolly Parton) in all of her buxon blonde glory, too! Now, I'm not trying to scare anyone away by discussing bad lingerie, but giving a base to my thoughts. The 80's is a decade I try to pretend didn't happen, most of the time.

On to my actual topic: vintage lingerie! I started dabbling in underthings when I started seeking out slips and nightgowns last year. I have quite a little collection of those, now. Next came my corset. I wrote about my corset around Halloween, but not much after that. It's an authentic overbust, steel-boned corset (for tightlacing, not fashion) that resides in my room at home since I can't find a place for it here at school. Upon finding my peach pegnoir set in November, I was really ready to admit that I was loving the girly things and underthings of my favorite eras. In December, I bought a bunch of 50's stockings from a lovely woman on craigslist. I was super nervous that they would be in horrible condition, but they were beautiful! Since then, I've had them sitting in my drawer just waiting to be worn. What's a girl to do without a suspender belt? I'll tell you: She waits and thinks and waits and waits a little longer. Soon, she goes stir crazy and takes a leap of faith and orders a couple of little underthings to keep up her stockings!

Yes, I hate internet shopping, but I took the plunge and ordered two different styles from the same site I found my corset, Orchard Corset. I was so pleased with their prompt delivery and quality workmanship from my first experience, I was happy to go back. They arrived just 3 days after I ordered and I couldn't have been more pleased, although I'd really like to be able to get the clasps all done up more quickly! Once it gets just a little warmer here, be on the lookout for my legs to finally be ladylike and covered and all that jazz!

From this...

To this!