Outfit of the Day--Hey Sailor!

I had lunch with my mother, sister, and nephew today, and this is what I wore.

Wrap blouse made by me from a 1945 pattern using 1940s nautical print seersucker
Red gab 1940s-style trousers by Vivien of Holloway
Red patent Betseyville Aisha shoes
Red patent 40s-50s style purse by Hobo International
WWII jointed celluloid sailor brooch
1940s carved red Bakelite button earrings
Cream gardenia and red berry hair flower by My Sweet Corazon

Moppin' Up Soda Pop Rickies...

A soda jerk making a sweet treat sometime in the 1940s

One of my favorite places in Arizona is the vintage soda fountain MacAlpine's. This drugstore fountain was built in 1928, and when the pharmacy closed in 1992, it began a new career as a restaurant and fountain. I first discovered MacAlpine's when I attended a swing dance there several years ago, and I, like so many others, was immediately won over by its charm. I even work there a few times a month because I love the place so much! It's always fun to meet people who frequented the fountain in their youth, or worked there as a teen. I once met a man who worked there when he was 16--in 1942.

Photographed for a review of MacAlpine's

MacAlpine's is the place to stop if you are ever in Phoenix; the food is great and they offer plenty of fountain classics, like egg creams, phosphates, and milkshakes made on an original 1940s mixer. There is also a wonderful store to shop at it, with clothing, furniture, and vintage knick-knacks galore. It's definitely a hidden gem, and a wonderful part of the Arizona's history!

MacAlpine's as it looked in the 1930s

MacAlpine's Today

Rockabilly Rules

Yesterday's Rockabilly Rules was a huge success! The venue was packed from start to finish, and the crowd certainly enjoyed the bands and burlesque show. I'm not sure what the final tally is yet, but I think the Pinup Angels are going to be able to send a lot of care packages to our troops!

I wore a cheesecake version of the Marines dress blues; the talented V Vintage made my outfit based on a WWII photo. I was thrilled with how it turned out and I was the only "Marine" in attendance :-)

Matilda's Closet provided the hat, and I wore a pair of navy blue 40s platforms and a pair of 40s red celluloid and rhinestone earrings from my collection. Lip Ink Red lipstick was the finishing touch!

Here's a few teaser photos from the event; more to follow soon!

Able Grable Competition

Able Grable has a new house model, and she needs a name! If you think you have the perfect name for the latest gal to join the ranks of Able Grable, leave a comment here. The winner will receive £20 discount on the Miss Scarlett Street Blouse--you can't pass up a deal like that! So hurry on over and enter today; I'm looking forward to reading everyone's entries :-)

Outfit of the Day

It's a little late in the day now, but this is what I wore today :-)

Able Grable's Scarlet Street Blouse in Black
Trashy Diva Bustle Skirt in the now-discontinued black and white bow print on blue
Two Lips Heels
1940s Burgundy Button and Bow Brooch and Earring Set

The Peek-a-boo 'Do

I recently had the opportunity to write for the all-things-vintage Web site Queens of Vintage, and my first article covers one of my favorite 1940s hairstyles--The Peek-a-boo 'Do, as I like to call it. It's inspired by Betty Grable's famous updo, and as I've received many questions about how to create such an updo, I've written a tutorial to show you how I do it.

Check it out here--I hope you enjoy it!

Vintage Earrings Giveaway

The delightful Glamorous Housewife of the fabulous blog Tales of a Retro Modern Housewife, is doing a giveaway to celebrate her 50th follower and 100th post. She's offering up this pretty pair of earrings--be sure to stop by her blog to enter!

Spotlight on Style--My Sweet Corazon

A few months ago I had the opportunity to model two hair flowers by My Sweet Corazon, and what a pleasure that was! The two flowers I modeled--a cream gardenia and red berry cluster and a dramatic pink tropical clip--were absolutely gorgeous. My Sweet Corazon uses top quality flowers and takes great care with attention to the every little detail--these are showstoppers, for sure! I definitely recommend them to any gal looking to add a little glamour to her hairstyle :-)






Outfit Details
Gingham Blouse with Eyelet Collar--Bebe
1940s Black Wool Pencil Skirt--Matilda's Closet
Narrow Black Patent Belt--Bebe
Fully Fashioned Stockings--Christel's
Black Patent Shoes--TwoLips
1940s Bakelite Cherry and Log Brooch and Earrings--eBay

Hawaiian Sarong in Blue and Pink Hummingbird and Floral Print--Whirling Turban
Stockings--Christel's
1940s Cream Linen Peeptoe Slingbacks--eBay
1940s Pink and Yellow Flower Earrings--Purchased at the Reading WWII Weekend ages ago

The G.I. Jive

Photo by Vestige Photography

Mark you calendars--there will be a rockabilly benefit for the troops at the Rhythm Room on August 22nd! Bands and pinups are donating their time and talents in support of the troops; I'll be making an appearance in full military cheesecake splendor! Signed 8x10s will be for sale (donated by Doug Monce of Atomic Age Pictures) and all proceeds go to the Pinup Angels, a group that puts together care packages for the troops. My Sweetie and his band, The Heymakers, will be performing, along with several other rockin' bands. This is gonna be an event you won't want to miss!



Photo by Clear Light Studio


Photo by JD Boswell


Photo by Vestige Photography


Photo by Josh Curtis


Photo by Al Parker


Photo by Hardwood Pinups

The Lady Eve

Inspired by a smoldering photo of Jane Russell, these pics are from my most recent shoot. I'm wearing a muslin peasant blouse made from a 1940s pattern, a 1940s-50s lime green and yellow mexican print skirt purchased from Matilda's Closet, a 1950s cinch belt, 1950s black leather baby doll heels, and stockings from Christel's. I hope you like these as much as I do!

Cinderella Calling…

Ah, the collecting of vintage shoes—the source of such joy and heartbreak. We all have felt the twinge of disappointment when come across the ultimate pair, but they turn out to not be our size. Or the pair we were outbid on, or that ended up not fitting when it arrived in the post. And what about the pair that you loved so much you wore it until it disintegrated?

I am sure we all have a personal shoe wish list; I know I do! If I could conjure up the perfect shoes, these would definitely be on the list (and how!)

I’d surely need a pair of these


And would always find room for these


And I couldn’t leave out this pair


And to be honest, I think I’d need one of each of these!

Picture borrowed from this site

Now, if you had a magic wand and were able to create the perfect pair or two (or three or…) in just your size, what would they look like? And given the opportunity to buy such a pair, what price would you be willing to pay?

I’m looking forward to your replies; talking shoes is always great fun!

I've Heard That Song Before

A comment on my previous blog inspired me to write about vintage “repeats”. As a collector for many years, I have come across the same garment twice on a number of occasions—sometimes in a different color, and sometimes the exact same item. For example, I have seen this 1950s swing coat at least five times (I bought one years ago, and have seen the same style pop up in several other shops since then.) It was apparently a very popular coat!



This dress, a personal favorite of mine, is owned by another vintage-loving Arizona gal (the aforementioned commenter, who also had the same red shoes I just bought) in a slightly different color scheme:



I gave this exact skirt to a friend sometime ago—and here it is again!



I also have a late 40s suit jacket in navy gab—and saw the same jacket, complete with skirt and in tan gab, at my friend’s shop. And I’ve seen other items—dresses, blouses, and so forth, crop up here and again as well. I find it interesting, and a little exciting too (Hey! I have that same dress!) And when a favorite vintage piece has seen its day, I’d certainly love to find its twin so that I can wear it again.

So, my fellow vintage lovers, what “repeats” have you seen, and what do you think when you see an item in your own collection turn up elsewhere too?

Too many shoes? Impossible!

I found these shoes at my favorite shop, Matilda's Vintage Closet, yesterday. Lipstick red linen 1940s platforms are hard to resist, you see, and these lovelies will get lots of wear I think!

Gonna take a sentimental journey...

I’m wearing one of my favorite 1940s dresses—desert print barkcloth with a matching bolero and belt. 1940s leather wedges, a 1940s purse, and 1940s-50s silver and bakelite "tiki god" earrings complete this outfit.

To celebrate my Sweetie's birthday and our anniversary, we decided to take a trip to Bisbee and stay at The Shady Dell. We've been talking about taking such a trip for ages, and decided we just couldn't wait any longer!

The Shady Dell is a vintage trailer park made up of aluminum trailers dating to the 1940s and 50s, plus a 1947 bus and a 1938 boat. Each has been beautifully restored and is chock full of droolworthy period details. The owners have truly gone the extra mile, piping in vintage music that you can listen to on reproduction radios provided in each trailer (when we arrived they had the radio on, making for an almost surreal experience), and providing classic movies that you can play on vintage TVs (they tucked a DVD player behind a curtain on our TV stand.) We rented the Royal Mansion, and the overall experience was a royal treat for sure! This 33' trailer was built in 1951, and was surely the height of luxury for travelers then (and now too!)

We left town Sunday morning, and stopped in Tombstone on the way down, as neither of us had ever been there. We made sure to check out Boothill Graveyard~





and tooled around town after that. Supposedly, Wyatt Earp lived in this house~


The Tombstone courthouse was quite interesting~


I really liked these lights~


We took in the sights on main street~




We then headed to Bisbee, and arrived just in time to take the last Queen Mine tour of day~


I really rocked the safety gear, as you can see. The tour guide liked our attire and gave us vintage helmets to match.


After the tour, we checked into our trailer, which was too wonderful for words. It had a small living room~


Decked out with vintage pieces galore. Seriously, check out this TV!


and an adorable kitchenette~


Complete with the original fridge~

I couldn't resist taking a photo of the Venus de Milo salt and pepper shakers. Take a wild guess as to where the salt and pepper comes out.



And a cute little bedroom~


Our trailer had a bathroom as well, though the showers are located in a seperate building.

After we oohed and ahhed for awhile, we headed into town for dinner and to see some sights. Bisbee reminded us of San Francisco; it is built into the hillside and there are plenty of old homes and buildings to admire.

We ate dinner at a restaurant inside this deco building


Many of the shops had quaint and interesting signage~



This blue door made for a brilliantly colored backdrop~

For the trip down, I wore a vintage embroidered peasant blouse, 1950s cuffed jeans, a 50s red tooled leather belt, red Remix wedges and lucite reverse carved peach rose earrings.

I call this one "Looking for trouble".


I was way too impressed with this giant century plant~


We had breakfast the next morning at Dot's Diner. This dining car was built in the 1950s by the Valentine company, and lived at the corner of Ventura and Topanga Canyon Blvd in Los Angeles until 1996.


And then it was time to say goodbye to The Shady Dell.


We checked out a few antique stores before heading to Tucson. While there, we met up with a sweet friend of mine, Syd, and her husband for an early dinner. They took us around to a few vintage shops (I snagged a gorgeous embroidered 1940s-50s skirt and a pair of sunglasses thanks to her help) and then gave us a tour of their lovely 1942 home that they are in the process of restoring. It was lots of fun hanging out them and we hope to see them again soon!

As you can see, we had a whirlwind vacation! We’re already talking about when we can visit again ;-)