My Grandmother

I spent a wonderful time in Ohio visiting with my family.  I had to share these pictures of my grandmother which she graciously let me make copies of.  Presenting: Carol Arter.

Carol and Tom Arter, 1951

Tom and Carol Arter, 1951 (?)

Carol Arter, c. 1950

Carol and Tom Arter, on their honeymoon, 1950

My grandmother is gorgeous!  I have many, many more pictures of her, but these are some of my favorites.  I would love to have her sense of poise and polish, not to mention her clothes!  And my grandfather is quite the looker too, no?

In Ohio...

...on vacation, hanging with my family!  So probably no posts for a little while until I get back.

Outfit Snap!

I seriously love my new digital camera!  The pictures I can take are soooo much better than the one on my cell phone which is what most of my images have been taken on!

My shirt is an awesome thrift store find, this time the St. Mary's Auxiliary Thrift Store (St. Mary's and Silverbell).  I usually scour the men's section for small sized western shirts and I snagged this one for $4.  Red is one of my favorite colors and I love the handkerchief print and pearl snaps!  Western shirts were popular from the early 1930s thru to the late 1950s so I have a few in my closet just to get a bit of that pin up feel along with making my inner cowgirl happy!  The red rose in my hair is a barrette of my own creation.  The earrings were found discounted after Halloween at a Walmart years ago and they feel so Southwest, Dia de los Muertos that I bust them out all year 'round.  Makeup: eyebrow pencil is Wet 'n Wild, Mascara is by Rimmel, lipstick is Rimmel "Red Alert".

The Fashion of Frankenstein

I've been watching some vintage horror films the last few nights and some of the costumes in Frankstein (1931) with Boris Karloff were so incredible I had to share them here.  The lovely actress is Mae Clarke in the role of Elizabeth, Henry Frankenstein's fiance.  This post is fairly picture intensive, so be patient.

Elizabeth's all-lace dress fits her like a glove, and the scalloping around the sleeves and bottom hem of the blouse is just exquisite.  The 1930s still had that slim silhouette that was so predominant in the 1920s but the waist of her dress emphasizes her curves beautifully.  I love her triple strand pearl necklace and drop earrings, and, it's a little hard to see in the picture, there are two heart shaped brooches (?) attached to the neckline of her dress.  Her pin curls are absolutely perfect!

 Elizabeth's sun dress was a little harder to see in this scene, but again it has a very flowing, lengthening feel to it.  She is wearing the same necklace as in the earlier scene along with a big hat to shade her face from the sun.  The trend in hats throughout the movie is very "cap" like, hugging close to her short curls.

Elizabeth's wedding dress is absolutely fabulous.  It's a little difficult to see in the picture but her dress features a sweet heart neckline and the lace sleeves are somewhat transparent.  Her veil is one enormous piece, trailing several feet behind her as she moves through the Frankenstein household.  It hugs her head like a cap and is pinned just above her ears with two sprigs of flowers.  By far my favorite costume!

Where to Eat in Tucson: Planet of the Crepes!

 Well, actually this is less of a where than a what 'cuz the "where" changes frequently!  Planet of the Crepes is a food stand that moves around and about the Tucson/Marana/Mt. Lemmon area.  I discovered them when they parked across the street from my work and since I've never had a crepe before, I had to try it...Lord almighty!  It was one of the best things I've ever eaten.

  First crepe I tried was a smoked duck breast with havarti.  Second, the mushroom, goat cheese and tomato crepe.  I am dying to try their sweet crepes.  Then again, I don't know if my waistline can take it!  Actually, though, they are quite light.  The crepes are thin but moist and succulent wrapped around the awesome fillings.  The come served up in a complex wrapping of wax paper, stiff card-stock-like cone then a thick napkin around the whole lot so busy office people on the go can grab their lunch without getting it all over them.

That's my crepe.  About, oh, 30 seconds before I inhaled the whole thing!  Sweet lord.  The melt-y goat cheese and the pesto and the mushrooms?  Divine!

To snag one of these luscious lovelies for yourself, you have to track 'em down first.  Follow this link to their Facebook account here to get updates as to where they will appear next.  They also have a Twitter here.  You've got to get some of this!

Bathing Beauties

One of the articles that appeared in this month's Zocalo magazine was entitled "Bathing Beauties: The History of the Swimsuit".  It traced the evolution of bathing suits from heavy wool swimming dresses that were worn with hats and full stockings to the one-piece and the earliest bikini (interesting trivia: the bikini was created during WWII to save fabric due to wartime rationing!).

Retro-style bathing suits are coming back into fashion right now.  Here are some great retro-style options to be found online.  Drool away!

Broad Minded Clothing

Pinup Couture

Victoria's Secret

Pinup Couture

 

 

 

I really, really like the last Marilyn-style swimsuit but I fear the pink would clash with my red hair.  I actually found a suit very similar to the black Pinup Couture suit seen above at Old Navy for super cheap but its not on the website.  I will have to take pictures next time I hit the pool. ;)

Retro images

We have a local glossy magazine called Zocalo which is a fairly recent publication but it has great articles on downtown happenings, fashion, music and art.  This month's cover caught my eye.

Apparently this is an actual mid century advertisement created by Tucson tourism officials.  It originally appeared on the cover of "Enjoy Tucson".  I just love that perfectly green lawn which is not usual in today's more eco-conscious landscaping.  And don't you just love her outfit?

The peasant or desert look was popular in the 1950s and you can still find some great vintage patterns online.  And genuine vintage pieces in this style can be found in most of the vintage/costume shops on 4th Ave.

Monsoon!

I had to share these pictures of a downed tree seen in Barrio Hollywood here in Tucson this 4th of July.  So far it looks like its going to be a good monsoon, with storms and rain for the past three evenings.  The storm hit my area on 4th of July and afterward while Will and I were driving around we saw one major car accident, one traffic light hanging just by its cable, and this tree.

Apparently one of the apartment complexes in the neighborhood had a tree fall on a family's apartment, trapping the family in side for a couple hours until they could be freed.  You can read the local news report here.

Monsoon can be a crazy, even scary time, particularly if you are stuck out in the storm when it hits.  But its also exhilarating. The desert needs the water desperately after this drought that has lasted the last few years.  Tucson and many other cities and towns in the Southwest banned fireworks this year because the surrounding area is so dry and ready to go up in flames.  And there is no better salve to the insane heat of summer than a summer storm clearing the air and dropping the temperatures.  Its my favorite season of the year.

Thrift Store Luxury: Elvis Clock

I have great luck when it comes to stumbling across cool things in out-of-the-way places.  I was in Savers (Oracle and Fort Lowell) a few weeks ago looking for some exercise shorts for the gym when I randomly wandered down the knick knack aisle and discovered this great vintage Elvis clock!

It has pictures of Elvis during his Vegas years marking each of the hours, a black center reading "King of Rock and Roll" and a gold frame. 

It was damaged, missing the pictures from the 2 and 6 hour spaces so it was selling for only $3.  I took it home, decoupaged two images from the internet into the missing spaces and reinforced the remaining images with Mod Podge so they wouldn't come loose.  The images I chose were a scene from the film Viva Las Vegas and the cover from the soundtrack for the movie.  And then, because I couldn't control my crafty side, I added black glitter to the frame to balance the play between gold and black throughout the clock.

Now I just need new batteries and a hook for my wall and I have a great vintage treasure for my home!

Movie Review: Midnight in Paris (2011)

Woody Allen may make me fall in love with the "Romantic Comedy" yet.  Or at least, make me fall in love with "Woody Allen Romantic Comedies"!  His sweet but neurotic protagonists, beautiful cinematography and his handling of very normal, very human romantic conflicts in such a sympathetic yet humorous way is utterly charming.

Midnight in Paris is about Gil and Inez (played by Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams), a young engaged couple traveling to Paris along with her parents who are there on a business trip.  Gil is a writer and an incurable romantic, in love with the idea of Paris and with the past.  The couple seems entirely mismatched, Inez more interested in following an old college crush who is supposedly the expert on everything under the sun while Gil wants to walk the streets in the rain and write his novel.  One evening they go their separate ways and Gil gets into an (absolutely gorgeous!!) antique car and is whisked back in time to Paris during the 1920s.  There he meets his cultural idols, including the uber-masculine Ernest Hemmingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Cole Porter and on and on.  His encounters in the past make him re-evaluate his life, his relationship and his glorification of a past era versus his very real present.

Owen Wilson as Gil is everything a romantic protagonist should be, particularly when confronted with the question of whether one can love more than one woman at a time.  I am not a fan of his acting usually, but his rendition of a Woody Allen hero made me smile and root for his character's happiness.  The big name cast that were brought in to portray some of the greatest writers, musicians and painters of the 1920s just led to one delighted laugh after another as each one is introduced to our modern-age tourist.  An embarrassment of riches!  Corey Stoll's portrayal of Ernest Hemingway, in particular, was just perfect!

It also features possibly my favorite young actress: Marion Cotillard.  It is so rare in Hollywood to find an actress who is not only stunningly beautiful, dripping with sexuality and yet is also gifted in her craft.  As Picasso's mistress she practically steals every scene she is in, regardless of which historical figure she is sharing the screen with.

Woody Allen with Owen Wilson and Marion Cotillard.  Image courtesy of Zimbio.com.

And the costumes!  The sets!  The music and art and history and the sheer architectural beauty of the city itself!  If I could have crawled into that beautiful car and traveled back to that time, I don't know that I could have summoned the strength to come back!

As a film, it is not heavy fare.  It is light, sweet, inspiring and optimistic.  It made me want to explore the streets of Paris in the rain and listen to Cole Porter on a record player at a little antiques store.  What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon with your sweetheart!

Movie Review: Animal Crackers (1930)

Captain Spaulding, noted African explorer, returns from overseas to a welcome party held by Mrs. Rittenhouse, who is also using the opportunity to be the first to display a valuable painting borrowed from a famous art collector.  During the party the painting is stolen and its up to the Marx brothers to get the painting back!

This was my first time encountering the work of the Marx brothers.  Absolutely hysterical!  Groucho is so brilliant and his delivery so smooth I was left alternatively laughing and staring slack jawed at the screen!  Chico with his outrageous accent and practical approach to conning his social "betters" and Harpo with his sweet-yet-oversexed silence made for a perfect combination of talents.

My favorite scene from the movie, where Groucho both insults and proposes marriage to two of the women:

I also had no clue that they were as musically talented as they were!  In one scene Chico and then Harpo play the piano for the gathered guests, in another Harpo reprises the song "Why Am I So Romantic?" on the harp while whistling the melody.  Absolutely beautiful!  And so unexpected.

Animal Crackers absolutely delighted me!  I am anxious to see more of their work.

Some great Groucho lines from the film:

One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas.  How he got in my pajamas, I don't know.


Tell me what do you think of the traffic problem?  What do you think of the marriage problem?  What do you think of at night when you go to bed, you beast.


We took some pictures of the native girls but they weren't developed.  But we're going back again in a couple of weeks!

Make 'Em Laugh!

A conversation with my guitar instructor prompted me to find this video and post it.  For those of you who have never seen Singing in the Rain (1952) starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor, you've probably at least seen Kelly's title performance.  But lesser known is my favorite dance scene in the movie, performed by Donald O'Connor.  If you love comedy, you have to see this clip:

Make Em Laugh