Playin' with the hairdo!

Gratuitous hair shots!

Beautiful Laguna vintage necklace; a Christmas present from Midji! <3

Red rose hair clip, "bulls eye" button earrings, pearl necklace, western top!

Back to the vintage stuff!

Ok, ok, I realize that I've gone perhaps a little overboard with the outdoors blogs when, after all, the title of my little slice of the blogosphere is "Retro-fy me."  But I've been having so much fun hitting the hiking trails over the past few weeks and have snapped such fun pictures that I couldn't help myself!

Having said that, I want to get back to some vintage-themed blog posts.  I've been watching a bunch of old films these last few weeks and snagged some great albums to review.  I have had to reorganize my vintage jewelry now that my hair is finally back to it's original ash blonde (consequently all the orange stuff I used to wear now clashes horribly but pink, pearls and rhinestones are my new best friends!) not to mention purchasing new clothes for work now that the Old Pueblo is starting to warm up a little.

 But perhaps the biggest and most exciting news of all is that I've bought a ukulele!

Image seen at seagoat musings on blogspot.

Image seen at seagoat musings on blogspot.

Image seen at geschicte der ukulele

The tiny instrument came with a piece of paper with maybe a dozen chords on it so I busted out my music notes and constructed my own chord chart for it.  It sounds really good, especially with some old standards, like some of the songs of Peggy Lee.  Stay posted for an online performance!

How to wear vintage jewelry - Daily snap

I have always wanted to do these but I've felt a little self-conscious about snapping pics of what I'm wearing.  But today's mix came out great and I figured, what the heck?  Vintage jewelry is awesome and mixes so well with modern pieces.

Just got off work so forgive me if I look tired...

Art Nouveau period screw back earrings, easily one of the oldest pairs I own.

My hair in a snood

Earrings: vintage screw back, circa 1910s
Necklace: modern pendant by Courtney Davis
Snood: made by my mum!
Barrette: made by yours truly
Sweater: thrift store find (Say What?)
Lipstick: Maybelline in Very Cherry

Thrift Store Finds!

 So I went out after work yesterday to try and locate some of those great striped tights I was seeing at all the Halloween stores this year.  Unfortunately it was too little, too late: the Spirit store only held a sale the day after Halloween and Savers is so picked over it was sad.  *sigh*  So I guess if I want to rock the Emilie Autumn look (not to mention stay warm in my skirts and dresses this winter!) I'm going to have to find some other source for funky tights.  That's what I get for being cheap and wanting to stick to sales!

On the bright side, I scored some major vintage at Savers!

Vintage score!

Glass bottle, c. ?

Flowers with Butterfly and Bee, teardrop pearl, c. 1950s

Genuine pearl necklace

Gold toned shell earrings with faux pearl, c. 1950s

All told I scored three pairs of vintage earrings, two of which have maker's marks on the backs so I can research them, a real pearl necklace, a heart shaped glass perfume bottle and a real china bowl, again with the maker's mark, pattern name and patent number on the back!  And everything was, of course, cheap.  I just hope Savers never hires anyone who has a knowledge of antique jewelry.

Halloween Party

I am still recovering from the fun of this weekend!  Sixteen hours worth of driving, one incredibly scary haunted house, late nights and partying till the wee hours equals one very sleepy Cass.  I still haven't caught up on my sleep yet.  I'm just thankful I cleaned house before I left so I didn't have a huge mess to come home to!

The Haunted House was incredible!  Richard and Christy created a website with the back story to the haunt which you can find here.  Basically it is the All Saints Lunatic Asylum which was shut down some time in the past due to mysterious experiments and the general sadistic insanity of its employees.  A Ms. Carolyn Collins purchased the Asylum and since she can't afford the upkeep, was gracious enough to allow the public to enter on self-guided tours.  Ms. Collins greeted her vict.., er, guests, in the lobby of the Asylum, and then let us inside...

They have footage of me screaming the entire way through!  I even knew all the "haunters" and I was still wigging out!  It was awesome!!  I heard stories later about people who had to be escorted out the escape entrances because they couldn't handle it.  The haunt was seriously professional quality!  There are some pictures online at their Facebook page which I encourage you to take a look at if you enjoy getting the willies!  (I'd have posted a couple but I don't want to scare people away from my blog; tell me you don't agree after checking them out!)

The party after was a lot of fun!  I had the chance to hang out with friends and family I don't get to see all year, which was awesome to say the least.  Here are a few pics of the festivities:

Will as Inspector Clouseau

Rhiannon's Raven.

Dr. S. Freud

Yours truly as Marilyn

Unfortunately my camera's flash was acting up so I couldn't take as many pictures as I would like to and somehow I was the only one taking pictures!  So there aren't that many from this year.

Marilyn costume:

• dress from Rethreads, Downtown Tucson
• earrings, vintage cluster clips, 1950s
• all other jewelry purchased at the Downtown Mercado, Tucson
• wig, Savers
• purse (and matching heels, not shown), Rethreads, Downtown Tucson
• lipstick, Mac Red (I think)

Retro earrings - root beer cabochon clip on earrings

I was just posting this pair to my store on etsy (TrojanArte if anyone is interested!) and it occurred to me that they have a couple distinctly retro features that would benefit from being pointed out.  The obviously retro feature are the clip on backings.  Women until the 1960s typically didn't pierce their ears since it was looked down upon socially, much like the stigma that lingers around women with tattoos and piercings.  As a consequence, "good girls" who were raised before that time chose earrings that stayed on due to clasps or screw backs.

Less obvious is the root beer colored cabochon (the half dome crystal in the center) that is the central feature of the earrings.  Browns, ambers, creams and the like were a very popular color during the 1940s.  This type of root beer color dates the earrings from the 1940s to the early 50s and is very collectible.  I once met a woman with an entire necklace made of large, carved, root beer colored beads; absolutely stunning!  After the end of WWII tastes changed and colors became brighter, more candy colored and people began to customize the colors of their cars, kitchen appliances and more.

The two crystals flanking it are also significant.  They have a finish known as aurora borealis, a special type of rhinestone finish that was first created in the 1950s.  Their presence on the earrings pin points the earrings to the early 50s.  I personally am a sucker for aurora borealis rhinestones and own several pieces featuring these crystals.

How to add a little retro to your daily look

• Red lipstick.  This is probably the most effective and easiest way to add some retro glamour to your look.  Red looks good on everyone, but the shade of red you wear does make a difference.  Olive toned skin would look better with a orange-toned red.  Porcelain-skinned beauties usually look better with a blue-ish red.  Some women may look better with a brick red, others with the purest red, think Crayola, they can find.  But strong red lips were the look through the 40s and 50s and a bold lip has been popular for a lot longer (think silent screen vixens).  If you are channeling the earlier Clara Bow-era look, you might want to pair your lipstick with smoky eyes, otherwise keep the eyes simple, a little mascara and brown eyeliner for daytime or some liquid black liner for nighttime and you have instant 40s-50s Hollywood va-va-voom!  I consider myself lucky; after I went redhead I discovered that most red lipsticks look good on me, with the exception of a very blue-ish red, so I actually own several in different shades.  (If the 60s are more your thing, rock the mod look: black lining the eyes, maybe even fake eyelashes, and pale, pale pink lipstick!)

• Vintage jewelry.  This is an element of retro-wear that is close to my heart since I collect vintage all the time.  If you don't have any pieces from relatives (always the coolest source for vintage anything!) hit your local thrift store or antique store and check out the jewelry case.  Pearls never go out of fashion.  You can wear a long strand if you are channeling you inner flapper, a choker if you are feeling a little like Breakfast at Tiffany's, or a shorter strand to showcase your bosom.  Cluster earrings are great for a 1950s look.  Enamel button earrings were popular for a several generations.  Screw back earrings date to the turn of the century to the early 50s so you can easily spot an older piece.

• Polka dots.  This is more specific for the 1940s, but nothing says WWII quite like polka dots.  Or khaki come to think of it!

• Western wear.  The western look was popular from the 1930s-50s so if you have a western button down or some cute western wear, pair it with a pair of capris, jeans or a bell shaped skirt, slap on that red lipstick and voila!  Instant retro!

• Color palette.  1940s: think browns, khakis, greys, tans, black.  1950s: light pink, black, red, gold.  1960s: bright colors, pinks, yellows, oranges, greens, corals, bold blockish colors.

• Silhouette.  The 1920s into the 30s was all about the long, flowing silhouette.  In fact this is coming back into fashion right now.  Think long slip dresses, slender draping fabrics and shapes, the Flappers and Art Deco chic.  The 40s and 50s were all about the hourglass shape.  Think Joan from Mad Men, Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield or Sophia Loren.  And if you are blessed with a ballerina figure, why not wear a boat-neck top, tights and flats a la Audrey Hepburn?

Even if you don't go all the way retro every day of the week, even a few of these elements scattered amongst your wardrobe can help you channel your inner bombshell any time!

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?

Do clip on earrings hurt?

The answer is yes...sometimes.

I figured this question deserved a blog since I have a lot of people I encounter in my daily life and stopping by my stall at the Downtown Mercado who seem bemused by my love of vintage earrings.

Some clip ons are just very tight and will pinch if you wear them long enough.  Having said that only two of my two dozen personal pairs pinch me bad enough for me to notice.  And since they were both sentimental (one was the first pair I ever owned, the other a Christmas present from Will) and really, really cool to boot, frankly I don't care.  Honestly I don't even notice my earrings after a while.

However, there is an exception to this statement.  Vintage earrings and phones don't mix.  Especially the 50s style cluster earrings which are so big they get in the way of the receiver.  So you grab them and pull them off right?  Big mistake.  Pulling clip ons off, particularly the tight ones, hurt like hell.  We are talking the blinding, give-me-a-moment kind of pain.  (I've done it.  Frequently.)

The solution?  Always take the time to unhinge the earring before removing it.

There are a couple of ways our smart Grandmothers/Mothers dealt with tight earrings.  Remember, it used to be tacky bordering on whorish for a woman to have pierced ears at one time.  One trick is to place small pads of material between the clips and the ears.  A few earrings I've purchased have still had these pads in place.

Image courtesy of Amazon.com.  See link to purchase below.

There are several variations available; just type "clip on earrings pads" into Google shopping and see what pops up.  One variation that can be found on Hobe jewelry are rollers that fit onto the metal clasps and make slipping the earring off your earlobe much more comfortable.  All these are great options if you want to wear vintage earrings on a regular basis.

Image courtesy of Sparkles Vintage Costume Jewelry.  See link below to purchase.

My favorite way around the problem of painful earrings are screw back earrings.  Even older than clip ons, these date from the turn of the century to the early 1950s when they went out of style.  Screw backs operate just like they sound.  You slip your earlobe in between the earring and the post, then screw the post in until the earring is secure.  It is a bit tricky getting the earrings lined up right the first few times but you get the hang of it quickly enough.  The cool part is that you control the tension, so you can adjust them as tight as you want or don't want.  It is not as easy to pull them off (you must unscrew them first or risk damaging your treasure) but the designs are usually much smaller, small enough that you can use the phone while wearing them.

You can, of course, snap the backings off and attach modern posts which you can buy at most craft and jewelry supply stores.  That was actually my plan when I bought my first pair.  And then, after the first few times I wore them, I realized that there was no way I could deliberately damage an artifact over 50 years old.  But that's just me.  One recommendation: do some research on your earrings before you decide to alter them.  Costume jewelry typically is affordable but some pieces have some serious value ($$$) that, as we all know from watching the Antiques Roadshow, can be damaged if you alter them in any way.

 ***

Clip on pads seen above can be purchased through Amazon.com.  http://www.amazon.com/LawrenceProducts-Clip-On-Earring-Cushions/dp/B0041SP070

Hobe earrings seen above can be purchased through Sparkles Vintage Costume Jewelry: http://www.sparklz.com/signature/Hsignature.htm

The Red Lipstick Chronicles

...or how I went from this:

June 2006

...to this:

May 2011

Needless to say it was a wee bit of a transition.  As a teen into my very early twenties I was obese, acne ridden, shy, wore no makeup and had a penchant for oversize black t-shirts and jeans.  I grew my blond hair out to the small of my back and wore bangs that made my overweight face look even rounder.  I loved lipstick but felt uncomfortable in it, almost always removing it as soon as I put it on.  I dyed my hair strawberry blond in high school but the red faded out almost immediately.  I just didn't have the resources to keep it up.  Makeup made me look a little better but it aggravated my acne so that I only wore it sporadically.  To this day I rarely wear more than eyebrow pencil, mascara and lipstick and when I do wear foundation its usually a tinted moisturizer.

Then I met Will and moved to Tucson.  The subsequent changes in my diet and exercise habits helped me drop 70 lbs gradually and kept them from coming back.  My acne went away.  My confidence increased and my naturally outgoing personality came out.  I ditched the bulky tees for retro inspired clothes, western shirts and began putting more care into my appearance.  I cut my hair off, too short, but I growing it out to my shoulders.  About a year ago the elements of my own personal style started coming together.

And the trigger was a Halloween costume!  Will had introduced me to the AMC show Mad Men earlier last year.  I went as Joan Holloway, he went as Don Draper.  I dyed my hair red, bought my first pair of clip on earrings and wore red lipstick and winged out black eyeliner.

 Will and I, Halloween 2010

Will and I, Halloween 2010

(Forgive the hair! It was too short for the style and the hairspray was starting to fail after too much bourbon and fresh air!)

I was hooked!

I felt sexy!  I felt strong!  I was compared to pinups and classic Hollywood starlets.  Quite a rush!  (Ironically, only two people recognized who I was supposed to be.  Oh well!)

While I don't dress as Joan on a daily basis (though I do show up at the coffee shop with a beehive from time to time, just for my regulars who are Mad Men fans!), some elements stuck.  The hair for instance.  I love being a redhead.  My blond hair was pretty, particularly when it went down my back, but my red feels more natural than my natural blond, for some reason.  People treat me differently too.  Instead of "Blondie" they call me "Red"; instead of being taken for a ditz, I am a fiery, sexy chick.  The earrings started a collection obsession that hasn't abated yet.  I've collected so many vintage earrings that I've had to start selling them.  And the red lips of course.  I now own a half dozen different shades of red lipstick and I wear it almost every day.  It makes me feel good about myself.  Happy.  Like I just had a bubble bath or treated myself to a bit of dark chocolate.

How did you discover your own personal sense of style?  Do you have a signature color or bit of makeup of clothing that makes you feel super special?

My biggest style influence

Without a doubt, my Grandmother!  Carol Arter was held up to me at an early age as the epitome of style manners and class.

Tom and Carol Arter, c. 90s.

I remember watching "I Love Lucy" reruns on Tv Land with my dad while I was growing up.  He used to chuckle at Lucy's antics and then would tell me about how my grandmother's hair used to be as bright red as the famous comedienne's.  Years later I found out that Grandma used to dye hers red.  I was following in her footsteps and didn't even know it! (Coincidentally I discovered that Lucille Ball dyed hers as well, as did Rita Hayworth).

My collection of vintage earrings is quite large and sometimes I like to just get out my jewelry box (I have one with small divided compartments I keep just for the antiques) and just handle them.  I was doing that a few months ago and I had a vivid memory of my Grandmother's jewelry.  I only rarely went into her bedroom out of respect unless she sent me up to fetch something for her.  I remember her mirrored dressing table and sitting beside her hair brush was a small tray with a mirrored bottom holding all her pretty clip on earrings.  She favored pearls if I remember correctly.

One of my favorite stores on 4th Ave, How Sweet It Was, displays their vintage jewelry in the exact same way.  It's probably one of many reasons why I find it hard to be in that store without buying something.

There is a picture of me that is famous in my family.  I was two years old according to my mother's handwriting on the back, and was visiting my Grandma.  Apparently I must have loved red lipstick even then because I am wearing what must have been a good part of a $30 tube of Estee Lauder all over the bottom of my face.  (My guess is that I have having trouble keeping the lipstick in the lines as it were so I just kept making it bigger so it would look good!)  Mom used to say she was terrified her Mother-in-law was going to get angry but apparently Grandma just rolled with laughter.

The Great Lipstick Escapade, 1986

I envision my Grandmother as she looked at my age, a sassy redhead in an airline stewardess' uniform.  Now there's an image to try and live up to!

I love you Grandma.

Sweet finds at Bookmans

To those of you who live in Tucson, I probably don't have to explain what Bookmans is.  To those of you who haven't experienced it, Bookmans is a small local chain of business that buy/trade/sell primarily books but also cds, dvds, magazines, comic books and a small amount of antiques and oddities.  They are always worth a browse, even if you don't know what you want because you will never know what you will find.  For example, alongside my copies of foreign and classic films, numerous books that are threatening to overwhelm my bedroom, and piles of cds are strange and unique treasures.  My geisha doll in her glass frame, dressed in her finery.  A set of glasses with images from the silent movie greats.  The gunmetal grey Ibanez bass leaning up against the wall.

The most impressive thing is that since Bookmans deals in trade, you can bring in your old, unwanted items, they will buy what they want and either give you cash or credit.  The credit is always the better deal.  You not only receive more of it, but you don't have to pay a sales tax on your purchases.  Bookmans trade is better than gold if you are a bibliophile.

Needless to say, Bookmans finds will no doubt find their way into these posts frequently.  Today I wanted to share two sets of vintage earrings I snagged while waiting in line to pay for my purchases.

Now, Bookmans does carry a small selection of costume jewelry in spinners near their cash registers and the stuff they usually sell is very nice, but modern and cheap.  These caught my eye initially because of their unusual design, but when I turned them over and saw the screw backs, I really got excited.  They are made of sterling silver and consist of a small hoop hanging straight down.  The drops dangle very nicely and have a lot of movement to them.  The screw backs place the earrings prior to the 1950s when they went out of style, but the overall design of the earrings, I feel make them much older.  They look very Art Deco to me, which would set them in the 1920s-30s.  I paid $6 in trade credit for them.

This second pair was again snagged from  Bookmans while waiting in line.  This time the material is shell, dyed a vibrant shade of neon pink.  My cell phone camera does not do them justice!  They are marked "Japan" on the metal clips on the back which date the earrings after WWII when Japan was making cheap costume jewelry for export to the U.S. but the color and shapes place them in the early 1960s.  I'm a real sucker for "Japanized" vintage jewelry and own several pieces even though I know collectors don't place a lot of value on them.  I paid $5 in trade credit for this pair.

Have you found any treasures at your local Bookmans?  Leave me a comment and tell me about your find!