A new venture.

Shopping and dressing up is fun but I want to do something bigger. I have decided to offer mentoring/advice services and I am available as your personal shopper. I can help you navigate a thrift store and create a look for yourself. Advice and mentoring can be done online. This is a new venture but I am serious about this.  So, contact me and pick my brain!

Sometimes I like the 70's.

People are fluid. Their likes and interests aren't stagnant and they change and grow over time. I have an obsession with 50's and 60's fashion (and recently I have lusted after Edwardian garments) but I have a love for all things vintage and retro. I don't feel right when I dress in modern garments, it's as if I am wearing a costume.  I read somewhere that selecting what you are going to wear is equivalent to who you're going to be today and I think that is so true. I have never felt right participating in present  fashions and pop culture since I was a child. However, I have a soft spot for all things "90's" (but I will never consider it vintage you damn hipsters) and the internet, the internet is everything!

My obsession for the 50's and 60's does not stop me from sporting pieces from the 70's, they happen to be dresses since I have a weakness for dresses.

I wore the tangerine gown to a mock prom my sister threw. She prefers to be a homebody (just like me!!!) so we celebrate all her major dances at home so she doesn't feel left out. I really don't blame her, school functions, especially prom aren't the highlight of your teenage years. They're dumb and not worth the money you pay for them. Proms were always a major disappointment! I never understood why anyone would buy an expensive gown to dry hump to horrible music on the dance floor, eat bland catering hall food and then call it a night!  I got this tangerine prom gown at the Goodwill in Glassboro in April (The cape is separate from the dress). For our prom we made personal pizzas with toppings that we chose and then danced in the living room to all the music we liked. It was a lot of fun!

 The picture below is of Jeremy and I at a party that my sister threw for my Mommom's cat, Clyde. I wore a fantastic polyester dress that originally came from Sears. I purchased the dress from "Twice Loved Treasures" in Vineland. Jeremy got in on the 70's action with a vintage tie. My sister put out a fantastic spread for Clyde's 10th birthday party. I got to the house early to set up since she helped me so much with Ginger's ( Jeremy and I's furbaby) birthday party.

I've always had a love for 70's fashion. When I was in 5th grade I was obsessed with ABBA which kick started my love for the 70's. I made my Mom feather my hair each morning before I went to school. I made a whole ton of friends this way. 

with the birthday boy. 

So I'm asking you my dear readers. What thoughts go through your mind when dressing? Do you just not feel right when you're not dressed as the person you see yourself to be?

I have goodies!

I'll keep this short and sweet for a Saturday morning. I found a box of magazines in my Mommom's attic and a lot of them were ladies magazines, McCalls, Ladies Home Journal etc. Anyway, I want to share the things I find with all of you. So without further delay, I present to you selections from the December 1969 issue of McCalls.

Doesn't that look good!!

1969 London Fog add. I want all the coats. 

Fashion spread. The hairstyle on the left is fantastic, the shirts meh (except for the one on the left)

I hope everyone enjoys these and there will be lots more to come!

A Blast from the Past

Today was grocery day (Yay!). Grocery day is fun for me and today Jeremy and I went shopping for my Mommom. Oh, and we bought a block of limburger cheese to try. We have yet to try any. Now, I am not writing this to tell you about our trip to the new Shop-rite on Landis ave and to the adjoining liquor store. I am writing to tell you about a new store in Vineland called "A Blast from the Past"!!!!

I saw an article in the Vineland Daily Journal this weekend about a new antique store called "A Blast from the Past" and after the first couple of words I was convinced that I *had* to visit this store.

Just look at that glassware! 

Jeremy and I paid a visit to the shop today before we shopped for food (on an empty stomach I might add horrible idea). When we walked in my wallet cried, I knew that I would want almost everything in the store and I was right. There are two cases full of vintage jewelry and compacts and everything is so exquisite! I bought a beautiful broach with red stones that I plan to wear all through the winter holidays.  There is a fantastic selection of glassware and beautiful furniture!! I also purchased a fantastic 1960's lucite handled furry handbag that I can't wait to show off and I will in a future blog post. There are a lot of beautiful handbags for sale at "A Blast from the Past".

The ladies that run the store are so nice and helpful. Do not hesitate, go and visit "A Blast from the Past" today, you won't regret it. I guarantee that you will find that special one of a kind item, or if your like me you will go broke (their prices are perfect but the inventory is vast) Go. Now. 

The photo is from the store's facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/BlastFromThePastAntiquesCountry

The not so single life.

Dear readers, this is a departure from my usual fashion posts. This is a post about my thoughts, please don't be scared.

I've been in a relationship for over 5 years now. We are engaged and have been for 3 years. We fully intend to be legally married one day but we are waiting until we are both finished school and are able to live on our own. We knew two years into our relationship that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together so we figured why wait to make it official. Now, despite the fact that we are married in spirit our relationship is constantly glossed over because we do not have a binding legal document. Before you read any further, if you are not familiar with Jeremy and I then I will give you a primer; neither of us are religious, we've both discussed in detail our plans for a wedding and we plan on having only a reception (for lack of a better word, it's just going to be a fancy party) and to have a chic 60's style court house wedding. This is the way we're going to celebrate when the time comes but right now we're in engagement limbo. 

I've read on a lot of message boards that people think your engagement is a sham if there is no wedding date set. I think that is outdated drivel, an engagement is a commitment, a verbal contract of sorts. We've made said verbal agreement therefore we are engaged.

See, we're legit I have a ring. According to De Beers your engagement isn't real if your man doesn't get you a diamond ring...(that's sarcasm folks)

Perhaps some of the fault is my own when it comes to what I call Jeremy. I loathe the term fiance, it reminds me of that Seinfeld scene (see the video below)

You can understand my reluctance I'm sure. The word "boyfriend" sounds too flippant for a long term relationship, let alone to an engaged couple. The alternatives aren't any better, they include: my intended, betrothed, my other half (I was not split in two) and most cringingly, my man. I just introduce him as Jeremy, and thankfully I am enough of a hermit where I don't need to introduce him that often. 

Much to our chagrin we've both been refereed to as single. Once at a wedding (I will save my dislike for them in another post)  I was encouraged to catch the bouquet with the other teenage girls, and widows. I don't see myself as single but we're not legally married. A lot of people don't see gray. 

I'm fortunate that at least my parents and my Mommom respect our relationship, I think I'd go crazy if I didn't have them in our corner. 

To all my not so single ladies, those who are having long engagements or those who don't feel the need to jump through all the traditional hoops, what do you have to say? 

I've been busy

This weekend I had a photo shoot with Chuck Woolson from Devil Dog Photography.  We did a Swinging 60's shoot. I've worked with him before and he is a pleasure to shoot with and I am always pleased with the results. He has his children help him with the set up so there was a nice atmosphere during the shoot. Jeremy came along with me to help me with my things. I received two preview photos today that I want to share.

The black dress was not vintage but I thought it was reminiscent of Nancy Sinatra. 

The blue dress is is vintage. It was one of the five that I purchased while I was on vacation. It is from Rose Kate's ,a boutique that is now closed, in Atlantic City. The dress still had the tags on it when I bought it. I had no idea the dress was as shiny as it showed up in the photographs.

I will do a full report when I get the rest of the photos, this was just a sneak peak.