French maple syrup cookies.

Did you know that tomorrow is National Homemade Cookie Day? I found this out while I was reading Woman's Day magazine at my Mommom's house this September and I was so excited I marked it on my calender! I was kicking around a couple ideas for what type of cookie to make. At first I was going to make Earl Grey or chai cookies. I loved the Earl Grey cake that I made for my birthday so I figured a cookie would be good too.
Then I remembered I had a great recipe for French Maple Syrup cookies. I had gotten the recipe in 10th grade, each French student had to make a dish each year they were enrolled in a language course for showcase night. Showcase night was nothing special, it was just a night that parents could come and see what their children were working on all year. I was in French all four years and my Senior year I was in a theater class. I found a partner and we did the Monty Python Cheese shop sketch, I was slightly drunk since I had made chocolate mousse for my French dish and went overboard on the rum. I know how to make proper chocolate mousse now but when I was 17 I figured you could never have too much booze in a dish. By the way, if you put too much rum in the moose it will not become, well moose. I ended up serving a chocolate soup, it looked like sewer back up and it was the least popular dish of the night!
The dough needs to be chilled in the refrigerator overnight but I only have time to bake today so I put them in the freezer.

I always cook like this if you were wondering. 

I want to share this fantastic recipe with all of you. I have made these cookies a lot over the years and everyone who has tasted them loves them. Plus they are a good reason to break out your fun cookie cutters. This batch of cookies is going to be bats for Halloween. 

Maple Syrup Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar (plus extra for dusting)
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg yolk
3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt


Preparation
The day before you plan to bake the cookies, make the dough

1: Beat together the sugar and butter with an electric beater on high speed for about 3 minutes.
2: Add the maple syrup,vanilla and egg yolk and mix for 1 minute.
3: Sift the flour and salt directly into the butter/sugar mixture. Beat at medium speed until combined- about 2 minutes.
4:Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic (or put in a tupperware) and refrigerate overnight.

To make the cookies

1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2: Butter two baking sheets
3: Divide the dough into two equal portions. Working with a 1 inch portion at a time, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8-inch thick
4: Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter and place on prepared cookie sheets, about 1 inch apart.
5: Gather scraps, reroll and cut out as many additional cookies as possible. Repeat until there is nothing left.
6:Sprinkle cookies with granulated sugar
7: Bake for 9-12 minutes, until they are lightly golden. Remove and cool on racks.

The dough before I put it in the freezer

Jeremy is a big help to me in the kitchen and with my blog. Not only does he take most of the photos  he also cleans the dishes while I dry. I really like how we always do things as a team. He really likes to lick the beaters whenever I bake something.

I waited for the dough to be ready for a couple of hours, it took up my entire afternoon. I got some homework done and Jeremy and I watched some interesting documentaries on Netfilx. 

Around 4 in the afternoon the dough was ready to be rolled out. If you let it chill for awhile it's very easy to work with. It may leave a sticky residue on your hands but the dough itself doesn't stick to your hands. I do recommend that you sprinkle the counter before rolling the dough out since maple syrup is sticky. 

My little bat cookie cutter. Since tomorrow is going to be October 1st. I figured a bat would be fitting. 

The first batch, complete!

Well, there you have it, maple syrup cookies. I can't believe that tomorrow is going to be October first already! I have absolutely no idea what I want to be for Halloween yet, and if anyone has any suggestions I'd love to hear them. 

Will you be making cookies for 'National Homemade Cookie Day' tomorrow? Have you already started preparing or are you going to mooch off someone else (always a good idea)? I hope you try out my recipe and if you do let me know what you think. 

To market...

I am a shy person. Some of you, upon reading that might question it. I don't come off as shy on the internet, it's a safe zone for me. I try to be as polite as possible but I don't usually hesitate to share my opinion online. I think I am pretty confident when I pose in front of a photographer

I think I look pretty confident what do you think? I also had the encouragement of a great photographer

I am shy in groups of people I don't know, at school, at shops, basically anywhere that isn't home or the Internet. This has never been a problem I needed to work on, it did mean I have little to no friends but I am used to being by myself. A blog can not thrive if there is no effort to market it so this is where my shyness becomes a problem.

Earlier in the month Jeremy designed and printed business cards for me and they arrived last Thursday. Since then I have only given one of the 50 out to someone who wasn't a family member. I can visualise going up to a woman who for example might have on a vintage broach and slipping her my card in hopes that she will visit my site and participate in my conversations about everything vintage. However, when the time comes I freeze. Filled with doubts like, 'why would anyone want to read my blog' and 'what makes me so special', I just retreat into myself. This behavior doesn't get me anywhere. 

Yesterday,I spent the day learning about marketing yourself and networking and I spent the rest of the day doing those things. I clearly have a lot of work to do online and on myself. I realize it doesn't happen overnight but I plan to work as hard as I can to succeed. It's hard to put myself out there but I know it's what I have to do so I'm doing it even though it terrifies me. 

To my fellow bloggers, do any of you share my shyness and if so what have you done to ease it? To all of my readers, do you share my duality of being shy out and not elsewhere. Do you have a reserved manner out in public and let loose at home?

Vintage magazine clippings.

Some changes have been made to the blog today. Have you seen the new header, what do you think of it?
I'm throughly enjoying this crisp fall morning. I'm  getting caught up on some design homework while listening to the 'Goon Show'. I wanted to get in a quick blog post though. So, without further adieu here are some fashion shots from a 1969 issue of McCalls and some from a 1971 issue.

Check out these fashionable ladies. The woman on the left is making me want to rush out and hunt for a jumpsuit. I also think that women should wear gloves again. 

Check out those accessories and that fantastic scarf! This issue is from January 1971 but I think this look would work for a crisp September day, what do you think?

 Now this is what I call travelling in style! Check out the bell sleeves the woman on the left is sporting!

In need of some hair inspiration? Why not try this stylish 'do? Look at this woman's fantastic choker. 

I love the t-strap heels the woman on the right is wearing, I have a pair similar to these. I'm not too keen on what the woman on the left is wearing though. 

Well, I hope you've all enjoyed this quick Saturday post. Did you get any style inspiration? 

Having a style plan.

Thrift shopping is an interesting way to shop and it's easy to be overwhelmed.  When you go to a regular shop there are mannequins dressed in the featured looks for that shop so the customer has a guide. A person can go to one of these stores and buy the whole outfit with accessories right off the mannequin, so a person can be on complete autopilot when selecting an outfit if they wanted to. It's different with thrift stores. There is no guide, there aren't usually mannequins and the clothes are just put on the rack by type of garment so you need to have a style plan.

I've been buying all of my clothes and accessories from thrift and antique shops exclusively for about a year now. The only times I go to regular stores are when I need food or tights and things like that. I learned that to be successful when thrift shopping that I needed some sort of plan, something to keep me from buying unnecessary pieces and something to serve as my custom look book.

I advise anyone who is an avid thrift shopper to do this, and to anyone who wants to start thrift shopping but is overwhelmed these ideas are to help make the experience less scary.

1: Get a style journal. 
I prefer a physical journal but you can make a digital one. You can make a Microsoft word document, your own style power point, whatever makes it easiest for you to get your thoughts down. I like to clip pictures out of magazines or print them from the internet and then make notes about the outfit or hairstyle. When  you break down the elements of the outfit it's easier to find those types of things at thrift shops.

This is an example of a typical page in my journal, it's new so there's not a lot of writing on it but you can get the idea. I also use my journal to plan outfits, it saves me a lot of time getting ready in the morning 

2:Get a Pinterest account and make a style board.

This is a quick and easy way to accumulate inspiration. You can 'pin' a picture from a website you're on instantly and get right back to what you were doing. You can even 'repin' fashion photos from other site members. Pinterest is a huge time suck though, I can spend hours on there. Join at your own risk. My pinterest style board

3:Put inspiration photos on your phone or iPod.

This is good if you're like me and forget everything you came to the shop for upon entering. You can go to the side of the shop and quickly thumb through your pictures to remind you what you came to get. 

I hope these tips help. I know ever since I started having a plan I don't spend as much money on clothes that I might only wear once. Does anyone else have a style plan?

I know it's not Tuesday but here's a music post anyway!

I had intended to post this yesterday but these little kittens are a full time job. They're really starting to explore the house  which is scary for me since they're so tiny. They are getting along with Ginger and Tigger though. Felix snuggled with Ginger at naptime yesterday and both of the kittens seem to regard Tigger as their king. So this is going to be a quick post, sorry.

Alright, now on to the music. Today our focus is The Clash. How many of you thought this was going to be another Bobby Darin post? 

I have been a Clash fan since I was 12 years old and they've had such an impact on my life. I remember my dad put on the London Calling album one night and that was it, I was hooked. I had the desire to learn the drum at 13 because I idolized (still do) Topper Headon. Do not get me started on the man because I will not stop, there are so many great things to be said about him. Their songs make you think and now I am a more critical listener, not just with music but in conversation too. 

Now, if you've never heard any music by The Clash then you simply must. I'll give you some direction.  If you want the most bang for your buck then I would go with either London Calling or Sandinista, the former a double album and the latter a triple. The great thing about Sandinsita is there's all different genres of music on it and they're all done well. That's another great thing about The Clash, the versatility!

How many of my readers are Clash fans? 

A very vintage weekend and new kittens!

Jeremy and I went to Wildwood this weekend with my parents and we had a blast! We arrived at my parent's condo late Friday night so we only had time to eat dinner and get ready for bed. I made plans to go shopping at some of my favorite shops and eat lunch at one of my favorite restaurants since I had a birthday coupon (there's nothing wrong with coupons). Jeremy and I walked along Pacific ave, which is one of my favorite streets in Wildwood, and we eventually arrived at Cheap Charlie's. I had been to Cheap Charlie's in June and I got 4 fantastic wool dresses and I had to go back this weekend to see what treasures I could find! Cheap Charlie's did not disappoint, I walked away with a lot of vintage treasures.

While I was at the shop I met up with fellow blogger and vintage lover Linda Young! You should all check out her etsy shop (featured in the shops tab of my blog). I found so many vintage treasures at Cheap Charlie's and I walked away with 3 dresses, a powder pink skirt, and a bolero jacket. If you're in Wildwood you must go to this shop! From there Jeremy and I went to Cattle 'n Clover, one of our favorite places to eat on Pacific Ave. The restaurant used to be a night club and it was where Chubby Checker got his start.

Here I am in the booth with my bag of clothes from Cheap Charlie's. I got some gorgeous pieces, I can't wait to show them off!

After we ate a fantastic lunch, I had fish and chips and Jeremy had an Irish trio, we made our way to the boardwalk to another favorite of mine, What Goes On. On a boardwalk of disposable t-shirt shops and pizza, What Goes On is an oasis! If you think the Wildwood boardwalk has nothing to offer then you haven't been to What Goes On! I purchased two fantastic dresses there, a floral evening gown and a red striped day dress. 

I had a great Saturday and now I'm having a great Sunday evening. My Mom and Sister each got a new kitten! 

I would like you all to meet Patches (left) and Felix (right). My sister's cat is Felix and my Mom has Patches. Ginger is very jealous of the new arrivals so Jeremy and I are trying our best to assure him he isn't being replaced. Jeremy and I have babysitting duty tomorrow when I get home from school since no one else will be home. I love spending time with kittens! 

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend and are all enjoying the first day of fall! 

Lets talk lining.

Today we're going to learn something about garment history. It's going to be fun, I promise, it's a subject that I find fascinating.

I purchased this yellow crepe and sequin dress this summer at "What Goes On" on the Wildwood boardwalk. I'd say the dress is from the late 60's. There is no label, just a small tag that says the size.

I decided it would be the perfect dress to wear for the birthday party my parents threw for me. On a side note, I made a lot of food for the party including delicious crab dip and an earl grey cake with orange zest frosting. 

 Anyway, I decided that this was going to be my party dress and then my plan hit a snag. The dress was a bit see through and my undergarments tend to be brightly colored with a loud print. So,  I had to bother my Mom for a mini slip. I understand a lot of people aren't used to wearing slips and I'm one of them. I know what they're for but I don't ever really need to wear them. I bet you're wondering where the history lesson fits in to all of this so here it is. If you have a lot of vintage dresses you might notice that they are not lined like modern dresses. Sometime in the 70's dresses were starting to be made without lining, prior to that the correct undergarments were needed to wear the dress. Often it was a bra, underwear, girdle(which fell to the wayside with a lot of women in the 60's) and a slip. 

So, your vintage wardrobe doesn't just require a cute 60's party dress it often times requires you to buy special undergarments. You can go to almost any store and buy a slip, it doesn't have to be vintage. 

I hope you all enjoyed this little Thursday history lesson. Now, more photos of the dress. 

We have such well behaved deer in our back yard! 

In this shot you can see the sequins around the neckline and the earrings I was wearing. I love how detailed the neckline is and how dramatic the sleeves are, there is no need for a necklace or bracelets. I just wore earrings and engagement ring.

These are Betsy Johnson earrings that Jeremy got me for Easter earlier this year. I absolutely love Betsey Johnson and I have a few pieces of her jewelry, including one of her massively heavy but gorgeous charm necklaces, I just look at it as an exercise for my neck. 

I hope you have all learned something today or at least enjoyed looking at my yellow party dress. My recipes aren't secret so if anyone wants my crab dip recipe or my earl grey cake recipe I'll be happy to give them to you. 

Tuesday tunes: Bobby Darin songs that should be hits.

Here's a Tuesday music post for you. I'm thinking of making this a regular Tuesday thing.

When most people think of Bobby Darin's music they automatically think of his hits, Mack the Knife, Beyond the Sea and Splish Splash. These people are seriously missing out as there are so many songs that people don't even know about! Now, this is all from my perspective based on my experiences and observations. I was born in 1990 and sadly wasn't around when Mr. Darin was alive and all of my knowledge comes from books I've read and interviews I've watched. The following are all songs that I think should be wildly popular but aren't.


Average People from the album Bobby Darin (1972)

This is from his penultimate album and sadly a lot of the albums from midway to the end of his career are largely ignored by the general public and they're missing a lot of great music. This particular song illustrates how couples drift apart. The first verse alone paints a picture many couples can relate to

  I sit before the TV screen

            Silently starin' into space

            While you re-read your magazines

            And the bottom is painted

            All over our faces.

"Average People" is a beautifully written song about such a sad subject. It's thought provoking in a way that may make you think about your own relationship. The song also describes how a relationship can change after marriage. 

Let It Be Me from the album Bobby Darin (1972)

This is a cover and all of the versions I've heard before this one were so white bread. His voice is so entrancing in this song and it has so much soul. Jeremy and I plan to use this song when we get married. 

My Baby Needs Me from the album Inside Out and Songs from Big Sur

I couldn't find a video of this one but "Songs from Big Sur" is on iTunes and you can listen to this song there. If you haven't heard it you are missing out, it is good! It could be something from Motown and it just makes you feel so good despite the fact that the relationship depicted in the song might not be the healthiest. 

Questions from the album Born Walden Robert Cassotto

I like that a lot of materiel from later in his career was very thought provoking and musically beautiful. This song asks many "questions" about environmental issues while still being a very catchy tune. 

Happy from the album Darin 1936-1973

From what I've read, this is the last song that Bobby Darin recorded. He was very ill at the time and I can sense something in his voice. He sang this song beautifully, like I said before the man could emote!

Route 58 from the album Songs from Big Sur

I couldn't find a video of this song either but it is on iTunes so go and listen now! The lyrics are fantastic and it's a great song to drive to. 

Now there is so much more I could have listed here but I'm hoping that if you like the songs then you'll explore on your own. I really don't understand why a lot of these songs aren't mega hits or at the least more widely recognized by people who aren't hardcore fans. I think it's great when a band or an artist explores a lot of musical genres (and does it well) and that's why I mainly listen to Bobby Darin and The Clash (my next topic for a music post). I do listen to a lot of other things but I like that I have two "one stop shops" for music so to speak. 

A last taste of summer

Last Friday I had a photo shoot with Nathanael Vega in Hammonton NJ ( Which Jeremy and I plan to go back to soon! There were so many Mexican restaurants and a two story antique shop!) It was in a way a farewell to summer shoot. I had a lot of fun and sadly I didn't get to model much this summer. The photographer was a pleasure to work with and I loved parading around in my vintage (and vintage styled) suits.

Here are some highlights.

The black one piece is from unique-vintage.com and I've had it for two years. I highly recommend the Esther Williams bathing suits from this site, I've worn this suit a lot in the two years I've had it and it still fits like the first time I put it on. 

This blue plaid bikini is also from Unique Vintage and it's also and Esther Williams bikini. The only thing I'm not fanatical about is the plastic clasp on the top. I haven't had good luck with plastic clasps and pools but thankfully I haven't had a problem with this suit yet. 

This is my newest bikini and it is 100% vintage. It's from Sears and I think someday soon I will be able to open my very own 60's Sears shop with all the things I have from that store now. I bought the bikini on Etsy.

My attempt at a 60's bikini model pose

I had a lot of fun at this shoot! The weather was fantastic, it was warm enough to prance around in a bikini and yet there was a hint of fall. I am so excited for the colder weather, I tore all the summery things out of my closet and replaced them with pieces for fall weather. I tend to be an eager beaver when it comes to switching out my clothes but I am just so excited! 

I hope you all enjoyed my farewell to summer. 

Darin vs. Sinatra

Let me say first that I don't go for the whole sacred cow, untouchable thing. There are people who will see this and their first reaction will be "Oh no, you can't compare Sinatra to anybody" and my response to those people is, why not? As good as his music is it is not the be all end all. I like him too much to see him become the Marilyn Monroe for men.

Now that we got that out of the way lets get on with the match. I am talking music here and that's it, whose music do I deem better. I do however have a slight bias (slight is an understatement) but I will try to be fair. 

Remember this? I was this close to going up to strangers and asking them  if they had heard the word of Darin.

Earlier this week I compiled a playlist of some songs that both Darin and Sinatra sang and I've been making notes all week. I understand that not all of you have access to all of the songs, perhaps all of your Bobby Darin albums were the victim of an unspeakable accident, so just click on the video file to hear them. 

Round 1: Call Me Irresponsible 

Winner: Bobby Darin!

Even though it's the same song I get two different vibes. In Frank Sinatra's version I envision a man singing to a woman that he's somehow messed up with and he's trying to use his sexy voice to win her over again. In Bobby Darin's version I get the idea that he's in the same type of situation and yet he knows that he's not very practical but he loves his lady, there's a different kind of sexiness to this version. Especially that grunt like thing he does near the end of the song, ugh! Is it getting hot in here? Okay, now I don't want you to think that I'm grading these men only on the sexiness of their voices but it is a factor, people like things that sound pleasing. I also like the build of the Bobby Darin  version,I do love a song with a good build

Round 2: Fly Me to the Moon

Winner: Frank Sinatra

The Bobby Darin version is beautiful and languid, the man could emote! I have always loved the Frank Sinatra version though, it makes me feel as if I should be dancing on a terrace bathed in moonlight. His version also has a nice build up to it. 

Round 3:More

 

Winner: Bobby Darin

I feel like the lyrics of this song are celebratory and the music should fit that. The way Bobby Darin sings the song and the way the music builds make for a fantastic tune. 

Round 4: I Wanna be Around

Winner:Bobby Darin

The intro to the Bobby Darin version is a spine tingling piano intro and I think it gives the whole song a darker mood. The way Bobby Darin sings the song gives me the impression that he was a man scorned, he's mad as hell and wants to see his former lover suffer like he did. The Frank Sinatra version just makes me feel like he's a victim and that's that.

Round 5: Once Upon a Time

Winner: Bobby Darin

This wasn't a fair round really as I will always have a soft spot for the Bobby Darin version since I used it as part of my Poppop's memorial video. This version just conveys the sadness of the song better then the Frank Sinatra version.

There was going to be a round 7 but it was going to be "Mack the Knife" and I decided that didn't even deserve an explanation of why Bobby Darin's version is better, it's the only version you need to hear. I realize people have covered this song before and after him but I think that once you hear it you will need no other version. 

 I love to listen to both of these gentleman but the ultimate winner is Bobby Darin. Frankie is great, I even have a pair of Frank Sinatra earrings that I bought when I was a freshman in high school. Musically, I think that Bobby Darin's life played out in his music. He knew he didn't have a lot of time to live and so he injected the vitality of ten men into his work. I also like that in his way too short of a career he tried out different musical styles and he was even evolving as a person near the end of his career. I like that when he started to cover a lot of mid to late 60's rock, folk and country music he didn't "Bobbyize" it. I use that term because Frank Sinatra covered some popular songs from the 60's and I find that when Frank Sinatra covers a song he Sinatraizes it, which is good in a way since you want to find some new interpretation of a song you're covering as an artist but it's not good when you do the same thing every time. 

I want to know what you think. I especially want to know what you think if this is the first time you're hearing any of these songs (where have you been?) as it will be interesting to know what one thinks when reputations aren't part of the judgement. Like I said in the first paragraph, I dread the day when Frank Sinatra goes the way of Marilyn Monroe, posting stupid things on facebook that put words that she never said like "don't worry if you're not a size zero"but that's a tirade for another time. 

My birthday resolutions

I was born on September 8, 1990 and yesterday I celebrated my 23rd birthday. Some people dread becoming another year older, they feel that the older they get the more they have to be serious, to act like an "adult".  Technically, I have been an adult for awhile now but I still don't feel like one. Age is but a state of mind. This may be the reason that I still use Lisa Frank products for school.

My Mom, Mommom, Brianna(sister), Jeremy celebrated with me yesterday. I made mango salsa, guacamole and I put out some tortilla chips, brie and crackers because my idea of a party is a lot of snacks! For dinner we had tacos, my favorite, and for dessert my Mom made me a red velvet birthday cake and I made homemade sticky buns. Like I said in an earlier post, my sister and I like to throw our own dance parties and we did just that for my birthday. I made a playlist of Bobby Darin, ABBA and assorted disco and 60's hits.

Brianna wore this fantastic blue gown that she got from "Twice Loved Treasures" in Vineland NJ.

I'm so proud!

 This is her very first vintage piece and I am so proud!
There is a beautiful butterfly broach attached to the middle
of the dress and the gorgeous cape is optional, but I think
the gown is more dramatic with it. I hope this gown leads to more vintage pieces. I know when I got my very first vintage
dress I knew I had to have more! However, the dress I wore
was not vintage but it looks like it could be from the 60's. The shoes are vintage, they were my Mommom's.

Most people make resolutions only at the beginning of the new year but I make them every year on my birthday, I treat is as a fresh start. Does anyone else make resolutions on their birthday or any other time of the year other then the new year? Most of my resolutions this year are cliche, exersise everyday, keep my room clean,don't slack off in school and read and write for fun everyday.  My major resolution is to be more social and outgoing. When I go to school I keep to myself and that was okay for a couple of years but I would like to meet new people. So, I plan to participate in class more often, make conversation with the people sitting around me and not to isolate myself while I'm on campus. I once read that to make a resolution work there has to be a plan. I am socially inept so if anyone has any tips I would love to hear them!

Mommom, Me, Brianna, and Jeremy

We're all quite strange. 

The first day.

         The first day of school and the entire back to school season is one of my favorite times of the year. Even as a child I enjoyed shopping for school supplies and the first day of school was (and still is) a holiday to me, while most children looked at it as a prison sentence. This year I combed the school supply sections of many shops and stocked up on Lisa Frank folders, notebooks, and a fantastic pencil case featuring the cute Lisa Frank puppies.
        Today was my first day of school for the fall semester. I am almost finished with my degree, it took me awhile to figure out what to major in and I'm not ashamed by it. Not everyone knows what they want and who they are when they are 18 and I think our culture puts too much emphasis on moving forward and jumping through the next hoop then on self exploration. Some people need a lot of time to meditate on who they really are and what they want out of life. That being said, there is no age limit on change. Some people set a track for their life and they think that's it, they may be unhappy and want to change something major in their life but they think they are too old. There is no age limit on change. Just because you are a certain age doesn't mean you are done learning and changing, never remain stagnant because you might as well be dead. Sorry for my small tirade.
           Anyway, even as a 22 (soon to be 23 eep) year old college student I still get giddy at the thought of buying school supplies and spend hours packing my bookbag and picking out my brand new first day of school outfit. I love learning and while I like to learn through independent study there is something special about being taught by a fantastic teacher. This morning I donned a white and orange dress that I purchased at "Twice Loved Treasures" (Vineland, N.J) yesterday afternoon. They had a lot of vintage pieces in stock and I bought a lot of blouses but I only found one prized dress. I believe it is from the late 60's or early 70's. I wore a pair of brown heels,which aren't pictured, that my Mommom gave me. They are from the 60's and they complemented the dress nicely. The dress is from Sears and I am so sad that I found it at the end of the summer, I don't have a lot of time to wear it before it gets chilly.
          The only thing that irks me about the first day of school is the reading of the syllabus. I don't understand why adults have to be told about classroom etiquette and why said subject needs to take up 50 minutes of my time, but the world is a strange place.

New school clothes from Sears, completely polyester. I am living the mid-century suburban dream. 

A new school year, to me, is equivalent to the New Year. It's a fresh start. My academic career has not been stellar every semester since entering college but this semester is a fresh start. Just like the resolutions for the new year a new school year is a chance to make a fresh start.

My bookbag. I plan to adorn it with more badges and decorations. I am one of those obnoxious bookbag owners.

How many of you get excited about the first day of school? What about those who don't attend school anymore, does the beginning of September still feel like a special time for you? Does anyone else share my zeal to learn outside of formal teaching? If you don't have an opinion about any of that, what do you think about the dress?

Crusin' tunes.

Not only am I a vintage fashion, lover I am a music lover too. Since I was a child I loved music that was "before my time". It started with The Carpenters and then moved along to ABBA, then The Sex Pistols, The Clash (The Only Band That Matters), when I was a freshman in high school I was obsessed with Frank Sinatra! While I still love all of these artists right now I have discovered the perfection that is Bobby Darin (If you don't already love him I don't know what's wrong with you!)

Bobby Darin's records are so hard for me to find in South Jersey that I act possessed when I actually discover one. I found this prize at a yard sale while on vacation in Wildwood, NJ. 

Anyway, I've been doing a lot of driving this summer and so I've been finding that some tunes on my iPod are fantastic to drive to. The best ones are song that I call "spy tunes. These are songs that have that 60's spy movie feel to them, even though they all aren't from said movies. I even made a special playlist for driving tunes.


Secret Agent Man -Johnny Rivers

This is the best for driving on an open highway. I really like to pretend I'm a secret agent when I drive to this song, it can make even a trip to the grocery store fun! Yes, people who pose as adults have fun pretending too. 

After the Fox-The Hollies (with Peter Sellers)

Ugh, that opening keyboard line! You can't go wrong with The Hollies and anything Peter Sellers touches is gold! 

Casino Royale- Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass

Well, Herb Alpert is fantastic and so is the movie "Casino Royale". If you like this check out his album "Whipped Cream and Other Delights". I discovered that album in my mom's record collection when I was little (she got the album from my Poppop) and I always wanted to recreate the image on the cover. 

Here it is in all its splendor. Maybe one day. 

You Only Live Twice-Nancy Sinatra

This is the theme to the James Bond movie of the same name. It just makes me feel so cool when I'm 

driving. 

Now, dear readers, I want to know what you like to listen to while driving. I want to hear your thoughts, even if you just like the tunes I posted.

Label help .

Hi everyone! I am writing this to ask for help. While I was on vacation this year I purchased 3 dresses that were originally from a shop called "Rose Kate's", the shop was located in Atlantic City and that's about all I could find out. I asked my Mommom and she had never heard of the place. I also looked online and I only found 1 listing for a dress from "Rose Kate's".

My prized Rose Kate's dress. 

I wore one of the dresses for my latest shoot with Devil Dog Photography. Before I  did the shoot I had no idea that the dress was as shiny as it was, it doesn't look as luminous in real life but it's still a gorgeous dress. 

If anyone has any information on the shop please let me know. It was called Rose Kates and it was in Atlantic City. All the dresses including the one in the pictures are from the 60's as far as I can tell.