A Coiffure Affair Birthday Party

For the past couple of months I have had a hobby of learning to style my hair 1950s-esque.
Some, in my house, may say an obsession.  I am now mindful about avoiding wearing clothes that have to slip over my head (jamming your fancy hair through a neck hole can lead to devastating results) and staying clear of rainy humid weather (sorry, couldn't make it to the grocery store today due to rain and I'm not risking my curls to moisture. Just have a bowl of Cap'n for dinner! ).
It only seemed fitting to me to theme my birthday party this year with a vintage hair salon look.
It's all very pink and girly and frou frou which really isn't my thing typically, but for some reason I love it!
So go grab your teasing comb and let's get this party rolling!

My beloved public library recently bought a large scale printer.  I used it to print the enlargement of the hair net package on the wall along with the hairstyle heads seen above left.  Oh the possibilities with a large scale printer!  Surrounding the large print are smaller ones of vintage hair spray, bobby pin packaging, and hair dryers.

I turned the sideboard in the diningroom into a vanity stand by using a few curtains, elastic, and some pink lace bows which I placed around the front.  The garland is foam rollers, bobby pins, fishing line, and packing tape.  

A someone's-been-sniffing-the-hair-spray crooked angle view.

I placed some of my vintage hair doo dads on the vanity like these hair nets (bonus: they are in pink packaging!).

My box of Flamingo Professional Bob Pins. These get used quite a bit with all the hair styles I have been practicing. 

Lady Ellen Klippies, Gayla hair net, and a jar of Dippity-do.  I do use the klippies and the hair net.  Once I get better at styling my hair I may try out that Dippity-do and see what happens!

My home hair dryer.  I have a post dedicated to it coming up next.

A view including the table.

I made a simple center piece from a metal picture frame, curlers, curl clips, a print of a vintage hair styling book, and a vase of unfresh (plastic) flowers.

For the table runner I used a piece of vintage wall paper I picked up at a thrift store a looong time ago.  I had forgotten that I had it and came across it while Kon-Mari-ing.  It was very wrinkled and dirty which I delicately ironed it and washed it for this festivity.  I am planning on using it either in my bathroom or bedroom in the future.

On the other side of the dining room is my china cabinet which is hard to photograph due to it being back lit.  I kept it more simple with some vintage image prints of hair dryers, hair nets, and hair style model heads.  I printed out a glorious large format image of the lovely Dolly Parton with her tall hair from the 60's.

Which we then used as a game called Pin the Bow on "Dolly's Do".

For photo ops I had the boys sit under the dryer for a make over!
Here is Mr. Husband Sir before...

...and After!

PB before.....

...and After!

I made their hair pieces from some of the prints of the hairstyle head models, backed them in sheet craft foam, and then attached to headbands.  And my those pink curlers look familiar...

I am not sure what happen to the boys while under the dryer, but my hair turned out just fine!

For my cake I made a big pink bee hive hair do!  I  baked a couple of cakes using a metal bowl (for the bottom) and a metal high domed jello mold (for the teased to the ceiling top) to construct it.

La cucaracha time!



Since the theme lent it's self to so much pink I wore my vintage pink Aldens dress.  As I wrote about last week, while Kon-Mari-ing I went through all of my vintage clothes as one category.  Although this dress is pink I still really love it.  I have been working on loosing weight for the past couple of months and this dress now fits me!  It's really thrilling trying on some of my favorite vintage clothing pieces that have been in the bottom of a dank plastic bin for over a decade and now being able to wear them again.

Once I become more proficient at hair I will share any tips I discover.  Right now I am still kinda stumbling through all the wet sets, pin curls, and brush outs.  You don't want my input just yet!

But everything I use as inspiration and knowledge is in my pinterest board Hair Color, Cuts, and Chattels if you want to play along!

Estate Store Thrift Sale Day

I had a really amazing day of thrifting and estate sale-ing recently!
Here are just a few items that I picked up.

A vintage 1940s/50s bra box.  I found it on a shelf in the garage and oddly it was filled with boy childhood momentos...a slingshot, marbles, over sized dice. Huh.  The lady let me have the box for free!

Also bought a couple of pairs of gloves, one being these, still in package, never worn set by Dawnelle.

They still have the attacked labels and glove inserts.

I picked this cute hat up at a thrift store for 3 bucks.  The netting had a few tears but I fixed it up!

This pastry blender was also from the estate sale, 1 buck!  I have been wanting to get one of these to use while making the ever popular around my house, Deep Dish Apple Pie with Candied Crust Dessert.  Blending the butter and flour with a fork or my hands is quite a tedious task so I am looking forward to trying this bad boy out!

I also picked up a bunch of other stuff that day, just didn't photograph it.
A vintage (in my favorite shade of green) round tufted accent pillow, a 1951 University yearbook (for checking out hairstyles!), a few modern clothing items that can be smoozed into looking vintage, a new can opener (practical yes, but we needed one!), a vintage Chinese hi-ball glass with a red dragon design and an a-m-a-z-i-n-g can't-believe-I-found-it-in-a-thrift-store find.  One big hint: Vintage Halloween!
When October rolls around I will be posting about it!

It was a really great day of finds...and it happened to be my birthday!

Next week I will be posting photos from my Birthday Party so stayed tuned!

Vintage Frock Send Off

It's been a year since I started Kon-Maring my possessions.  (see this post on Kon-Mari)

I had been decluttering my house in general the year even before this. We have had 2 massive yard sales in the last 2 years along with having many things, more high dollar, listed on Craigslist.

With Kon-Mari Tiding you must approach your belongings by category, not location, and keep items that spark joy.  I also incorporated some lessons I learned from reading another book by Brooks Palmer called "Clutter Busting", which focuses on letting go of items that may have negative memories attached to them..."baggage".  I have gotten rid of things I have had for decades that I  kept just because there was nothing wrong with them and they had just always been there. One item I sold surprisingly, was my vintage violin (category: Sentimental Items).  I bought it when I was in high school with my meager part time pay check.  Time, money, and focusing on school all contributed to my not taking lessons.  I also thought I could figure it out myself! ha! I never considered ever getting rid of it though.  It was a part of my history.  I decided to let it go though because it wasn't sparking joy for me sitting in a case and not being played by someone with the skills.  It also had some negativity attached to it since I bought it through a girl that turned out to not be my friend.  So I sold it for 50 bucks on craigslist and have no regrets.  I have been selling a lot of stuff for cheap over the past year.  The point is to let it go...but if I can get a nickel, I will!!

Kon Mari, as I have mentioned before, is done by category starting with 'Clothes' first and ending with 'Sentimental Items'.  My vintage dresses were a part of Sentimental Items for sure!

Today I present a selection of vintage dresses that I decided I could relinquish into the world with a little farewell send off.  

First is this adorable 1950s Squaw dress.  I bought it on ebay about 20 years ago.  Great colors, but I never wore it much.

It still fit me even but I have another squaw dress that I absolutely love and kept.

It does have a great classic color combination!

******

This 1960s dress is so housewife and I do really like it.  But I decided to send it on since the boob area can not ahem, accommodate the space my girls need now.  I wore this dress a lot during my early 20s and swing dancing years when I was pre-PB and an itty bitty A cup. 

********

  

Oh. This dress. A gorgeous classic 1940 beauty. I spent waaay too much money on it.

Can't you see some gal with a magnolia in her victory rolled hair sporting this baby.

I decided to let this dress go because it's such a small size that I don't think I will ever be again.  Also it's a very delicate material and I would be scared to wear it/ tear it or spill something on it.  Too high maintenance for me.

*******

I bought this dress over 20 years ago to wear to the Shakespeare Festival.

Where else would I wear it?  That's why I let it go.

*******

This 1950s dress I bought when I was in high school at a vintage clothing shop for 5 bucks.  Back then I spent any bit of extra money I had on vintage clothes.  

This dress is beautiful and even fits me but I decided to let it go.  It was another one of those that I couldn't think of where I would wear it.  I don't get invited to snazzy cocktail parties or anything.

*******

This 1960 dress was a major staple during my early 20s and the dance floor.  It also has a 20 inch waist and that's not happening again, so I let it go.

*****

This is the one dress I almost held back.  I love the color and style.  It's a dress that could be worn places without having to hold a martini in one hand and a cigarette in the other.  It's beautiful yet understated.  It doesn't beg for attention but warrants it nonetheless.

But I decided to let it go because of the narrow waistline and delicate fabric.

*****

I bought this Esprit dress on ebay about 18 years ago.  I think it may be from the 1970s but it has all the classic 1950s features: blk/why polka dot, full skirt, sundress styling with those little pin up deals on the upper bust area.  It also still has it's original belt and ELASTIC!

This dress still fit me, with help from that elastic but I decided to let it go.  It had a bit of past negativity to it (again associated with a friend that turned out it be a back stabbing....well, you know).
Also my wardrobe is pretty much all blk/wht polka dots.  I am certainly not lacking in that department.

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This is an interesting little number that I bought from that same vintage shop I frequented during high school.  Now that I am looking at it, I bought 75 percent of the clothes I am letting go of from there.  The store is still open but it is now a year round costume rental shop, not much vintage anymore.  I sold the polka dot dress above to that shop as a matter of fact.

But back to this dress.  I bought it for swing dancing 18 years ago and probably wore it a few times.  I let it go because it's too fancy for me now and I am not a fan of ass hugging dresses.  No need for me to accentuate that region!

It has some great all over embroidery though and I do love black and pink together.

******

This 1960s dress was bought from a local vintage shop that isn't around anymore.  I love the print.  The fabric is very satiny.

And it came with a matching coat!

I let this one go because the coat was faded on the shoulders (it was like that even when I bought it) and it's too small for me and it's too fancy.

*****

These vintage Maverick dungarees were a purchase I made 20 years ago when I used to sell on ebay.  I had bought them to sell at that time because they were to big for me, which, now they are too small.  I let them go also because I didn't like the roughness of the fabric.

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I live in Florida.  That's why I sold this massive Lord and Taylor coat.

Now for the shocker...I sold all of these pieces for 10 bucks each.  I needed to get these things moved on and didn't want to fuss around with ebay.  Like I mentioned before, the Esprit dress was sold to a costume shop, a gal I like from the library bought the massive Hagrid coat, and the rest was bought by one girl who I assume has plans on selling them on ebay.  More power to you sister!

I did save back a small stack of clothes that are super nice and I want more than 10 bucks for which I plan on selling in the future.  And of course I saved a huge stack of joy sparking clothes also, even if they didn't fit!

Here's a little history nugget for you, the reason I wanted to play the violin.  

I loved Camper Van Beethoven in high school (and now too!)
I used to listen to this cassette tape back then and would try scratching out some tunes playing along with it on my violin.
During my Kon-Mari tiding marathon, when I did my cassette tapes (yes, I still have and kept some) my CVB stayed!

At some point in the future I plan on doing some posts featuring my Joy Sparking vintage clothes that I kept!

Sears 1957 Catalog

During our trip to Mount Airy/ Mayberry during the summer I picked up this 1957 Sears Spring/Summer catalog for only 10 bucks at an antique mall.

I have been enjoying looking through it for stuff I own (or have owned in the past) when I came across this dress:

"Printed Pongee..acetate and cotton...looks like silk.  Rhinestones on front of collar; gathers all around skirt.  Hand wash.  Shpg. wt. 1 lb. 12 oz.  Misses' sizes 10, 12, 14, 16, 18.  Measure; order correct size.
031K3399- Turquoise, avocado and tangerine print on natural beige ground.....$6.74
031K3400- Green. yellow, and tangerine print on natural beige ground..............$6.74"

I know that dress!

Looks a little different though since someone before I owned it had tried (disastrously) to dye it purple.  The front looks like a splotch of blue and the shoulders are kinda reddish.

It's hard to make out but the tag says "Sears and Roebuck Kerrybrook Fashion"
There are those rhinestone features on the collar!

Here is a close up of the fabric design.  It is an amazing 50s print.  I bought the dress from a vintage shop in Tallahassee over 20 years ago.
During my Kon-Mari tidying marathon I decided to let this dress go since I never really ever worn it because of the weird deal going on the front.
I went through all of my vintage clothes and let a bunch of them go (already sold) but I photographed them and will be posting images here for fun.

I also will eventually post more images from the 1957 Sears Catalog but since the spine is difficult to open the book up for scanning I will have to photograph the pages instead, which is a bummer.  I like scanned images much better when it comes to magazines and the such.

Jack's 1 Cent Cookies

We picked this very adorable Jack's One Cent Cookies container up from an antique mall.  I was in love with it and didn't mind the 25 bucks price tag too much since I saw one listed on ebay for 90 bucks (with shipping)!

The lid and bottom are metal and the side is plastic.  It's really big, measuring 12 inches tall and 10.5 inches diameter...holding a whooping 5 bucks in one cent cookies I bet!

"Ingredients:  Flour, Sugar, Shortening, non-fat milk solids, invert syrup, eggs, salt, leavening, spices, artificial flavoring, certified color."

Certified color? I don't know what that means, but since these cookie have "spices" I'll buy a dime's worth!

"Chocolate Cookies: Cocoa added.  Coconut Cookies:  Coconut added.  Oatmeal cookies:  Oatmeal added."

Makes sense.

"Property of Jack's Cookie Co.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Charlotte, North Carolina
Greenville, Mississippi
Mobile, Alabama
Tampa, Florida"

All cities from my side of the tracks!

The day before we found this Jack's cookie container a photo of one popped up on our screen saver from a trip we took to the Naval Air Museum which has a little indoor street area representing a small town during WWII.  One spot on the 'street' is a general store that has a Jack's Cookie Jar on the counter (see above for serving suggestion).  So the photo popped up and I thought how much I would love to have one of those containers and lo and behold!  I have got to post some photos from that museum because I LOVE the 1940s street area.  I could live there!  Don't you just love all the vintage packaging in the background of the store seen above?!  That's only a small bit of it! And! There's a little house too...With A Kitchen!!

Bonus feature!

I came across a scanned brochure on the nets from Jack's Cookie Company which was found in the trash! 

See this site for the rest of the pages, a few photos, and a bunch of receipts of ingredients.

Now I know what some of those "Spices" and "Certified Color" are!  

Ammonia and Egg Color!

PS:  Why in the heck is the "cent sign" not on keyboards!?

Bing-It!

Another very neat thrift store vintage find, for 5 bucks.. BING-IT !
The NEW Toy and Sport Sensation!

Play it...on the beach...on the lawn...on the court...anywhere!
Offers hours of fun...for the whole family!

It also came with a little booklet of boring game instructions meant to take all the fun of just "binging" it!  I won't be following those.

The bingers are made from a metal wood grain looking enameled ring with a stretched drum membrane and a wood hand grip with a nylon wrist strap.  When the shuttlecock hits against the binger it has a great drum sound to it.  If you and your partner/opponent are really good at it I bet you could bust out a beat on these things!

I plan on putting together matching outfits like the couple on the box for Mr. Husband Sir and I to go down to the park so we can Bing-It together!