My Vintage Vanity Part 1

This is a sugar bowl. I love that it has magnolias on it. 

Some of my favorite vintage items are vanity items. I remember going to my Aunt Shirley's house and playing in her glass powder container with giant puff. My Aunt Donna also always had lots of glass bottles of perfume and lotions on her vanity and in her bathroom.  My mother's vanity too, was covered in jars and bottles and while the vanity now resides with my sister and the bottles and jars have all long since been disposed of, I am still enthralled by glass canisters of lotions and big powder puffs. So, I'm going to share with you how I manage to give my vanity this feel without actually having to own any vintage vanity items. (I mean I do own many vintage items but here is how I fake some of them.)

I love the brand Tocca for perfume and lotion.  The actual jar shown here is how the sell their lotion... I love it, it's so creamy and light that a little goes really far and the smells are just decadent. Also, I get a lovely glass jar- that I can fill with whatever I want when I'm done with the lotion. Also, the round box next to the glass jar is the box it came in... which I filled with my Lush foot powder (so my feet don't sweat in my stocking.) I simply bought a cheap drugstore powder puff for about $3.50 and voila! 

I did a similar thing with my regular body powder using a sugar bowl I thrifted from a local junk shop. Sorry, I'm not one for vintage plastic- I think they look a little cheap for me... too dimestore. I like the luxury of glass and the vintage one's online were exorbitantly priced and mostly plastic, the shapes reminded so much of a sugar bowl that I just went to my local thrift shop and snapped one up for about $2.50. Cleaned it up really well, dumped the the powder inside and bought a drugstore powder puff. 

 A few years ago I found a lovely bathroom vanity set on clearance at Anthropologie. A three piece set of a water cup "Eau" and soap dish and a covered jar shown to the left in unglazed white porcelain. They are in an elegant Art Nouveau style. Very '20's and 30's. 

I keep cotton balls in the "Beaute" jar, my jewelry on the soap dish (as if I'd put soap on it! HA!) and my makeup brushes in the water cup "Eau." This on my vanity paired with my Tocca perfume bottle hearkens back on day long past of luxury and style. It certainly beats  plastic containers, plastic bottles, and plastic pump top items with ugly pictures of legs and such on them.

Modern Vanity and jewelry fits right in with my Vintage watch.

My perfume is Giulietta by Tocca and my makeup
brushes are a combination of Victoria's Secret and
Sephora's store brand brushes.

 The jewelry pictured is: a vintage watch from the 1930's that was my Aunt's, a Tiffany's Palomo Picasso heart ring in silver that I received for Christmas and my Tiffany's necklace that I received for my birthday.  Tiffany's is always welcome in my book, vintage or not, jewelry from this classic store doesn't lose it's value and is always in style, plus I feel that it added to the class of my photos.  I have lots more vanity items that are garage sale finds and I'll share those in a later post, most of those however, actually are vintage items and I wanted this post to be more about how I fake vintage.

Twice Baked Shepherd's Pie Potatoes

Ok, so I was watching Paula Deen... who I am in love with, and I saw her husband making Deluxe Twice Baked Potatoes with Shrimp. I haven't been able to erase it from my mind since. I'm obsessed. Unfortunately, the boyfriend doesn't really enjoy shrimp... so I decided to take a recipe he DID like and roll it into Mrs. Deen and her husband, Michael's magnificent looking recipe. 

Things you'll need:

4 large baking potatoes baked (I prick mine with a fork, rub olive oil on it and bake it at 350 for about an hour)

1/2 cup Sour Cream (I also added a tbsp of Mayo but it isn't necessary)
milk for texture
1 green onion
2-3 Tbsp. butter or margarine


Meat Mixture:
Approx 1lb hamburger/ground turkey (I had 1.23 lbs so I just made an extra ramekin of Shepherd's Pie)
1-2 cups beef stock 
2-3 tbsp. flour
1/2 small yellow or spanish onion diced
2 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
Tabasco, salt, pepper, and garlic to taste (Trust me on the hot sauce!)
1/2 cup favorite veggies

6-8oz. Cheddar Cheese (I used both shredded and deli sliced because I had both in the fridge and I'm lazy)

Step 1:Bake the four potatoes after pricking with a fork and rubbing in olive oil in a 350 oven for approximately an hour. When they are cool enough, cut a trough in the top and scoop it out into a bowl. (Paul Deen's husband taught me that.)


Step 2: Cook hamburger and onion in pan using beef stock to keep it from sticking (I use really lean beef), then add 1 tbsp. flour at a time until you have a gravy going (add more stock as needed.) Then once you've got a nice brown gravy in your meat add the Worcestershire sauce and salt, pepper, garlic and Tabasco to taste. (I used 1 tsp salt, 3 tsp garlic, 1/2 tsp pepper, and 3 good shakes of Tabasco.) Tabasco and Worcestershire Sauce go together like peas and carrots. OH MAN! You can also add 1/2 a cup of veggies if you desire. I added 1/2 cup frozen peas.

Step 3: Make mashed potatoes. I add about 2 oz. shredded cheddar, 1/2 cup sour cream, 2-3 tbsp. butter, 1 green onion chopped and mix it with a mixer using milk to thin it to the texture I prefer. Salt and Pepper to taste.







Step 4: STUFF IT!
Fill potato 3/4 full with meat mixture, then stack some cheese (I used 1 slice of sliced deli cheese but you can do whatever you want), lastly, go ahead and pile on the mashed potatoes and top with some of the remaining cheese. and place in a greased baking dish.





Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Enjoy! BE CAREFUL THESE PUPPIES GET HOT! 









 Now for the food porn...

 

 I was able to make two ramekins worth of Shepherd's pie from the extra potatoes and meat mix.

These were so good that boyfriend devoured 2 of them... Let me know if you try them!!

Stocking and Thigh Highs and Tights, OH MY!

Stockings and Thigh Highs and Tights, OH MY!

   Many modern women do not know the difference between the different hosiery, so today I'm doing a special little lesson in Lycra education.

Fishnet Pantyhose

Pantyhose

   (Also known as Tights in the UK) are sheer, close-fitting legwear, covering the body from the waist to the feet. (Thank you, Wikipedia) Serving as a combination of "hose" and panties.

Tights

    (In the United States) tend to be thicker or even opaque versions of pantyhose

Leggings

   Basically they are tights that do not cover the feet- great for greaser events if they are VERY opaque.

Thigh Highs

   These are the stockings made with a stretchy material that (supposedly) do NOT require garters to hold them up.  Sometimes they have a rubbery plastic inside the top to
"grip" them to the thighs and almost always have some form of extra elastic at the top of them.

Stockings

Stockings

    Much like thigh highs but with formed feet and no elastic at the top. They must have a garter belt or garters to hold them up.  They come in many colors and styles and are the way women were wearing them until the 1960's. These are my favorite even though during performances I will usually opt for pantyhose or fishnets.

**Fully Fashioned Stockings**

   These are stockings which are sewn up the back creating a seam... however today most are one piece of fabric with a mock seam up the back. They also come in both Cuban and French heels, which are a reinforced section on the heel area. The difference between the two is in the shape on the heel, Cuban heels have a rectangular detail on the heel and French heels have a triangular of pointed detail on the back of the heel. 

Here is my personal opinion on each:  

   Pantyhose/tights are great for performing in and for giving a complete reshaped contour of the body.  Good for wiggle dresses, when it drops below freezing, and they cover up cellulite in the upper reaches of the legs and buttocks... and in some cases the stomach as well.  Bad for sexy stripteases (where everything is coming off), hygiene (they hold heat and moisture to places that don't need either), and enticing men - they don't notice them.  

   Thigh highs are awesome in theory but they have never worked out for me, if your thigh is NOT the same size as your knee then they probably won't work for you either.  They tend to create a weird indent in the thigh on anyone who isn't a Victoria's Secret model and if you are overweight- don't even consider them because the will be the bane of your existence. 

   Stockings are my favorite- when purchased in the right size they are alluring and sexy and fun.  They do keep your legs warm but provide "air" in the upper area of  your body, they are not hot, itchy, and they do not run easily (unless you have sharp talons).  I've had stockings last me up to 3 years being worn at least 4x a month and washed by hand before they got a run in them.  Quite often they peek out of clothing and everyone men and women alike are intrigued and drawn to the site of them. They do not provide reshaping however and garters can cause strange lines under very tight clothing so keep that in mind.

   **On a closing thought,  I find many people confuse garters and garter belts and I, myself, quite often refer to my garters... when in fact I'm referring, in actuality to my garter belt's straps.  Garter belts go around your waist and have tabs/snaps/straps that connect to your stockings to hold them up and garters are pieces of fabric that are either elastic or tie around your upper leg to hold your stockings up (tying them around your leg is old school... like Marie Antoinette and George Washington old school.) For a long time women would attach their stockings to straps attached to their corsets or girdles, but in the early 20th Century the garter belt was invented and it spurred women in the 1920's to do away with corsetry all together and opt for shorter hair and skirts.**

Jeepers, Creepers, Where'd you get THOSE peepers?

Jeepers, Creepers! Where'd You Get Those Peepers?

Today I am going to do a review on false lashes.  I happen to know more about false eyelashes than your everyday gal- since I wear them ALL THE TIME.  Before reading this you should be made aware that they are addictive and once you go big you can't go back!

Some EXTREMELY long eyelashes of mine

I use strip lashes as they work the best for me.   I've used many brands and I'm here to tell you that the two that stick out are Makeup Foreverhttp://www.sephora.com/ and Mattese http://www.rickysnyc.com/.

Makeup Forever has AMAZING eyelash glue hold-wise BUT the application can be messy and it stains clothes (I dripped some on a black costume skirt and now it looks like it came out of Monica Lewinsky's closet.)

I have two sets by Makeup Forever. #25115  are pink at the lid line and about half-way down the lash they become black with little decorative tips. 

http://www.makeupforever.com/products/eyes/artistic-false-lashes/artistic-eyelashes-25115.html

#25116- are a dark heavy black feathered lash- great for when you need to look dangerous.

http://www.makeupforever.com/products/eyes/artistic-false-lashes/artistic-eyelashes-25116.html

I find that Makeup Forever's eyelashes are very high quality- great for multiple uses (I reuse them for MONTHS) easy to apply but not as easy to trim, especially the feather ones as cutting the inner tip dramatically changes the effect of the lashes.  I would recommend just starting on the inner corner of the eye and extending beyond the lash line if need be- don't trim them at all if you can avoid it.  Their eyelashes cost between $10.00 and $22.00 a set.

On to Mattese Eyelashes.

These are my favorite.  They are inexpensive (between $7.00- $14.00 a set)

however not all of them come with eye lash glue.  I have so many pairs of these I don't know where to begin but I will share two of my favorite lashes they make.

This set is very Marylin Monroe and I wear these for regular appearances in and around the city.  They are clearly false lashes and I really love them.  They provide a heavy lidded look and give that smoldering temptress her bedroom eyes.

http://www.rickysnyc.com/beauty-makeup-products/false-eye-lashes/lashes-party-11.html

Me wearing Mattese lashes

These lashes are super fun- though can be a little uncomfortable if they are put on wrong- they are stiffer than some of the other models.  I am wearing these in my profile picture both here on blogger and in my pinup set on my facebook page.

http://www.rickysnyc.com/beauty-makeup-products/false-eye-lashes/lashes-party-13.html

I find that Mattese's lashes are a little more cost effective and last just as long (they even have VERY similar styles to Makeup Forever) for me they are easier to get as there is a Ricky's on every other corner here in New York City but you can always order them online from Ricky's (which if you don't know about Ricky's, it's a Mecca for drag queens, strippers, burlesque dancers, and rockabillys.)  They carry both natural and crazy lashes... though I say, go big or go home- everyone knows that your eyelashes are not that long or full or well curled so you may as well live it up.

As far a glue goes- buy a tube of both clear and black from DUO (it's the best glue I've used.)  I rarely use the black but it can be great if you are doing a jet black eye or very dark makeup near the lash line however, I suggest using the clear until you are a lash master.  

How to put on false lashes:

Before you begin put your eye makeup on.  It's easier to adjust eye makeup once the lashes are on rather than attempting to create a look from scratch- that's my opinion everyone is different, only experimentation will help you.

When you pull the strip off the plastic mold remember to pull from one end (not the middle, you don't want to accidentally put a kink or break in your lashes) and smoothly peel them off their holder.  Even though it is sticky you must still use glue, even if they say they are self adhesive, you must still use glue- the tacky stuff they use to stick it to the plastic WILL NOT hold it to your eye. 

Put a very thin strip of glue on the part of the eyelash you are placing above (for the top and below if you are using bottom lashes as well) your lash line.  Allow it to get tacky BEFORE putting it on your eye.  You have to let eyelash glue cure before attaching it to your eye. 

Once the glue is ready (anywhere from 30-60 seconds or so for me) start on the inner part of your lash line where you want the lashes and gently press them on  (I use the handle of a makeup brush to hold it place) and follow the lash line all the way across the eye to the outer corner.  Starting from the inside of the eye and moving outward gives you more control on where the lashes are situated and allows you to decide if you need to trim them and which end you should trim from. Hold it in place a minute and then if they are satisfactory do it on the other eye.  Voila!  Beautiful false lashes!

Don't be afraid to wear big lashes, or colorful lashes.  They are fun and easy to wear and once you know the tricks can really bring an outfit to life- a femme fatale, an innocent anjenu, a doe-eyed sock hopper, or that smoldering temptress we talked about earlier.

Liebster Blog Award

The Liebster Blog Award

My fellow blogger at 2aussiemammas

has nominated The Everyday Pinup Girl

for a Liebster Blog Award!

 
 

The Liebster Blog Award is given

to up and coming bloggers who

have less than 200 followers.

“Liebster” is German for “favorite.”

 

Here are the rules of the award:

• Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
• Answer the 11 questions the tagger has set for you.
• Create 11 questions for the people you’ve tagged to answer.
• Choose 11 people and link them in your post.
• Go to their page and tell them.
• Remember no tag backs!

Eleven Facts:

1. I love pickles.
2. I have nightmares about dinosaurs.
3. I hate Katy Perry... and I love Katy Perry.
4. I can make damn near anything from scratch.
5. I love to use my stand mixer and sewing machine.
6. I suck at frosting cakes.
7.  My favorite band is No Doubt... still.
8. I love patent leather. I just love shiny things.
9. I have 8 piercings.
10. My favorite thing to eat is Tacos. I can literally eat them for every single meal.
11. I hate movies that take place in space (with the exception of the Fifth Element because more than half takes place on Earth) ... it's inexplicable but I have no attention span for it.

Eleven Responses:

1. If you could change one event in history what would it be?

Marilyn Monroe dying from an overdose.  I think she has more fabulous things inside of her to do yet.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Last month... because I got overwhelmed by Christmas.

3. What is the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?

I moved to New York City and then 6 years later I decided to go on one of it's stages and strip.

4. What do you consider the three biggest drawbacks of your personality?

I waver in my decisions, I get easily overwhelmed, I move on from things too quickly.

5. What do you consider the three biggest positives of your personality?

I'm positive, diplomatic, and flexible.

6. What was your relationship like with your parents when you were growing up?

They were definitely my parents as opposed to being my friends but we got along well. I got all the time a girl could ask for to be a kid.

7.  What movie could you watch over and over?

Robin Hood Prince of Thieves.  I do watch it over and over and I can't explain it so don't ask... also Empire Records, Hidalgo, and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

8. What is your idea of the perfect 24 hours?

Massage in the morning followed by a champagne breakfast, then getting my hair and nails done and meeting up with some of my girls for crafts/drinks/lunch, then going to the theatre dressed to the nines with my beau and going to a lovely dinner and dancing afterwards... followed by some naughty after hours entertainment at a burlesque club and then at home too. 

9. Have you ever had a supernatural or psychic experience?

Yes, I have them all the time. 

10.What is your view on the death penalty?

I think that life in prison is far more cruel than the death penalty.

11. Why do you blog?

To share my knowledge and thoughts about the things I'm interested in.

Eleven Blogs

1. http://the-dandy-life.com/

2. http://shimmypolediary.blogspot.com/

3. http://nastycanastaburlesque.blogspot.com/

4 . http://veronicavintage.wordpress.com/

5. http://apinupextraordinaire.blogspot.com/

6. http://missmagpiemusings.blogspot.com/

7. http://pinup-life.blogspot.com/

8. http://thepinupsweetshoppe.blogspot.com/

9. http://planetpinupshop.wordpress.com/

10.  http://www.ladyofvintage.com/

11. http://peekaboopointe.blogspot.com/

Eleven Questions

1. What is your favorite place to shop online?

2. Favorite perfume?

3. What is something you regret?

4. Describe you dream vacation.

5. What are your thoughts on booties?

6. Paris or Rome? Why?

7.  What is your favorite meal?

8. How do you feel about Vegetarianism?

9. What was your favorite book when you were a kid?

10. Coffee or Tea?

11. What is the most disgusting thing you've ever eaten?

Beauty in the Kitchen: Cocoa Coffee Face Mask

As part of my 2013 resolutions I'm going to attempt to keep up with my blog. I realize that I suck at staying on task and it's a shame because I have so many things to share with the online pinup community. So, today we begin the new year with a lovely face mask that you can make with the stuff in your refrigerator.

THE COCOA COFFEE FACE MASK

I found this recipe online a few years ago though I no longer remember where I got it from but I've adjusted it and become married to certain ingredients so I guess it's my version now. This recipe makes about 2-3 masks for the face or can be doubled for a mask for your body if that is your desire.

2 tablespoons espresso or finely ground coffee

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (not hot cocoa mix...)

4 tablespoons PLAIN greek yogurt (I use non-fat because that's what I eat but you can use full fat)

1 tablespoon honey






I find that fresh coffee is preferable to coffee grounds but you can use either. I put the dry ingredients together first and mix them.








Then add in your Greek yogurt and honey.  I use Greek yogurt because it make a thicker, less messy paste. If you are using regular yogurt mix it 1 tbsp. at a time until it's the consistency you want. I like mine like cake frosting. That way it doesn't drip onto everything I own.

Smear it all over your face and attempt not to get it onto EVERYTHING. I know my picture is low quality but I couldn't resist showcasing my amazing chihuahua wanting to be in the picture. My hand is preventing her from actually licking my face... this face mask is NOT meant for puppy ingestion... in fact it's toxic to them so do not feed this face to any animals. No matter how badly they want to eat it.

Let it dry... (It takes about 20-30 minutes- but you should know... I cheat and sit in front of a fan. Ha Ha Ha!)

DON'T SCRUB IT OFF! The coffee granules could scratch up your face so please just hop in the shower and rinse it off using your hands. You can also soak a wash cloth and let it sit on your face to loosen the mask but I'm no non-sense and just bypass extra work by taking a shower.  There will be no photo of me in the shower.



This should make your skin glow, ( please ignore my acne... a lot of candy, cookies, cake and chocolate happened in the last month and has wrecked havoc on my face... hence why I'm putting a face mask on it) the caffeine in the coffee and cocoa powder brighten the skin. If you use this on your body it can also combat cellulite- not permanently, sorry. Caffeine stimulates blood flow and that can reduce the appearance of cellulite and puffiness.

My face is super soft, less puffy, and my skin is tighter and firmer and I'm about to put some moisturizer on it to protect it.

Try it out and let me know what you think! 

Vintage Boozehound: Rum

Rum, the drink that makes us think of Pina Colada's and Bahama Mama's. This liquor is the star of the tropical drink scene and for those of us the profoundly dislike sugary sweet drinks rum seems to be off the table.

Bat Symbol at the Bacardi Factory

Recently, I traveled to Puerto Rico, Bacardi Central. I tried a sugary cocktail and immediately regretted it. It was more like a slushy and it made me sleepy. So my next drink was a Mojito- not too bad, better than the ones here in NYC with two thousand half crushed mint leaves that constantly get in my way.  I decided to ask my lovely boyfriend if he wanted to tour the Bacardi factory, he thought it sounded fun so the next morning we decided to head out via taxi.

Hospitality area of Bacardi Factory in Puerto Rico, designed
in the 1960's

Upon pulling up we were ushered to the hospitality area where we signed up for the English Speaking tour which started in 20 minutes and were given a batch of free drink tickets. The bar was empty so I moseyed up and asked the bartender, "Do you have a drink that doesn't involve a daiquiri, punch, or Cola?" He said, "You can mix it with club soda." Ew! I thought, but it was a free drink so I might as well try it and I heart club soda so it can't be that bad. So I perused all the flavors. Limon, Coconut, Melon, Green Apple- blah blah blah... wait, Torched Cherry? Rock Coco? What are these?


I chose Torched Cherry. It was like a Cherry soda. No joke. Without the brown stuff. It was probably the most delicious thing I drank in a very long time. It smelled so good and tasted so refreshing. The Man decided to have a Rum Punch (meh) then he tried my drink, and the look of surprise on his face was PRICELESS. "That's really good!"

Then it was time for the tour. I learned all about rum and how it's made and how Bacardi invented the process by which we now enjoy modern rum. The reason we have light rum is because this rich guy was bored and decided to tinker around with the process of distilling rum. I'm pleased to announce that I've never been more pleased with a the product of someone's boredom. I learned about the bat symbol and how it came to be part of Bacardi. They had bats in their first facility and they would constantly chase them out of there, but Mrs. Bacardi brought up the suggestion that they have a symbol on their labels since many people at the time could not read and this would ensure to them that they were getting Bacardi's rum. So they chose the Bat and now it's the most popular rum in the world.

I created this post not to teach everyone about Bacardi, but to revive an interest in this classic liquor. It was VERY popular in the 1950's, and for any pinup party rum should make it's appearance but modern tastes don't always coincide with vintage cocktails.  This is just a way to spark interest and conversation about this under-utilized gem and encourage you to head down and grab a bottle. Cheers!