Our first Christmas with new babies (not mine, don't worry! ha) and new puppies (totally mine, although he's not exactly a puppy any more! 4 years old!).
Gifts for everyone. Especially for our grandmother. She had a rough Christmas last year.
And cheesy poses by the Christmas tree.
I loved reading what everyone was doing for Christmas. Those of you who were fortunate to spend it with family are truly blessed!
This winter, it's seems that all I want to wear is lace and fur. And sweaters. Big sweaters and sweater tights. I think I could last until Spring.
But I just can't decide how I truly feel about fur... Obviously I love it, or I wouldn't be wearing it so much lately. And I only buy vintage fur... I wouldn't support a business involved in poaching animals and whatnot... but still. I don't eat animals. But I wear them. Ahhhh! I just don't know. I sound like I'm trying too hard to justify wearing fur. What do you think?
To fur, or not to fur. That is the question. Indeed.
On a side note, I've been putting my hair in big rollers again. It seems the past two years I've transformed into a low maintenance just let my hair dry by itself kinda girl. I'd like to stay that way (as long as I don't end up with the sniffles this winter), but I'm really digging the 1960s full bodied look.
Outfit Details:
Sweater: Vintage (thrifted Canton, OH)
Fur: Vintage (Hidden Pearl, CUyahoga Falls, OH)
Tights: Love Colour Love Tights (UK)
Shoes: Vintage (thrifted)
Are you guys on twitter? You should totally follow me if you are. Then you can know if there's a good movie on TCM, see what fun things I'm working on, help me make mundane decisions, and, of course, see my twitpics! Duh!
Raise your hand if you like vintage typewriters. Now keep your hand raised if you actually use vintage typewriters.... That's what I thought. Just a few of us. It's okay, they're pretty to look at. Some people use them for decor these days. I use them for scrapbooking. And if you're super artistic, like little Cathie here, you can even find a typewriter in your favorite hue to match your favorite sweater ensemble!
I rounded up a few fun typewriters on Etsy for your shopping pleasure. Or for your viewing pleasure. Whichever your budget allows.
(image credit: elena-lu)
Doesn't home seem so empty after the holidays? I usually add decorations for Christmas, but when they're taken down afterwards, it always seems like there is a void I need to fill. So, I've been thinking of some fun ways to add a little something extra to our decor after the sparkley lights and garlands are taken down.
I love that old salon chair and the industrial pieces laying about this apartment. It would be so lovely to find something completely useless but utterly enchanting like this for our own home.
Check out that blue cabinet! Not only does it match the wall, but the color adds a lot of whimsy to an otherwise ordinary piece of furniture. I have a couple of cheap thrift store pieces that I've been considering painting. Maybe it's time I think a bit more seriously on the matter...
Now, I'm not quite sure if this one is doable... But I've been wanting to wallpaper somewhere- anywhere!- in our house for quite some time. I'm just not sure how my landlord brother would feel about that. Annnd I'm not sure how long we'll actually be living here. Maybe I should wait until we get our own home. But I can barely stand waiting any more!
I've been known to add little bits of 1960's kitsch in our home, but in the winter, it might be warming to add a few more fun pieces! Something easy to change out as the mood strikes me. Such as this afghan coverlet and the 12 Angry Men movie poster.
These drawer shelves really make me want to try a new vintage DIY project. I love the little touch of turquoise lace at the top as well. I'll have to try to find a way to make my own project a bit less girly, though, or it might garner complaints from the menfolk.
So, I have a couple more weeks until my next semester of school begins. Maybe I'll manage to accomplish some of these projects by then! Ah, I just don't know where to begin.
I'll be spending Christmas Eve and Christmas day with our extended family celebrating Jesus' birthday. We'll be eating lots of food, singing Christmas carols, snuggling up with full bellies, and most likely watching cliche Christmas movies like It's a Wonderful Life.
What are you doing for Christmas this year?
(image source: 1950s Flickr group)
My mom gave me a box of clothes that she used to wear when I was a little girl. I found this lovely wool plaid skirt amongst the glorious collection of 80s ensembles and shortened it a bit. It sort of made her day when we I showed up at her house wearing her old skirt!
The top is actually a dress. It's way too breezy to be wearing in the wintertime, so this is my solution. I was a little worried that the outfit would look too librarian, so I paired it with these zip up booties and some leather gloves. I think it balanced out in the end.
By the way... I took off my black wool coat for these photos, and it was fa-reeeezing! Silly me. I must find somewhere indoors to take outfit shots.
Outfit details:
blouse/dress: vintage
cardigan: UO 08
skirt: vintage (from my mother's closet- it came with a belt)
tights: UO 09
shoes: UO 09
gloves: Kohls 08
purse: vintage (thrifted 08)
Hey guys! I've just gone through the entire inventory of clothing at Half Caf and drastically discounted all of the price tags. If there's something you've been eyeing for the buying, now's the time!
Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without the tried and true Christmas movies. Our family has a list of our own personal favorites, involving the Muppets, Steve Martin, and Zooey Deschanel. But here is my own personal list of must see holiday movies.
A charming romantic comedy about a 1940s woman who isn't the typical 1940s housewife... she's just pretending to be.
This dreamy coming of age movie is set in turn of the century St. Louis (there's a shocker!). It's a real nostalgic movie about family bonds and young love. Sigh. (Oh, and you know that beloved Christmas song Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas? It was written for this movie. Further proof that it's a classic.)
A bishop becomes preoccupied with building his church, while his family and everyone else is won over by Dudley (aka Cary Grant) who is actually an angel who has been sent to help each one of them. The funny part is that Cary Grant is an angel. At least to me, anyway!
You can all roll your eyes now. But I can't help myself! I love Jimmy Stewart, and this is the epitome of a feel good American Christmas movie. For those of you who haven't seen this movie (!!!!), it's about a man who has a wonderful life, and doesn't realize it until he is given the chance to see what everyone else's lives would be like without him.
Total Christmas candy. This movie is just a complete treat! The best songs (even if you're not into musicals- I swear!), the best entertainers, beautiful sets, and a great Mid Century "the war is over" sentiment. If I played favorites, this one would take the prize.
Jimmy Stewart makes the cut once again! (That's no surprise, as I'm the one curating the list.) I blogged a short while back about the unexpected fashion inspiration in this movie. But the plot is just as charming. It's about two coworkers who aren't particularly fond of each other, but aren't aware that they are secret romantic pen pals. It's the original You've Got Mail, in case you were wondering why it sounds so familiar! It counts as a Christmas movie in my list because most of the important scenes happen during Christmastime.
I hope that you will find time to watch at least one of these movies this Christmas! I find them to be a huge part of Christmas nostalgia, and will definitely talk my family into watching at least one of them with me!
Only a couple of days left until Christmas! But there's still time to put together a few things to make your table more festive. If your family has casual Christmas Eve gatherings, like mine, this would be a perfect project for your buffet table.
I found these buckets for a few dollars at Pat Catans, a craft store much like Hobby Lobby. I actually bought them a couple of years ago for a bridal shower, but have been keeping them in the basement since then. I thought I would resurrect them with some holiday style using Hambly Christmas rub-ons.
This is a project that you could really do any time of the year. Hambly has a variety of rub ons perfect that are perfect for baby showers, bridal showers, New Year's parties, and any kind of party, really. I even have a similar project in mind for Valentine's Day!
