Haunted Idol: The Story of the Real Cary Grant by Geoffrey Wansell

For Christmas Perry gifted me with a book. Oh how he knows me sooooo well *eyeroll*. However it was a book I could get excited about. A book that was written about my dead lover, Cary Grant. Haunted Idol was written while Cary was still alive and surprisingly with some support from the private man himself.

Being that I have difficulty reading, this book was just that, difficult. The chapters were monsterously long so it took me 4 months to complete. Now that says more about me than that of the author. Other than the long chapters the only other difficulty I had is that the author would side note talk about various people involved in that particular sequence of events making me lose direction and not quite always knowing of who he was talking about.

Other than that, it was quite an insightful read about a man that  makes me go pitter patter on sight alone. Unfortunately the insight was more depressing and shattering than anything. I believe the legend of Cary Grant is even bigger today than the image of Cary Grant was then. And it was pretty intense then! This book is not for anyone who wants to believe Cary Grant was anything more than the dashing man who was on the screen. If one needs that idol to look up to, leave it at just that. Don't read this book. Don't get me wrong, my Darling Grant was never a horrid man, but rather a weak man consumed with insecurities that left him bitchy, moody, cranky, and demanding. In other words... a mere mortal.

I could go on and tell you about him and what I have learned from this book, however I would then just be writing my own book. I don't wish to do that. If you are looking for an eye opening, bubble bursting account of a sex symbol whose presence is held in high regard today, read this book... I was left feeling a bit of pity for the guy. And not the pity you feel when you sympathize with someone... the pity you feel when you are left disgusted. Does it make me love him any less? No... he is still beautiful to look at. However, this fangirl's starry gaze has faded a bit. I don't think less of him... just different.  He will still be my number one fantasy man ;) maybe even more so now because he has become human... I am not sure. I am still letting all this sink in. Oh sigh...

In the end, I can only sum up this book with the statement, Cary Grant is proof that if it's too good to be true, it probably is.


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Ok. I REALLY have to stop.

I really need to stop shopping! I picked up some goodies today and wanted to share. Nothing like what I got the other day, but nice enough. Have any of you made any sweet purchases lately?

This pin matches my earrings that I wore on Easter perfectly!

Carved tropical flower earrings.

Hula Girl earrings

Just a photo of all the jewels I picked up today. I only highlighted a few.

a small trivet for the stove.

Small juicer. I wanted a big one, but this was all I could find. Good enough for now.

A tub load of buttons! A good amount of celluloid goodies!

Speaks for itself.

Tins. Does anyone know anything about these? Date?

More metal zippers! Yay! And shoe laces.

Outfit of the day: Easter Sweetie

Actually this was my outfit yesterday. There used to be a time when I celebrated holidays (non-religiously). The last 10 years or so holidays come and go. Makes me sad really. I always plan on celebrating and really enjoying the holidays, but they just kinda sneak up too quickly and before I know it, they are over. It doesn't help much when my fella isn't much into holidays either.

So while I "dressed up" on Easter, it really wasn't for Easter. Actually I got pretty for my fella and to run to the grocery store. It's still a little chilly here in Kenosha for me (a PHX gal) so I am still donning my wools. This outfit is a bit out of my usual style, but I think it is still an acceptable look. I still prefer wartime and this is later, but I don't have much warm early 40's wear.

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50's Sweater: Purchase Hollywood Regency (Phx, AZ) - CLOSED :(80's/90's Skirt: Thrifted PhxStockings: Purchase Magnolia Hosiery50's/60's Girdle: Gift from Hollywood Regency (Phx, AZ) - CLOSED :(50's bra: Purchase Hollywood Regency (Phx, AZ) - CLOSED :(40's peep toe slingbacks in Navy: EtsyModern watch: Birthday giftCarved rose earrings: Purchased from friend in PhxBrown Ribbon: I hope that doesn't matter.

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My first... pt 2

Yesterday I made my way to an antique store which I found many delightful treats! One of my purchases was a first for me... My very first Bakelite! What? gasp! huh? How can a vintage gal such as I not already have Bakelite?? To tell you the truth, unless it is sparkly, I don't much care for jewelry. Plus Bakelite is hella expensive. However, the Bakelite earrings were for the right price so I did it, Lolita just got her first Bakelite!

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WARNING!! From this point down, it is not a PETA friendly post. So if you are an activist or extremest keep your spouts to yourself. I post for myself and for those who can appreciate finer vintage goods. My blog is not your soapbox. I moderate my comments, so if you even hint at a "discussion" I will delete your comment. So there.

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Just for the record, vintage fur doesn't bother me, but I don't really support modern furriers. With that said, I also believe in donating old furs you don't want, need, or use to animal shelters that could use them. So if you don't like em, buy what you find and donate them to shelters.

Not only did I find a great pair of earrings, but my super happy purchase was a second for me. My second seal fur. This time it was a full length coat from 1942. It's dated 1942 and owned by Mrs. Aurthur Pieper of Racine, Wis. The carved buttons are gorgeous. I am not sure if the buttons are Bakelite because I only know how to do the smell test and all I smell is fur. This coat is warm and HEAVY! Too bad that the weather is starting to warm up, but come next winter... It does have some condition issues, but being that it only coat $45 I couldn't say no.  I thought I was reading the tag wrong!









Not only did I find an amazing coat, but I also found myself buying an ivory bracelet and an ivory necklace. The beads are carved into little elephants. And the bracelet is what really caught my eye. Once again I don't really do jewelry, but these I liked. Being that I don't do jewelry, I don't know when these were made... are they 20's? Are they 70's? I don't know, but I like them and think they have a classic look. But what do I know?









Now that my naughty purchases have been shared, I do have some other nice ones. I picked up this little swan pin. I thought it was celluloid at first, but now I am not too sure. It was only $3 so no biggie, but it seems a bit heavier and thicker than what I normally see with celluloid.

I also snatched up this cigar box for a couple of dollars. I thought the lady on the lid was pretty. I plan on storing my stockings in there. I need to take better care of my stockings. I usually trash them with carelessness after the first wear. So this is a bit of a motivator to put them away and put them away nicely.

Last but not least... I picked up this 30's taffeta party dress. The sleeves are intense! The dress is so close to fitting I am going to keep it for awhile and hope that with my new diet and exercise regimen that I will be able to keep this darling as my own. If once I get in shape and it still doesn't fit... I may have to put it up for sale. There are some condition issues, but that is mostly with staining at the bottom. I am going to do some research on taffeta and see if I can't clean it up nicely. It was very cheap to once again, I couldn't say no! Hell... I would have gotten it for the sleeves alone! I love HUGE PUFFY SLEEVES!


I can't wait to start scouring more antique store in the area... I hope to find more gems like this one!

RID-JID

I just wanted to share my latest purchase with like minds who I am sure can get just as excited about this as I am! I have been wanting a wooden ironing board for a few years now, but could never find them for less than $25 in stores. They were usually priced way higher than that and even on Craigslist averaged around $50. Apparently far too many people believe if it's old it must be worth a lot, which we as collectors and lifestylists know isn't always true.

Imagine how happy I was when the storekeeper pointed this out and said it was only $15! Hell yes I was going to get it! To top it off, it has it's original decal in great condition! That I would have gladly paid $25 for, but squeeled on the inside when he said it was $15. He did have another one from the 20's with original decal for $15 as well. The board wasn't in as great of condition, though still perfectly usable, and the decal wasn't as good in condition though the image was better. Since I like to USE my vintage and antiques until I kill them, I opted for the sturdier one so it will take me longer to kill it.

I don't know anything about this board other than it has found a new loving home. Do any of you know anything about the RID-JIDs? Also if you are in the Kenosha area and want the other board for $15, I'll pick it up for you (you can pick it up from me) or show you where you can get it.








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Snoods from Arthelia's Attic

Every vintage girl needs a snood or two (or three or four or five). We all have our days of uncooperative hair or just plain laziness and snoods are the perfect way to dress up an otherwise ugly hair day. Snoods not only cover up the bad, but they can help protect the good hair on casual days and outings in nature. Best of all they can add a bit of glamour to an evening look. Whatever the mood, casual or glamour, snoods can be a girl's best friend.

You can imagine how happy and delighted I was when I was asked to model snoods from the glorious Arthelia's Attic on Etsy. Naomi's snoods are amazing. She crochets them from a vintage 40's pattern and adds a detachable bow (also made from vintage ribbon) for a wonderful and versatile look. The snood also has an elastic band for a perfect fit. If your hair is long or short, the snood will cradle your curls nicely. The best part about her snoods is that they don't slide! With just a couple bobby pins to secure into place, I don't have to worry about my snood falling out like I've experienced with inferior snoods.

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So for a casual day out or a romantic evening in... get yourself a snood from Arthelia's Attic. She has a wide range of colors; perfect to match with your favourite outfits! Best of all... They're HANDMADE in the USA!

Photos by La Fine Photography

The accidental bob

Tonight I am off to see The Brew City Bombshells Burlesque perform and finally meet someone that I have known online for years.

Being that it is a "night on the town", I wanted to do something nice with my hair. As my beau just LOVES Veronica Lake (I'll forgive him for that) I wanted to try a Veronica Lake-esque style. My hair isn't quite as long as hers, but I thought a loose peek-a-boo might look nice. Being that I both dyed and washed my hair in the same evening (tonight) as I was to style my hair, my Veronica do turned into a Veronica don't. :( It looked ok enough as it was even without the sexy wave so I thought I'd throw a flower in a just go as is.

I had to take my dogs for a quick trip outside to potty (them, no me) and pinned my hair up and threw on a hoodie so my hair wouldn't be rained on and destroyed more than I had already done. When I got back in and took off the hoodie, I noticed I liked the faux bob I had going and that it reminded me of bobs that I've seen Dita sport, so this is my new do for the night. I cleaned it up a bit and re-pinned it and viola, my accidental faux bob for the night.

My Modern Love: The Jelly Shoe

I cannot lie... I LOVE JELLY SHOES! These stinky sweaty feet causing foot mittens make me smile. I am very particular about the style of jelly I like. When it comes to everyday flats, the woven style will always win. (I am not a fan of the perforated style.) I have always liked the jelly shoe, however since I picked up 4 pairs a few summers back at Target for $2.50 each, I have been on a constant lookout for these gems since they tend to break fairly easily on me due to me wearing them daily. My first 4 pairs were in clear, neon green, neon pink, and electric blue. I have each of those pairs till they were dead and then some. Not even after others begging and pleading me to toss them, would I do just that. Not until I found replacements. Goodness why didn't I buy 10 pairs of each color when I had the chance! Since then I have found more at Goodwills and thrift stores to replace the broken ones (which I have now finally tossed). Still I can never say no to the jelly shoe. Even if it is in the same color.

I also like the strip-side ones. I have a pair in black and in white, but I barely wear those because the strappy vamp gets caught on my pinky toe.

The most I have ever paid for a pair of these is $6. (Actually that was the price my friend paid. They were a gift.) Although these are my cheapy jellies, I don't want to pay more than $5 a pair. However, being that they are getting harder and harder to find, I am debating on paying $15 as that seems to be the going price on Etsy. Oh by the way etsy sellers with Jellies... chances are your vintage 80's jellies are not actually vintage, but the repros Target put out a few years back. So $15 is a bit pricey for $2.50 retro shoes that you probably bought at Goodwill for $1.00.

Now that I am a grown up (har har har) I have found myself buying grown up jellies. These are my EXPENSIVE jellies that range from $25-75 that I have spent on jellies. Melissa's are the top dogs of this pack. Now before you go screaming $75 on jellies, keep in mind these are on sale from an average of $200 for the shoes and are actually one hell of a deal.

I find that when it comes to my expensive jellies, I usually like 2 style types. Style 1 will look good with vintage 40's. Style 2 80's, Baby! All the way!

While I have my own pet peeves about vintage wearing, such as when shooting for one particular era, make sure your hair matches your dress. (Not to be mistaken for the eclectic vintage wearing that can blend eras.) I find that I am ok with perfect era vintage with jelly shoes. Why? Because I am convinced that had jellies been around back in the 30's, 40's, and 50's women would have worn them more than they had in the 80's. With the fascination of plastics in that era and the obvious fashion accessories of various plastics (Bakelite, celluloid, and Lucite) there is no reason why women wouldn't have worn them. Besides a lot of fashion is what is made and available at the time. It may be an excuse, but it is a good one for me! :-D However, don't let me see you with 40's hair at a 50's event! Hah! (rockabilly broads don't count.)

So here is my small collection. First the cheapies and then the $$$$$$$$$

My first...

My very first Burlesque performance was in 2002 at the Miss Exotic World Pageant (now the Burlesque Hall of Fame). The pageant was so much different then. Held in the middle of the desert in Helendale, CA you found many fighting the extreme heat, dust, wind and dehydration. Far from "glamorous". However, I wouldn't change those days for anything. I met some of the greatest people in Burlesque there and to this day feel a bit of kin-ship with them.

I got to thinking of my first performance. Oh how terrible it was! I am such a mess and only hope that a video copy doesn't exist. How horribly embarrassing that would be if it popped up somewhere. One of the songs I performed to, I no longer use, but find myself singing it from time to time. It's called You Turned the Tables on Me. Performed by Benny Goodman & His Orchestra and sung by Hellen Ward, this song always makes me laugh when I think about the Burlesque Mess I was and smile at the friends I made from that time.


While listening to the song, you may have different memories flood your mind, but I hope that they are just as enjoyable for you as mine are to me.




Now share one of your "firsts". :)

UPDATE

Made it safely to Kenosha. It is pretty dreary here at the moment, so nothing exciting to blog about just yet. Looking forward to discovering Kenosha all over again.

Take care and I will chat more soon!