Old Town Arizona

A few months ago, I traveled to Casa Grande, AZ to visit a good friend from my school days. I had a great time exploring the area and doing some serious vintage shopping, not to mention seeing a cactus for the first time!

If you follow me on Facebook, then you have probably already seen this photo I snapped while walking around the historic downtown area of Casa Grande. There were so many signs like this almost everywhere we went. I wish I could have photographed them all. 

I'll be back later with a write up on this cool little soda fountain/shopping joint we visited. 

Emily

Playing Catch-Up

I can't believe it's September already!  Where has the time gone!?

Now that I am no longer a student, I find myself really missing back to school time. In order to remedy this situation, the purchase of a vintage globe is in order to make my home office feel more like a classroom. 

The one thing that is reminding me of fall and all the related activities is the Ferndale DIY Street Fair, which I am currently preparing for. It will be my second year being a vendor and I couldn't be more excited!

This dress is what I wore nearly two months ago on the 4th of July. It's a DeWeese and I scored it for the small sum of $5 a few summers ago. Since then, it's become a summer staple. And, if Michigan keeps up this hot and sticky weather, I will be pulling it out a few more times until the lovely cool fall weather arrives. 

Emily

60s DeWeese: Royal Oak Garage Sale

Butterfly Flip Flops: Kohls

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Ponderings...

It seems that I have hit a bit of a bump in my vintage fashion blogging.  

About a month ago, I started working for a local estate sale company, setting up sales and helping them open their brick and mortar store -- a "vintage and local artist boutique."  At first, I really enjoyed working for them.  It was exciting to enter a new home each day and see what treasures it held.  However, as the weeks have progressed, there have been less and less work for me.  I knew this job wasn't going to be permanent, but I was hoping for the best while I was working there.

At this new job, it is pretty hard for me to wear anything vintage -- not that I have been doing a lot of that anyways.  I have become almost downright lazy when it comes to dressing and it doesn't help that my work clothes consist of t-shirts and leggings.  I feel a bit lost on the direction of my dressing.  While I still absolutely LOVE vintage fashion, I am beginning to wonder if my drifting from fulltime vintage dressing will be a permanent switch.  I certainly hope not.

So Dear Readers, how do you cope with a slump in your dressing tendencies?    

Emily 

50s Southwest Dress

So I know blogger changed while I was on my studying hiatus, but can I just say that I am not a big fan?  Hopefully soon I will get the hang of it.  I must be getting old; I really dislike when websites change the way they operate.

I love this dress.  I found it mislisted on eBay and as such, won it for a real steal.  Love when that happens!!

Emily


50s Dress and 50s Wedges: eBay
Belt: Hand-me-down
50s Yellow Beaded Sweater: Regeneration

Why Hello!

It's officially summertime here!  Which means no school, no deadlines, no paper writing (well maybe a little), and lots more time for gardening, thrifting, and getting my house whipped into shape.

One month ago, on a very very cold afternoon, I walked across the stage at the outdoor venue at Oakland University, receiving my Masters of Arts in English.  To say this past two years were challenging would be a complete understatement.  There were many tears shed, lots of papers written, and many headaches trying to wrap my brain around the material.  However, it has been all worth it, especially now that I am done!  

I am now contemplating my next move.  Do I get a teaching job at a junior college?  Do I work on my PhD?  Do I move out to L.A. and take advantage of a potential job offer in the film industry?  To be completely honest, I am a total Midwest girl at heart and would really love to stay here.  So for the next few months, that's what I am going to do --stay put-- until I figure out where my life is headed.

What I have been doing since graduation is enjoying my home and time off.  First on my list was to put some flowers in the ground -- something I wasn't able to do last summer.

This is along the back of my house.  I picked up the bench, which is in rough shape (read shabby chic), for $3 at an estate sale.  It was hidden in the basement, where the best things normally hide.  The watering can is vintage and was my grandma's.  

You can tell I rather favor it, as it appears in this photo as well.  I really love this little spot on my back patio.  The chair is the only real vintage metal chair I own.  I pulled this out of a basement as well and probably didn't pay more than $1 for it.  I bought a huge lot of stuff at the sale and was given a bulk price for it all.  The vintage side table was found at the Salvation Army for $3.  It could use a new coat of paint, but for now I am enjoying the little bits of rust.  It adds character, right?

Emily 

All work and no play....

source

...makes Emily a very dull blogger! Two weeks from today I will have completed all my course work for my Masters degree and will be able to regain my life! :)

I want to thank all my followers who have chosen to stay with me during the lull in postings. You guys are the best!!

During the research process for my thesis, I have come across some really neat resources for viewing vintage magazines online and in archives. For example, the Michigan State University Special Collections allows practically anyone to come and comb through their extensive collection of vintage magazines, both movie fan magazines and women's interest. You are even allowed to take pictures of the pages. Bowling Green State University also has a similar collection.

If you still want to check out old magazines and cannot access these collections or would rather do it at home, the Media History Digital Library has tons of digital copies of early fan magazines for you to view. Their most stand out piece (IMO) is their collection of early Photoplay. While the collections are limited to publications related to media and film history, for vintage fans, the website is certainly still valuable. Being able to view early fashion spreads in these magazines is so interesting and definitely inspiring! Plus, I am a huge advocate for the preservation of these publications and websites like these are important to keep the cause going.

If anyone knows of similar websites, do share in the comments!

Hope to back back soon!!

Emily

Titanic Love Stories

Ever since I was about 9 or 10, I have been really interested in the Titanic. My parents even took a family vacation to Boston when I was in the 5th grade to check out a traveling museum of Titanic artifacts (along with seeing the East Coast as well). Something about the tragic nature coupled with the air of elegance that makes up the legacy of the Titanic fascinates me.

Today when I was shopping at Barnes and Noble for a gift, I came across this book and knew I HAD to purchase it. Titanic Love Stories by Gill Paul recounts 13 different true stories of honeymooning couples from all three classes on the ship. I've only made it through three of the stories so far, but boy are they good!! For the $10 price tag, it is totally worth the purchase! The stories are so interesting and provides another layer of depth into the passengers of the famous ship.

It's also a fitting read, since the 100th anniversary is quickly approaching. My local historical museum, The Henry Ford, is hosting a traveling Titanic exhibit, complete with recreations of the deck and state rooms. I am beyond excited -- March 31st cannot come quick enough. If anyone is going to be in the Detroit area from March 31st to September 30th should definitely check out the exhibit. I have seen parts of it before and it was really amazing, so I can only imagine how stellar it is going to be this time around!

Emily

P.S. Thanks to those of you who commented on my last post. I still haven't been able to track down the article yet, but I am in the process of working with the Motion Picture Academy's archives to try and locate where it came from. If anyone does come across any leads, they are still appreciated!!

Calling All Vintage Magazine Collectors....

...I am in need of your help. I am currently working on my graduate thesis for my MA degree and have hit a bit of a bump. I have chosen to look at the representation of Dana Andrews in Fan magazines for my topic and have really been enjoying the research (hence my lack of any real posts lately).

I would like to include this article above, however, I only own a clipping and have no idea what magazine it came from. I have narrowed down the year to be 1951 and I am thinking it came from Movieland, considering that the font for the page numbers seems to match other issues identically. I am also thinking that it came from an issue around April, May, or June, according the the release dates for the movies mentioned in text. But, again, I am not too sure about this either.

If anyone has a copy of Movieland from this year/month or knows where I can find this article in full, it would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks! And I can't wait to get back into regular blogging once I am done with this project!

Emily

A Fitting Valentine for an Educator...

Happy Valentines Day Dear Readers!!

Trying Something New

Ever since going red, I have gotten the courage to try new things with my hair. When it was time for a trim, I decided to just get a cut instead. I was going for a "modern" Louise Brooks look. I didn't want to commit to the very short bob that Brooks is known for; instead I went for something slightly longer, but with the similar shape. I'm quite pleased!!

In other news, Metro Detroit has been experiencing quite the spring-like weather that makes dress-wearing much easier. I only hope it will last longer!

Emily

40s Slip (worn as dress): Mother Fletchers

70s Wrap Top: Value World

50s Shoes: eBay