Re Vamp

Brand Shining New Obsession

2012-01-10T16:32:00.000-08:00

ML turned me onto Pintrest which appears to be a virtual pin board for all your lovely to do/ to have/ to remember photos and images. You can upload and share those inspirations and find brand new ones to steal your hard earned money.

My apologies if this site ruins your life like it has mine...

Please accept some nifty music as reparation

Mornin' Time

2012-01-07T11:24:00.001-08:00

You know how in the movies, woman always seem to wake up fresh face with great hair?Well, I guess I was playing hooky the day they taught that lesson in school cause I look something more like this in the morning.

Yeah, it gives you an idea of how much work I have to put in to change that into this...

My secret?
Just add coffee and funky cat mug.

How to Be a Lady and Still Have Sex

2012-01-04T13:08:00.000-08:00

(Ok so maybe in addition to the "sorry I haven't posted for 3 weeks" tag, it would probably behoove me to add an "I'm Sick" tag. Because frankly, I'm getting sick of prefacing all these posts with the words "I'm Sick". This is not a great way to start off a New Year- it's also not a great sign for the state of my immune system. But it does tie into the main point of the post and I'll get back to it in just a few)

So, for Eeks second to last day in town, I dragged her and CJ around on a semi-fruitful sex toy quest. Because being my friend means you have to traipse around the city with me while I try to find a new vibrator. Yes, that was vibrator. I own and use vibrators. My current one got me through a two year dry spell and even now that I'm having sex with real live men on a regular basis, I still hold a special special place in my heart for those buzzy little things. And for handcuffs. And riding crops.... I may dress like a prude librarian but my conservativeness drops off like an old coat when I walk into the bedroom. I like sex, both socially and solitarily. Does that admission make me less of a Lady?
Never in life!
The core foundation of being a Lady is confidence and grace. And nothing is more confident than a gal who knows just what she likes. Few things more graceful then the languor of a woman after she's had a great orgasm.

Oh, got off on a little rant there! Anyway, back to the shopping tale....
Now, while I'm no novice to the whole wide world of sexual aids, as I stood in the back room of The Crypt- staring wide-eyed at the array of silicone, black rubber, inject molded treats- I realized I've still got a lot to learn.
And you know whats sad?
Who's gonna teach me?

It's a sorry fact that after a 3 month class about condoms and the life path of a sperm in 8th grade, you're set off into the world with a pat on the back and a "Good luck- the rest you'll learn through trial and error!"
Don't get me wrong- I believe with sex as with most things that experience is the best form of learning. But come on! Knowledge is power kids and you don't want to rush the field of battle without some heavy ammunition. And here we are, making that circular trek back to the opening of my post- I've spent the last two days in bed trying to get over this flu or cold or whatever it is. And most of that time has been spent online, pursuing the internet offerings of sex. I'm not talking about porn- no nothing so simple. Just what is out there for the folks who don't merely want to get off- the ones who want to know why they get off and how and better ways to do it.

What did I find? A whole lotta junk and a sweet shining star of sexual knowledge.
I found the Sex Nerd!
Witty, matter of fact and a looker to boot. I adore this girl and want her to be my new best friend. If there were more people who embraced sex the way she does, life would be all orgasms and chocolate unicorns.

Happy, Happy, Happy: Year 2

2012-01-01T19:18:00.000-08:00

Wow, has it really been an entire year since my last End o' the Year Wrap-Up post?

Those 12 months absolutely flew by.

Well, here are the holiday highlights.

I had a fantastic NYE with CJ, Eeks, My Vintage Twin and The New Boy. Full of good beer, wonderful bartenders and awfulbad old movies. And it was nice to have a New Years kiss again...

Happy New Years, O Digital World!

There and back again-

2011-12-30T10:56:00.000-08:00

My good lord.
I've just returned from a four day long trip into the mountains with three of my best friends. It was a fantastic time - rivaling the original Idyllwild trip, I think.

And I'd love to tell you all about it but I seem to have caught a cold somewhere along the way so I'm less then eloquent at the moment.
And as for photos, well....I took over 100 during the trip so if you'd like to see them, feel free to hop on over to my facebook album as I haven't got the energy to repost them all here.

And hey, I'll leave you with some videos ~~a video~~ we took of sledding fun.

~~(I do actually have two videos but the second is taking much longer to upload then I had originally thought. I'll post the second one as soon as it finishes.)~~

Pink Foam Rollers: or The Progression of Hair

2011-12-19T10:38:00.000-08:00

Remember when you first started dressing in vintage?
The hours spent online- combing youtube for pincurl tutorials, nearly crying when Nocturne's website, that mecca of beginner vintage hairstyling, went down, painstakingly rolling your hair for hours into little 1 inch sculptured pincurls?

And now, if you're anything like me, you can hardly be bothered to put your hair up in a bun, much less do a full wet set. My current go-to styles of ponytails and quick hot rollers are a sharp contrast to my earlier days of victory rolls and nightly pincurling. I can blame some of it on the fact that my hair was much shorter back then and wet sets were less of an ordeal. But honestly, I'm lazy and busy and no longer have the will to put in the time for full sets unless I have a special event.

Well, if you remember, I did have an event over the weekend, an invite to The New Boy's holiday work party. And the night before, I found myself busting out my pink foam rollers for the first time in months. It was just like I remembered, difficult to sleep in and the look is still more crazy lady then Rosie the Riveter when I scarfed up the next morning.

But the effort was worth the results- the authentic look you get from a wet set just can't be duplicated with a curling iron.

Another drawback of rolling your hair- being stuck in the house half a night and all the next day. Because really, the public doesn't want to see this.

Here we have that stage known in the vintage circles as Poodle Hair, Shirley Temple on Crack or "Oh, Dear God- what have I done?"

Ah, but you see, with a little faith and about 20 minutes of brushing, poodle hair of doom calms down and turns into lovely 40's glamour waves. Now if only I could figure out the secret to keeping this look all night, I would be the happiest little vintage-wearing gal on the block. Until then...

It's 58 Right Now

2011-12-16T11:47:00.000-08:00

and we have 5 mph winds coming from the north. I don't think I can recall a time when we've had northern wind.

Anyway, this post isn't about the weather. It's about music.

Yesterday, I worked at the KFMB station for the first time in months. It's always a trade off working there. On one hand, everyone is always so happy to see me again- asking me if I've lost weight and telling me how much they missed me. Who doesn't love that?
But on the other hand, I'm stuck in a small little cave for 9 hours at a time by myself without so much as a cigarette break. Nightmarish. Add to that the fact that business was pretty slow and I was practically bouncing off the walls. My only saving grace was that I had a fully charged ipod to help offset the madness. And that got me thinking on how much music affects my day to day.
My music is one my few constants- it's always playing, in the car, on breaks, even right now I'm blogging to music. I realize that I spend more quality time with my music then I do with some close friends. And it isn't that I have such a huge collection of songs- I don't. I have maybe 15 bands that I listen to with any regularity. So, I'm certainly not varied with my music tastes but what I do like is always brilliant. With only 15 slots, I don't want to waste time with music that makes me anything but supremely happy.

Like Red Hunter.

Or Redding. Or Peter and the Wolf. He goes by a lot of names. He is one of the greatest things to come out of Texas. He also got me through a bad break-up and came along for my first road trip with the SC boys.

And The White Stripes.
Whom I had to listen to in secret my first year in college after I rashly denounced them in my English Literature class as doing nothing more then coattailing The Doors. My god, I was stupid at 19.

Then there's Miss Gillian Welchand this song which hold one of the most gut wrenching lines in all of music....

Devendra Banhart With his improbable name and nicety- he never fails to make me wish it was summer. And that's a feat as I hate summer.

And FarWho ruled my life from 2000 til 2005. And yeah, okay- they still get a fairly strong say.

And Colin Meloy....Who once had a little band. And before they called it quits, that little band created my single favorite song in the world. He could have stopped there and still had my eternal gratitude but no, He iced the cake and formed the Decemberists.

Regarding shopping schizophrenia and birthdays

2011-12-06T10:07:00.001-08:00

A lot of girls will say that their shopping weakness is shoes or purses or maybe something completely different- like model trains. And while I do love shoes and purses and (to a lesser extent) scale models, my real shopping weakness is events. 98% of my purchases happen when I've got a fancy party or a trip or show coming up. I get an image in my head of how I want to look and then scour the internet and local vintage shops in an effort to force that mental image into outfit reality.

The process goes a little something like this....

Self: Oooh, I'm going to a work holiday party with The New Boy this month. Dang, what am I going to wear?

Frugal Self: Don't go buying a new dress- you have a million hanging in the closet. Wear one of those.

Self: Alright, I do love The Wedding Dress and I've only worn it twice....

Indulgent Self: But what about shoes? It's the holidays and nothing says the holidays like red shoes.

Frugal Self: We have red shoes.

Indulgent Self: They're falling apart.

Self: That's true, ok I'll buy some new shoes and I'll make sure they're fairly inexpensive.

Indulgent Self: And a giant statement bracelet...

Frugal Self: No way! Totally unnecessary.

Self: Hmmmm...

Indulgent Self: And new underwear!

Frugal Self: What are we, made of money or something???

Self: Ummm...

Indulgent Self: AND YOU HAVE TO GET A NEW PURSE!

Frugal Self: THIS IS WHY WE STILL LIVE WITH OUR MOTHER!! BECAUSE YOU CAN'T BUDGET YOUR MONEY!!

Self: Both of you just shut up! You're not even real- you're just Freudian manifestations of my own internal dialogue.

End scene.

Ok, so here's what I ended up buying.

Bangle set I picked up from Taneesi Jewelry on Etsy.

New Red Shoes from modcloth

And a whole bunch of pretty underthings from Dollhouse Bettie.

I showed all kinds of restraint and did not buy a new purse since I own a perfectly lovely red evening bag that was a gift from ML. Also, it's my birthday so that mean I have to share this which has been my birthday song for something like 8 years now. I don't think I've ever posted Jonah here but He is another of my favorite people and I will forever love his music. so here ya go.

Jonah Matranga Live at WAH part three // 14-41 from We Are Home. on Vimeo.

Clever Headline Here!

2011-12-03T11:53:00.001-08:00

I'm think I need a tag called Failures in Blogging and that way you could click a link and see every one of my "apologies for not posting for 3 weeks" posts. You can add this one to that list.

I'm actually on my way out the door to the reason for my recent internet absence- work. Yes, yes the dead folk of San Diego have been keeping me pretty busy this week but I get tomorrow off and am hoping to convince The New Boy to go with me to the Southpark walkabout tonight. I love the walkabouts- especially the one in the winter months.

Anyway, I thought since I can't get around to doing a decent blog for the life of me, it might be nice to share with you my favorite blog. This girl is my ultimate icon- the epitome of ideal vintage perfection. I shamelessly copy her looks and all of my favorite repro shops I found through her. She's one of my favorite people which I realize is quite odd as I've never met her. Nevertheless.

The Freelancer's Fashionblog

addendum: These photos belong solely to The Freelancer's Fashionblog and appear here only to advertise her awesomeness.

House Warmings and Birth Days

2011-11-21T12:25:00.001-08:00

Collective from the past two days- The Cass house warming party and CJ's birthday celebration.

The hour drive up to their new place was worth it to see how well they've done up their space. KC had a really adorable kitchen- totally her style.

The cute couple. And Tom Waits.

Also, The Ex brought his new puppy along who was the biggest draw at the party.

Onto the pizza/beer/birthday fest. We all braved the rain and headed to Blah (obviously) and proceeded to buy every type of beer on the menu and most of the pizzas.

I'm guessing the french fry was super hot.

Not totally sure what this was all about...

It was actually really beautiful out with the rain and the street lights. Unless you wanted to smoke- then it was inconvenient.

Or if you had curled your hair that night. Mine fell pretty hard. Unlike The New Boy, who always has very nice hair.

I'm not sure how I'm supposed to leave all these amazing people in a few months...

Sometimes I like to Glut Myself on Amazing Things

2011-11-19T11:11:00.001-08:00

Like this morning.

I'm currently sitting out on the porch under perfectly cloudy skies. While eating a bell pepper and sausage scramble, while drinking a very strong cup of coffee. All while smoking a cigarette and listening to Alison Krauss.

My own personal Bacchanal.

Sadly, it can't last as I need to go get ready for an hour long drive north for the Cass housewarming party. And then back down south for my brother's birthday dinner.

So, I'll leave you with some Chris Thomas King. I've been listening to the O Brother soundtrack on repeat lately and this song is just so brilliant.

Upadation

2011-11-14T11:56:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was a busy ass day and I'm paying for it this morning. It started at 5am with the first of many garage sales to happen over the next few months. I have to admit, it's a little heart-wracking to sell off my things. My record player, dresses from high school dances, my books. But I keep telling myself it's all for the cause. After the sale, CJ and I decided to go down to the harbor and watch the America's Cup boats. And then we proceeded to do everything else possible first including: make tea, wait for CJ to shower, go to Jamba Juice, stopping at Nest Vintage and driving through Golden Hill to remind CJ that Yes, she has been to the Ex's old house on 26th.

Eventually, we made it down to the harbor, walked the bay until we found a nice spot to sit- only to be chased away minutes later by the multitudes of dive-bombing gulls. Too much to do when I'm still under the weather- I woke up today feeling hungover when I didn't have a single drink to blame it on.

But it wasn't all shitting seabirds and exasperating sickness- we saw a truck filled with penny-farthings on our walk along the harbor.

And I finally saw the SD city hall.

Then, we ran over to Gelato where we attempted to tackle the Reader puzzles. And I found this ridiculous sticker (it says Punk rock is voting Bush) which made me think of The New Boy.

Ah, yes- I promised some further explanation of The New Boy. Well, through a series of Halloween coincidences, some scheming of his friends and some strategic red lipstick, we ended up meeting, chatting and eventually (and a little drunkenly) smooching in a law office building's courtyard during a downpour. Super classy, no?

We've gone on a few dates since then and I'm both pleased and little sad to say he's a very cool guy. Pleased because he's sweet and goofy and fun to be with. Sad because I had to meet him 6 months before I leave town. For now, I'm just enjoying the situation of actually dating again. Oh my.

Regarding illness and shoes

2011-11-10T10:36:00.001-08:00

Well, I fought it and fought it but it finally won. Terrible germs have infested my body and I'm officially sick. Ok, so maybe hanging out with CJ when she was ill wasn't such a good idea and I'm thinking that kissing in the rain the other night was less romantic then it was foolish.

(Wait- did I forget to share that news? Damn, well- I met a boy and he's interesting but I'll cover that in more detail some other time)

So, yes, I'm partially to blame for my current condition but I'm doing everything I can think of to combat this cold. Eating vitamin C chewables and pretty much bathing in green tea. And resting. So, while my body wages it's microscopic war, I've decided to poke around the internet looking at shoes. Surprise.

However, I'm not buying any since I'm trying to save for the move. I did make a little set of shoes that I would buy though, if I wasn't being so good and not buying them. Even though I really want to buy them.

Top left going Clockwise: Restricted Pop Art in Red, Miz Mooz Advanced Placement Heels, Seychelles All Dressed Up Heels, Sister Nature Heels at ModCloth, Madden Girl Uttsons, Poetic License Charm School Heels.

I feel the need to point out that I actually own very few high heels. Most of my shoes are 3" or lower, despite my high heel theory for large footed women.

And this is due to the fact that most shoe designers seem to have this awful desire to make ladies look like horses. The current trend in heels is a towering 6" which is not exactly practical for any sort of walking whatsoever. So, they slap on a 3" platform and the result is millions of poor gals clomping around in a very equine manner.

I actually own those last ones and though they are more tame in the platform regard then others, they still make me feel like I'm wearing horseshoes. Most modern designers seem to have lost the idea that heels should be flattering on the foot. Instead, they give us heavy looking weights at the end of our legs and tell us it's sexy.

Well, the Revamp Vixen is here to tell you- it's not.

End sickness fuels shoe rant.

Things I love about November

2011-11-06T11:19:00.000-08:00

The cold is finally starting.

So, the last week of October is was dry and hot and then boom!

November hits with rain, then downpour and now cloudy cold.

Which makes it perfect weather for staying in my pajamas and drinking coffee all day.

I get to resurrect my winter clothes.

Which means digging out the Great White Coat and all my fun long socks.

The holidays and parties and general fun times with the G.T.G's.

One more great thing about Nov is that our trip to Idyllwild is only a month away. Eka is coming back to visit for the Christmas break and a group of us are heading up to the mountains for a couple days in the snow. I'm so excited: seeing my dear friend again, spending time with great friends and revisiting one of my absolute favorite places. I can't wait!

Hollow Even

2011-11-01T16:51:00.000-07:00

Last night, we celebrated Halloween in the tradition ways- beer, fake blood, friends and bad dance contests. I went as Edgar Allen Poe's The Red Death. Unfortunately, no one got it. I really gotta stop doing cerebral costumes.

Blaine was Ash from The Evil Dead movies. Note the actual chainsaw attached to his hand there. CJ replayed her cowboy outfit from last year after some mishaps with her original costume.

Fun party with some great people but the fun didn't continue. I woke up this morning surprisingly unhungover and proceeded to drop a ladder on my foot. Yup, ladder. On my foot. So now, I'm stuck on the couch with a seriously swollen, bruised foot. Happy Halloween indeed.

Last Night and This Morning

2011-10-23T17:46:00.000-07:00

The night began with some pirate themed tattoo art at The Vishuddha Creatives shop. Home of my future Matryoshka tattoo and the object of my newly rekindled infatuation. I don't know his name but man alive, is he pretty.

Anyway, it was a small little show with some really nice pieces. Sadly, I forgot about photo documentation so you'll just have to take my word for it.

Then off to Tiger!Tiger! the newest offshoot of Blind Lady Ale house. It was their ubersoft opening or some such thing so there was much sawdust, haphazardly placed boxes and a general feeling of not just there. And while it won't be bumping Blah out of it's coveted "Best Bar" spot for me anytime soon, it was still a fair shake. I'm excited to see what they do with it.

Afterwards, I forced CJ to return to South Park so I could dance. Poor girl.

Morning hair and my collection of admittance stamps.

CG was kind enough to let us crash at his place. Honestly, he didn't get much of a say in it.

We were feeling understandably ugh this morning, so we decided to go to the Orient and overindulge in Szechuan. This is a plate of salt and pepper tofu which even I had to admit was delicious.

Come one Come all! Buy a piece of Revamp Vixen memorabilia!

2011-10-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm doing it.

It's begun.

The massive slow selling off of most of my lovely and adored junk. Shoes, hats, war garb, camping gear, books and miscellaneous things that won't be making the trip back East with me. I'm so sad to see these things go but I need the money and the space. All I can keep are the memories of my treasured possessions. Sob, sob....

Okay, do you now feel appropriately pitiful towards me?

Good, now go check out my Ebay page and feel free to bid on something :)

Vintage shoes, hats and more to be added soon.

And some stuff over on my Esty page.

Boots cost Money

2011-10-14T10:34:00.000-07:00

It's October and October means Fall is Here!

Ok, granted- it is currently 70 degrees and sunny as hell here in SoCal. But let's not let that little detail detour us. Fall is my favorite season as I love the cooler weather, the festive holidays and most important, cold weather clothes. If you remember last year, I spent a great deal of time and money gathering up a new Fall/Winter wardrobe. And the one piece that , hard as I tried, I couldn't seem to find was the perfect pair of fall boots. I had purchased and returned 3 pairs in anticipation for my trip back East and all three looked great online but just didn't do it for me in real life.

Well, my boot quest continues this year and I do believe I have hit the mark this time.

After much searching online, I found a pair of very cute ankle boots that met all of my "perfect" priorities. A decent sized, sturdy heel- lace up-rounded toe- and a fair fit for my oddly thin calves. So, I went ahead and bought them.

Then, two days later, I made a little trip to DSW with KJ of all people, and found another pair that also hit every mark. So, I bought those too.

Now, you might be saying to yourself "Those are the same boots" and well, you'd be right, sort of. They are very similar I admit. But! to me the small differences make it justifiable to have bought both. The first pair is brown, fits much closer to the calf and has man made materials. Perfect for chilly rainy Fall weather. The second pair is black, has flannel lining and is leather. Perfect for snowy New York winters. So, in my crazy backwards shopping addict logic, owning two pairs of essentially similar boots is necessary.

Oh and I guess I should point out one more rather big difference. One of the pairs cost $53 and the other cost $150. Wanna guess which is which?

From Portland

2011-10-02T11:47:00.000-07:00

Last week, I got a wonderful little surprise in the mail- a letter from Miss Eka! It was perfect timing as I had just been thinking about how much I missed her. Of course, I cried a little bit.

Included along with the note were two little pins perfectly suited for me. A matryoshka and a cute little tattooed lady. I love having such thoughtful friends! Now I need to do up a reply letter.... if only I didn't have such chicken-scratch handwriting.

Relocation

2011-09-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hello again. As the title hopefully indicates, I've decided (mostly) that I want to and will move out of San Diego. Despite my best efforts, I am completely wasted on my hometown. I've never lived outside of California and maybe the biggest reason, I'm bored and want a change. So, I'll be packing up the essentials (clothes, shoes and cat) into the car and heading back east. Rochester Ny mainly- South Wedge area specifically.

SW is pretty much a mix of Golden Hill-South Park and a little barrio thrown in. Turn of the century buildings, vegan bakeries and about a million coffeeshops. (That last one is high priority) The area is just now going under gentrification, so it's still got a lot of flavour without one being swamped with drug-addled trash. Living in Rochester means I'll finally be part of my extended family, I can watch my baby sister grow up and I'll be able to rent an awesome architectural place without needed three jobs and a roommate.

In addition to the Farmers market done weekly, they have Wedgestock- a craft/food/music/arts fest something akin to the Adams Ave street faire.

Oh, did I mention the community based victory garden? I will most defiantly be going in on a plot here.

Plus Rochester has it's own waterfalls. Two of them actually.

And they do a Tweed Ride! Now, yes I know San Diego also has a tweed ride and I've never gone. But that's because I'm lazy and San Diego has too many hill for my curvy ass to go pedaling up and down.

Highland Park- Rochester may be crazy small compared to SD but it's got some serious beauty to it. I realize this is a pretty ambitious undertaking, between saving up enough cushion money, a 5 day cross country drive with a cat, finding a new job and apartment. Not to mention I've never lived with "real" weather before. But I can't help being excited at the prospect of moving.

It's been a long summer

2011-09-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

And no matter how hard we try, we can't seem to help ending up back at the park. This is yesterday and last week- a juxtapose of bright sunshine and gloomy grey. It's been a very long summer but I think it's over now.

Since we miss Eka, sometimes we take her dog Germ along with us.

We stopped at the Organ Pavilion and got a screeching sermon by Mexican Christians.

And caught the free exhibit at the MoPA which had some amazing old daguerreotypes, Man Ray portraits and a photo booth set-up.

Little nonsense

2011-09-12T21:43:00.000-07:00

Well, that's it. The dreaded last milestone in the "Shitty Post Break-up Milestones" series. The Ex got married today.

I did pretty well, all things considered. Got up early, went to work and was actually downright cheery for most of the day. (I did end up crying in the shower for a bit but what can you do?)

I am disappointed in myself that it's been almost two year since we broke up and I still carry this sentiment for "us".

Ah well, no sense in dwelling on it.

Heat Indexes and High Art

2011-09-08T11:10:00.000-07:00

The weather has just been wacky these past couple of days- raining during the morning and hot in the afternoon. All combining into some sort of tropical humidity more akin to the everglades then southern California. It's kinda funny- after the quake on the east coast last month, most californians had a "get over it- it's just an earthquake" mentality. But good lord, the minute our dry heat turns humid, you'd think it was the rapture. Just like when it rains here and suddenly no one knows how to drive on the freeway anymore.

Anyway, weather rant aside, me and CJ decided to beat the heat (and our complete lack of funds) in the park. My ma found two free passes to the art museum for us and we spent a few glorious hours wandering marble corridors and basking in the air conditioning. And since CJ and I have opposite tastes in art, I lost interest five minutes into the modern works and she lost interest five minutes into the classical works. Then we wandered over to the botanical gardens where, unlike the museum, the allow photos.

This is my new favorite camera filter on my phone. Hipsteroku which mimics Japanese toy cameras.

I've been to the gardens numerous times but never noticed this funny little sign.

Back again

2011-09-03T19:39:00.000-07:00

It's once more been some weeks since I've posted. You might think that I've been too busy with fun and exciting events to make it on here.

Not quite.

I guess I have been sort of busy- had a good 2 weeks of regular work schedule back. That was nice, it made me feel like less of a shlub. I've also been making a conscious effort to avoid the bars lately. This summer has has been something of an alcoholic whirlwind and at my advanced age of 27, I just can't swing every other night drinking anymore. Neither can my poor little wallet.

So, I've been filling that time with more humdrum activities- rediscovering my love of Netflix and attempting to make plans for War. I finally got around to bottling up the Loki I started back in the beginning of the year. It turned out pretty well in my opinion and I found some really nifty bottles for it. I've also brought out my dusty ill-used sewing machine and spent my evenings redoing seams on tunics while watching The Tudors.

But once again, it seems like all my planning may be a bust. I just can't seem to get anyone pinned down enough to go. Not to mention, the one friend who was honestly excited for the trip was hit by a car last week and now is recovering from a shattered leg. Poor guy!

Well, perhaps I'll just pack up my gear and make it out myself. I've spent vacations alone before and enjoyed them thoroughly. Something to think on.

Things I forget about-

2011-08-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

I was looking through my photos on my phone the other day and realize I rarely post any of the little randoms I take. So, here ya go- coffeeshops with the GTG's and hat models at Urban Outfitters and some gin. What more could you want.

I don't know if I've covered this here on the blog but maybe you oughta know that the Revamp Vixen has a bit of an obsessive streak. Not often but enough times to be a pattern, when something catches my fancy- I spend months revolving around it. TV shows, music or certain people: right now I'm currently stuck on a Jack White loop. I wanna watch everything he's ever done and hear everything he's ever said. Crazy, right? I agree wholeheartedly. So, let's further my psychosis.

A cup of coffee's worth of Last Night sans photos

2011-08-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

Good morning. Blogging from my bed today as it was a late night and I'm not ready to get vertical just yet. No hangover though, it's one of those rare lucky mornings that are better then the proceeding night. I went out with CJ with the intention of meeting up with a friend at one of those poshy fluffy gay bars over in Hillcrest. Well, a late start and a too expensive door charge put and end to that plan. Just as well, we're not the poshy type. So, we went somewhere a little more our steam, The Whistlestop. (In case you missed it, that was a terrible locomotive pun there for ya)

Danced and had a time and then at the end of the night, threw away my ideas of courtship and approached a seemingly very nice bearded fella. We talked, I offered him a ride home (via CJ) and we ended up at Ruthfords where he bought us fries and coffee. I was so pleased- he was cute and amusing and covered the bill like a gentleman. And in a bizarre flashback to Vegas, cute, amusing bearded fella throws out the fact that he currently has a girlfriend.

So, it appears now that the only men I can manage to seduce are those already in committed relationships. Good god-with luck like this I'm gonna be single forever.

Which I can swing cause I gotta great gal pal in CJ, who tried to cheer me up on the ride home and didn't snicker when I got a little weepy.

But it's still a Good Morning so let's have a little Raconteurs yeah? Jack White has been spinning around my head every since last monday and that's just fine, my god but he is sexy.

And the WrapUp!

2011-08-03T11:21:00.000-07:00

The last day-which we spent at the buffet, in the hotel room and by the pool (well, I did) We didn't even go out that night, just ordered pizza and watched endless episodes of American Restoration on TV.

I do love this filter on my camera phone. I wish I could have it on my actual camera.

View from the pool- I could have stayed there all day.

And so ends our Vegas trip and signals the return to normalcy. We stopped in Baker to refuel the car and ourselves. And again, I spied the huge demon devil crow but he flew off before I could get a photo.

So Eka drew me a picture of him.

And Round Two!

2011-08-02T12:06:00.000-07:00

It really makes me laugh that some of these pictures are exact copies of those from the last trip.

Ingredients for fun: champagne, rum, leftover thai food and high heeled shoes.

God, there's a lot of photos of us just sitting in the salon chairs.

I was upset by the bad karaoke renditions so I just sang my own.

We decided to jump on the bandwagon and do some owling.

The First Batch of Vegas Photos

2011-08-01T09:57:00.000-07:00

Well, these should have gone up 4 days ago when we got back in. But I was called into work straight away so I'm just now getting around to it.

Take-out Thai food. By the end of the trip, our whole room was filled with trash and smelled like beef jerky.

And all this time I was worried I've been getting a tan.

I loved our teal painted wall in the hotel room.

This is only the first half of the photos. More to come....

Dangit!

2011-07-25T12:46:00.000-07:00

I completely forgot to do some sort of pre-vacation post. Hmm... well, the trip is turning out amazingly similar to it predecessor so let's just revisit this post and call it good for this Vegas trip as well.

Multiple photos to follow....

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

2011-07-16T13:12:00.000-07:00

Oh, yes! Last night myself and the GTGs dressed up in our Coruscantian finest and hit a very fun Star Wars themed birthday party.

We all had to come up with our Star Wars names.

My last minute costume pulled entirely from my War garb.

Edible Millennium Falcon...

Rebro Dechu, the birthday Jedi.

What a rebel!

These are not the girls you're looking for....

I went for a sort of Padme inspired vibe. Even though the makeup came off a little too clownish for my taste, I was still rather fond of my outfit- and it finally gave me a chance to wear my new moresca gown.

And the headdress I make earlier this year.

Plus an extra 2 lbs of fake hair!

Middle of the Week Stuff

2011-07-14T14:09:00.000-07:00

I've come to realize my posts can be almost evenly split into two categories. The Vintage Escapades and The Humdrum Bitching. This is going to be one of the latter. Only not too much bitching I promise.

It's been actually a very good week. I finally-finally received my ID from the pit of hell DVM. Only 7 months late but what can ya do? Just in time for me to put it to good use at BLAH for their monday showing of the Talking Heads Stop Making Sense. It was such a blast- between the Julian hard cider, friends dancing in the aisle, games of Polynesian poker and the cute bartender I was too shy to talk to. (Ok, side note- what is with me and bartenders? I can go back and pick out at least a dozen posts where I'm fawning over a sexy drink server. Odd) Anyway, a great time but sadly no photos as yet to accompany. CJ had the camera that night and likes to keep them for herself.

Ok, on to a little bit of bitching. Somehow, with all my glorious brain capacity- I've forgotten my password to the FL and have thusly been barred out for weeks now. It's terrible. I cannot for the life of me remember and I started it so long ago, it's linked to a now defunct email address so I can't even reset my password. Damn!

Oh, Richard! If you happen to read this, I'm sorry I never wrote you back! I swear, I haven't been trying to ignore you, dear.

Terrible technology, ruining friendships and making me angry.

And onto my last bit of non-vintage news, my dear good friend Miss Eka is leaving. We're losing her to Portland and the great wild northwest and I'm not too pleased about it! So, I thought I'd go back and relive some of the hightlite of our friendship, blogger style.

Stupid Portland, they have all the beards and now they're taking my friends!

Southern Fried Summer

2011-07-09T23:55:00.000-07:00

Well, now it's been some time since I've posted. I guess that's because not all that much has been happening due to the disgusting heat. Blegh! But today, the girls and I went to the Golden Hill Farmers market to visit Miss Eka at her new job with Southern Fired Vegan BBQ. (I know, it confuses me too)

It was balls hot but I came prepared with linen and parasol. The girls ate fake chicken and cheese steak sandwiches, we drank tasty cran/mint lemonade from the Alchemy booth and photoed cute hipster dogs. And of course, I oggled the new peanut butter guy. That company must only hire gorgeous men. Anyhoo, after the market ended we walked down to the park and sat around on CJ's beach towel and talked religious and took pictures of bees.

Then, we had a little stop off at Blind Lady Ale House for some midday cider. I can't much get into heavy beer drinking during the summer but Julian Hard Cider? All day!

2011-07-02T01:50:00.000-07:00

This is a bad month already.
I found out last night that a friend passed away after surgery complications. Today, I was told my great uncle asked to be taken off life support. In both cases, it's something of a blessing I guess. They were sick and now they are out of that pain.

I'm finding that the hardest part about being an atheist is having no one to rail against and no one to say to "Stop taking people from me."

An Illness Post

2011-06-28T19:16:00.000-07:00

I'm sick.
Godawful cough like gravel in my chest. I had to venture out this morning for water and sick supplies and came back breathless and sweaty. Terrible. Also, for some reason, no one carries Vicks 44 anymore. It's the best cough syrup on earth and now I'm stuck with Robitussin which tastes like liquid death.

It's not all bad though. I've spent the last 3 days on the sofa watching sappy period movies on netfilx. I have the Tudors lined up on queue. It's just too bad I'm supposed to cater tomorrow morning. I just hope I can get through it without passing out.

Remember the Wedding?

2011-06-21T13:12:00.000-07:00

Right, so it's been 4 months but I finally was able to get the wedding photos from CJ. The couples photos we took are ridiculously funny and I must say, I'm pretty sure I had the hottest date that night!

This one looks as if I'm crying or just really in love with CJ but actually I'm trying my damnedest not to burst out laughing. The photographer was always around us, every time we looked she was taking out picture and we didn't want to ruin every ones nice sweet slow dance with our hysterical giggling.

It's about that time again-

2011-06-18T13:21:00.000-07:00

There is a thread at the FL discussing tattoos and how they fit into vintage culture. And there seems to be two camps- one that think ink is iconiclly vintage and one that thinks it's iconically awful. I guess that applies to most non-vintage folk as well. You either love 'em or you hate 'em. I'm a member of that former camp- I adore tattoos, especially mine!

What I don't care for is the idea that your tattoos need to mean something, that there has to be something deeper for you to justify having one. I don't enjoy when people ask me what mine mean- sometimes I just want to say "It's pretty. That's enough." To me, they are in the very literal sense skin deep and trying to always attach great meaning to the superficial is silly.

Regardless, I am a fan of tattoos. One of my most brilliant ideas for a Halloween costume was Betty Broadbent, the original tattooed vamp in the 1920s. It turned out beautifully, except trying to remove all those temporary tattoos the next day. Uf!

And all this discussing as got me itching for another. I haven't got the money at the moment but I have the idea- a matryoshka doll for my left calf. I have a bit of an infatuation with Russian culture and like the idea of a matryoshka shaping up my unshapely legs. I'd like to stick with green or maybe purple. And I know I want the face to be the flapper style from the exhibit in LA's Plummer Park.

Please excuse the watermark on the following photo- stupid vectors.

Sometimes I'm just not clever enough to come up with a title!

2011-06-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

Good morning.

Sitting here with my coffee after quite an eventful night. We went to El Dorado's summer drink menu release party- I went all mid-century milkmaid with my newly bought sundress, petticoat and the perfect heels. My hair turned out a treat and didn't fall a hour into the night much to my surprise. I love those nights when the superficial things just work.

Alright, shameless photos out of the way- the party was a hit. Drank some early era themed cocktails, watched the hipsters swarm the free sushi and of course, eyed the yummy bartenders.

Things slowed down while we waited for the band to play- the two glasses of champagne I had were making me sleepy and I started regretting not getting a nap in. Cripes, when did I get so old?

But everything picked up once the band got underway! They were really good and the lady playing the trombone was adorable with her leopard print pants! It made me miss the jazz set that used to play at Rebecca's and just helped confirm that I need to start tracking down more awesome vintage type things around town.

Summertime Ritual

2011-06-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

It seems that the past two years, once May rolls around, a deck of cards always seems to find its way into my purse. And every coffee shop visit turns into a continual endless game of Egyptian ratscrew.

I'm very excited for the game- or maybe it was just for the display case filled with giant muffins the size of my head.

My "I'm sad about plastic plants" face ...

There was a guy sitting next to us who asked if he could take our photo...

We couldn't figure out what he wanted us to do...

so we just decided laughing hysterically was a good plan.

The Art of Sitting

2011-06-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

So, I've had this post concept in my head ever since I started this blog- it was actually the original "How to be a Lady" idea. But planned posts are for some reason difficult for me, that's why I have so few daily outfit posts. Anyhoo- here it is a year later-

How to sit like a Lady-

Now, even the most demure and upstanding woman knows that a little subtle sexiness goes a long way in life. And every true vintage vixen from the Lovely Clara to the darling Mrs. Grable knew how to work a leg. But, surprise-surprise the way we work those legs can cause unwanted affects. (And I'm not talking about cheesy come-ons from strange men)

Did you know that when a lady is cooling her heels after a long day of shopping is a perfect time to trade that extra sexy stance for a more librarianesque perch?

True, the cross at the knee pose is certainly fetching and goes hand-in-hand with the idea of the vamp- a flash of thigh, the chance at a garter strap. But few women realize that sitting this way restricts circulation to your legs and is almost certain to cause the awful, dreaded, so unsexy varicose vein.

So, while crossing at your ankles doesn't exactly scream "Hey Sailor!", it will save you the unsightly affects of crossing at the knee. Not to mention saving you from being labeled a hussy....

Perfectly good outfit gone to waste.

2011-06-07T20:58:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to be wearing this out tonight with CJ. But since she's decided to break my heart and stay in, I guess I'm going to sit at the coffee shop and read. Again. I thought your 20's were supposed to be the crazy years.

Baby! Baby!

2011-06-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

There hasn't been much time lately for vintage style and the like. Been shlubbing around in jeans and tanks- I'm not gonna lie and say it isn't a bit nice. Besides, it's not like I've been doing all that much this weekend. Catching up on my sleep, finishing the DT series and getting my car fixed.

Also, I'm at the moment watching Ray on BET. Whoo- talk about some great vintage looks!

Sadly, very few stills from the movie out there but it really has some great examples of 50's fashion. Not to mention great music.

Posting from a hospital room

2011-06-02T13:06:00.001-07:00

It's been a crazy couple of days- my brother took a trip to Sharp on Tuesday. And I am tired!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8

Memorial Day Outfit

2011-05-30T12:44:00.000-07:00

Cause nothings says patiortism like rooster print.

Top is from target, shoes are Steve Madden, vintage 70's wrap skirt

Days of Bows and Arrows, Brie and Coffee, Bocci and Friends-

2011-05-29T23:22:00.000-07:00

More from the Attempt to Like my City Better!

There are bets placed on my lameness...

2011-05-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

CJ and I commented to one another the other day that San Diego might be the most boring city. Little to do other then bars or coffee shops. Especially if you are lucking funds. As I am at the moment. It seems like nothing is ever happening.

But really, I think I'm just proving the adage of familiarity breeding contempt. Living in one place for 27 years kinda blinds me to events and activities that are right in front of my face. So, in the spirit of giving my hometown a new spin, I went with the G.T.G to Friends Chill, a weekly sort of board game party at the Whistle Stop Bar. I've been going to that bar for something like 5 years now and not once have I gone on game night. And why not?

I love games.

And today, we're running with the momentum and heading out to the archery range. I haven't been shooting in years so lets hope I don't injure anyone.

And a little extra weekend for ya-

2011-05-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

Photos from the North Park Arts Festival last weekend- oddly enough, very little art evident in them.

Some goofy metal kids were screwing up the courage to jump off the transformer. I told CJ to go show them how it's done.

Dogs galore- including this adorable little cottonball.

Ow- check out that leg twist :/

CJ just being the badass that she is...

Weeekend Review

2011-05-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

Good morning O digital world!

It seems I'm always running at least a day late and this post is no exception to that. In that I went out for KC's birthday this friday and spent the greater part of yesterday eating and visiting and being generally post drunk. The birthday night was also something of an anniversary for ReVamp: as one of the first posts was KC's celebratory happenings last year.

Shameless photos to start- the outfit was something I came up with last minute and ended up loving. It's a bit of a bastardized version of the wedding outfit.

I knew it would be a night filled with Ex's- ex friends, ex loves and ex infatuations. So, for social situations like that it pays to go in with a little wiggle.

And yes, as every clothing blogger can testify, I often feel inarticulately stupid posing for these photos. And will continue to take shameless photos while feeling foolish- for the good of the blog.

The night started early meeting the female party goers at a dessertshop for some lively discussion concerning name meanings and the functions of your digestive tract. Then, KJ and I popped over to Counterpoint to meet up with Eka to drink some delicious beer and fawn all over the gorgeous bartender.

Down the road to catch back up with the birthday party- drank some less tasty beer, made pleasant chat with The Ex and did a lot of smoking out front.

The party broke up fairly early so KJ and I decided to make it a threefer and go dancing. No photos as I had to abandon the camera in the car but it's just a well. Dancing is sweaty work.

Post party in a recap- woke at 11:30, stumbled out bleary eyed to find potatoes and coffee at The Mission, stumbled out stuffed with potatoes and made our way to Krakatoa. Followed by a few hours of chatting and complaining about how sleepy we were.

And now I'm laying around in my robe, buying shoes online and I'm pretty sure I'm not getting out of bed today. And I'm also pretty sure this is the best morning.

Daily activity and some reflections

2011-05-07T20:34:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've found myself with a lot of solo time on my hands- which usually would leave me feeling restless and blue. But I've been keeping myself in good company, nonetheless. Mostly in the forms of epic novels I haven't read in some years.

Last night I found myself sitting at Rebecca's Coffeehouse rereading the Gunslinger and listening to a neat little live jazz band that happened to be playing there. It was a nice surprise and the music went well with my vintage house dress. But sometimes in situations like that, I end up feeling a bit like stage dressing. I'm sure the other folks there assumed I dressed up for the band and were a little confused as to why I was sitting outside the whole time.

Today I ran up to Golden Hill to grab some flowers for my mom at the farmers market. And yes, to catch a glimpse of the cute peanut butter booth chap. Still very cute. Anyway, two people at other booth called out to me as I passed, complimenting my clothing. I stopped and had a quick word, thanked them and went along. On the way back to my car, I started to wonder why every time someone pays me a good word on my dress, I feel like my response is always so stiff and awkward. Regardless of how much I smile and thank them, I always fear I come off insincere and ungracious. I hope that it's just my own perception and not how it appears to other people since those compliments always make my day.

And now, I'm in the process of going back through 100 (!?) posts of this blog and editing out mistakes and fixing photo sizes. I am that sort of person who is forever looking back-it's my nature to be cheek and jowl with nostalgia. And often as not, I find that the points of my life that seemed blackest during are the ones I remember so fondly. This time last year I was unknowingly in love**

** I think perhaps I need an edit here as well lest anyone get the idea that I've been hiding a romance away in my closet these past 12 month. Love of my life, my friends and my situation- and I'm pretty sure those such loves are the best.

A Review and other things-

2011-05-06T17:51:00.000-07:00

So, I figure it's time I got around to those products I bought a while back and how well (or not) they turned out. As I mentioned before, all natural or organic make-up is a crap shoot for me and while not all the little goodies I picked up lived up to my hopes, most surprised me in a good way.

The things I was most excited for was the foundation and primer. I've got very odd coloring to my skin being both olivine under toned and splotchy red. The fun of mixing Italian and Irish genes I guess. So, I'm always on the lookout for a product to even out the red. I had hopes for the color changing mineral foundation by Mojo Spa to be a lightweight makeup that wouldn't be unbearable to wear during the summer. And while it feels fine on, the lightest color offered is way to tan for me.

As you can see, it looks like a bronzer and let me point out that my hands are much tanner then my face. I looked a bit clownish with it on my face.

However, the primer and concealer worked better for me. The Iluminata under my everyday make-up gives a pretty glow and while the white concealer doesn't cover up things like a traditional one, it does take away redness. But I've found it's unsung virtue is making blemishes disappear. Truly.

The lip products I really like- the scrub works well and even though I'm not a big fan of honey scent, it's not overpowering. And I really liked the tinted balm. That is until this morning when I accidentally washed it with my work jeans and now have a melted tube of tinted mush. But I have a photo of how it looked on before I kultzed all over it.

Beware of big eyes! Yow.

My absolute favorite buy was the unfortunately named Twilight perfume. Despite it's tweeny vampire connections, the perfume smells like heaven and I can't stop wearing it. There's something very warm and sweet about it without smelling like frosting. Adore.

And that's this rounds foray into natural makeup. I think I fared better then I expected to. I was planning to blog about some other stuff as mentioned in the title but I'm hungry. Next time...

Hot-hot-hot

2011-05-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

Last weekend saw a few fun activities and the herald of some intense summer heat. I wish I lived somewhere that didn't skip right over spring and winter. It's always fall chill then boom! summer hot then boom! fall chill.

Anyway, Saturday I woke up early (for a weekend) and decided I really wanted to check out the Golden Hill farmers market that started less then a month ago. I wrangled up CJ and we did some quick wandering about. Real quick since the market appeared to be closing down once we got there. But it was a funland of cute dogs and a very cute peanut butter booth gentleman. Which means I will definitely be making that market a weekly stop.

I think I wasn't excepting the back swing.

I mentioned it was hot but it was also windy!

This is Rufus- a very sweet very fluffy doggie who looked like he was always in motion.

So, the market ended early but we had a going away BBQ to go to for CJ's cousin. Nothing like vegan fried tofu kabobs.

Unusual Takes on an Outfit

2011-04-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

I usually don't go in for multiple posts in one day but I felt compelled to do another of my outfit today. Mainly due to the responses in garnered.

As you can see, nothing super special or over the top. It's actually a bit plain and casual for me.

But at the coffeeshop, the hippie gal behind the counter asked if I was a teacher. I said no obviously and asked if I looked like one. "Yes but like from little house on the prairie" was her reply.

Then at the drugstore, the lady ringing me up asked if these were my work clothes or do I usually just dress this way. "My usual get-up" to which she remarked that I look like someones who's dutch with my wooden shoes and all.

I sort of feel the need to keep this outfit in regular rotation now and refer to it as the dutch schoolteacher of the prairie ensemble.

Outside in the morning

2011-04-23T10:21:00.000-07:00

Good morning glories!

Good morning sad looking kitty cat!

and good morning two little baby hummingbirds!

I guess between the blooming flowers, crazed cat and newborn birds, Spring is here despite the gloomy weather.It's a Good Morning and this song always makes me think of sun and gardens and all that springy stuff.

The house smells like cookies and beer and hippies

2011-04-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

Blessed Friday- this weekend couldn't come soon enough!

I'm celebrating the start of the weekend with a Fat Tire and I have a cookie dough candle going cause it smells just awesome. I'm also in the midst of a literary explosion in my room. Literally.

It started as a desire to reread The Silmarillion ( I found out that day that War would not be happening and I figured a little Middle Earth will have to do) and ended up with my bookshelf scattered about the room as I searched. It turns out I never actually owned a copy- I had been borrowing one copy or another from various ex boyfriends all these years. I decided it was time to jump on amazon and secure my own book.

And speaking of online shopping, I got a nice little surprise on my doorstep when I came home- a package of make-up fun I ordered from Mojo Spa last week. See, I have this nasty habit of buying hoards of beauty products on the merit of "they look nifty" and usually end up with a drawerful of nifty looking, no-use serving lotions and lipsticks. In my defense though, Mojo gets rave reviews from their costumers and they use natural ingredients without any nasty chemicals or synthetics. So, at least it's environmentally conscious reckless shopping.

A primer, foundation, lip scrub, tinted balm, concealer (yeah, the white stuff. funny huh?) and some all natural deodorant. Just cause I've always ever used the aluminum filled stuff and maybe it's time to try out some clay based stuff. It smells like hippies but less then other natural deodorants out there.

I also trimmed up my bangs using a tutorial CJ found and sent me. She's cutesy. Take a read.

Sunshine and Butterflies

2011-04-08T12:25:00.000-07:00

The title sounds like some disgusting themed princess party for your niece. But honestly, that's what I've got going on today. It stormed last night and this morning is beautifully blue and clean. And cold!

So, I'm wearing a very warm cashmere sweater I picked up in Rochester for pennies and my butterfly Trashy Diva dress-

What I really need is to buy a tripod of some sort. Taking outfit shots at home seems vastly superior to looking like a goof at the coffee shop trying to get a good angle with my camera phone. People give me funny looks as it is without doing acrobatics in heels.

Don't you spend Wednesdays photographing your room?

2011-04-06T12:18:00.000-07:00

I went out of my way this past weekend to clean up my room and decided to get some photos of it in this unnatural state. I have a small room as it is and a lot of stuff to fit in it. So, it pays to be creative when organizing out my space.

My vanity which really is- I love it and think it's very beautiful. I started stripping it over a year ago but was taking too long on it. I couldn't stand doing my make-up in the bathroom so I moved it back in unfinished. And discovered I love the ragged look of it. I may or may not finish this in the future but for now, I'm happy with it.

Shoes on parade- many of which need a good cleaning and repairs.

I'm trying out a new system for my closet- ordered by color rather then style. Since I tend to create outfits by color matching more then anything else, I figured this way would make that a bit easier.

My poor multitude of books currently crammed on my sad 5 shelve case. And my attempt at storage next to it. The suitcases are filled with handbags and the hat boxes are filled with......hats obviously. It keeps the clutter down and I really love the look of stacked cases.

Thought I'd throw in a project I'm almost done with- it's a head dress for War modeled by the lovely bald Marie.

And I know it's not the weekend but it's still a Good Morning so let's have a little S. Stevens to celebrate.

Uneventful

2011-03-30T22:49:00.000-07:00

I'm particularly antsy tonight- kicking around the house smoking too many cigarettes and half watching SVU.

I truly hate nights like this.

Nights like these make me wish I lived back in the city. As annoying as it was sometimes, it was also great to open the window and let the street noises keep me company. I wish we had something like brownstones in San Diego. I think that would be my dream house.

Wedding Prep

2011-03-29T11:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was spent getting ready for the great Cass/Johnston wedding. The whole day. Since I was lazy and didn't set my hair the night before, I had to use hot rollers instead. Which meant I had to put them in around 10am and leave them in all day to get any sort of lasting curl. Awful. But it was kind of a relaxing day. Moisturizing, tweezing, make-uping. And of course, dorkily documenting my routine with photos.

The outer two I use daily, the middle is an every other week luxury. I normally have red, sensitive skin which gets worked over if I use exfoliants too often.

So very charming.

As you can see, even after 7 hours in curlers my hair fell before the ceremony was over. But who cares about hair when you've got love to celebrate!

Bubbles to send off the new couple.

Dum Da Da Da-

2011-03-17T21:03:00.000-07:00

In an odd happenstance that I don't feel like over analyzing, I've been invited to KJ's wedding. We may not be friends anymore but I never turn down a party or an excuse to buy a new dress. And fancy-fancy, my new frock arrived today from Trashy Diva.

Ok, so a new dress and a new jacket. The fit is just a bit off (some random recent weight loss) but nothing my meager sewing skills can't fix. Yes, I will be looking quite deck in my own humble opinion.

Newly aquired awesome

2011-03-16T21:12:00.000-07:00

I now qualify as a legitimate blogger...

In the mountains and in my own head

2011-03-10T16:39:00.000-08:00

I love when I know exactly where I was on this day in years past. It doesn't happen all that often since my memory is less then top notch. But on holidays and memorable ones, it always pleases me to look back.

Last year, today, I was finishing the two hour drive to Idyllwild. Starting my week long grand mal in a sense that would end my broken heart induced hibernation. One last week to be alone, away from my life; to get drunk as I pleased and wallow in my pain. And hopefully come out on the other side ready to start again. I did and I did.

It was exactly what I wanted it to be- quiet and cold and slow. Dear Mother was a little worried about me taking a vacation by myself but she bought me a can of dog spray and felt better.

I want very much to go back- maybe bring the gals along this time. And lots of wine.

I never claimed to be honest all the time

2011-03-05T09:52:00.000-08:00

Yeah so remember how weeks ago, I said I would be posting this wonderful fab overload of DIY greatness?'

Well, you can see how well that turned out.

In my defense, all those DIY projects were for my new apartment and since posting, that apartment has fallen through. And with it, all my motivation for home decor. For a while at least.

But I have been busy burning the craft candle- for War!

Yes, this year I've made a decisive and conscious effort to get the camp together and make it to War this year. So far so good. But I have to say, trying to plan our own camp without The Ex is a bit intimidating. There is a lot to get together and I've got a million packing lists, shopping lists, garb lists and project lists.

Lucky for me, My Love stepped up as my planning cohort.

Photos why not?

The garb boxes come out and with them, my unending list of things I want this year. And we know I have a hard time denying myself what I want.

So, I'm making myself a fancy new cloak outta faux fur and the most gorgeous hand stitched wrap I found on Etsy.

I'm also making some little favors for the campers this year.

And a mess of jewelry for me.

And my final project- Apple Pie Loki. It's at about two weeks here and should be quite satisfactory by the end of May. In case you're not a huge Renn nerd, let me explain. Loki is a ridiculously alcoholic drink made from everclear, sugar and flavourings. Essentially, you let the booze and flavouring (in my case chopped apple) sit for a month, then you strain out the solids and add the boiled down sugar and let that sit for another few months. End result? Amazing tasting drink that causes all better judgment to fly out the window.
My Love and I originally had a desire to try making Mead but we had nowhere near enough time for it to ferment. Maybe in the future.

And since this is a Good Morning, here is a song that has been on constant rotation in my crafting soundtrack.

My God, so sexy!

Miss Me?

2011-02-01T14:24:00.000-08:00

I swear I haven't forgotten about Re Vamp- at least once a day I think "I really ought to get on a blog post."

And I'm in the thick of a whole lot of DIY stuff to update on but am to busy working said projects to post about them. Irony.

Also, work is kinda wackadoo right now and add to that prepping to move out (FINALLY!) and you've got a seriously neglected blog. Ok, enough excusing my absence.... here are some things to look forward to!

*Update on the headboard project.

*End results of the Picture Project.

*Home decor haul post with pretty photos of all the new junk I've bought for the apartment.

*Another installment of the "How to Be A Lady" guide!

Fun from Earlier in the Week

2011-01-22T09:25:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it takes me half a week to post up photos- I'm pretty procrastinative to begin with and being sick doesn't help that any. (Yes, that is a made up word. Feel free to use it.)

So, let's pretend its tuesday morning and last night was spent with the CrayCrays at an art show at BLAH. It was an exhibit centered on camera phones and how they've changed the concept of photography. All pieces shot with camera phones and some were quite good. They were selling prints for $20!! and had I any money at all, I would have bought a neato little print that would have fit right into my Picture Project. Oh well. I should really finish that project before I start adding to it's workload.

Who needs Friends when you have an Amazing Dress? dress and my new favorite piece, the leather jacket.

Anyway, fun night with fun friends and craft beer.And piles of cute hipster eye candy for Eka and I to stalk :)

On Being Ladylike

2011-01-18T12:07:00.000-08:00

As you may know, I'm a big fan of the Art Of Manliness Blog. I love that there is a consolidated guide for the guy that wants to hit that ideal between gent and man. They've got a little bit on knowledge on any subject: how to shop for socks, dating tips, how to bald gracefully! I think every and any man ought to consult the AoM blog once and a while.

Unfortunately, there isn't much of a female counterpart available. Sure, you can find a few scattered posts about how girls nowadays are little tramps and we should all be more like Grace Kelly. The problem is most of those posts revolve around what women ought not be doing as oppose to what we ought to. They end up sounding negative and catty rather then helpful.

Being a lady isn't about what you can't do!

You wanna drink? Go ahead!

You like sex? Have it!

Smoke and debate and play tackle football and wear jeans and eat sloppy joes if you have a mind to. The trick to doing anything and everything is to do it with a little tact and a little class.

That's what makes a Lady.

So, here's a little help for the gal that wants to be a Lady and also wants to express herself colorfully-

The Guide to Classy Cursing

I swear often. In casual conversation. I enjoy the punch curse words pack. I have always tried to converse so that my full meaning and intent is understood through my words. And in that swears are very handy.

Ladies can curse in such a way that it actually makes them more charming.

Conserve you curse words, use them sparingly. The rarity of your vulgar speech will give it more emphases. (This rule I just can't follow- though I'm working on it)

Use unexpected and novel curses. Lets face it- Fuck is boring. It's overused and trite. Look to the past (Whoreson, Damnable Ass) or try other languages (Scheisse, Testa di Cazzo) for new and insulting swears.

Don't shy away from explicit swears- there's no sense in pulling your punch. My favorite go-to swear is Cunt. Give it a whirl, you'll make quite an impression. Get lengthy- Bastard cocksucking piece of shit or Sweet bleeding Christ on the Cross.

Use curses when referencing situations rather then people. Let's be honest- no one like to be cursed at. While it is sometimes justifiable, it's still rude.

Whether you swear out of anger or as simply a discussion enlivening interjection, follow it up with a smile. Every time. This helps to show that despite the wretched phrase that just escaped your mouth, you're still genial and sweet.

Go forth and curse with class!

The Weekend that Wasn't

2011-01-16T11:26:00.000-08:00

This is a story a the Weekend that Wasn't.

For me at least, because I'm working the s. days doing caterings and earning the bug bucks. So, no real chance for any nighttime fun but I did go out with CJ and Iz on friday. Some beers at the Blind Lady Ale House and then some rejection by doormen over expired licenses. Stupid, awful DMV is cramping my style. Regardless, we have photos!

I went fairly casual- dark cigarette jeans, button down cowgirl shirt and my newly bought and super badass leather jacket.

She always steals the spotlight.

Red hot heels and some not so hot veiny feet.

The holy trinity of beer.

And now I've got exactly 3 hours and 40 minutes until I have to go into work. Just enough time to enjoy a few rounds of some good morning music.

Some nonsense

2011-01-09T12:14:00.001-08:00

A little beer fueled blather from last night.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Disco and Fever

2011-01-08T11:24:00.000-08:00

I've been fighting off some nasty sickness ever since coming back from New York so this past week has been very boring and very sleep filled. But the new year started much the same as the old year, with drinks and G.T.Gs and ogling hot bartenders at El Dorado. And last night I made it out to a friend's birthday house party. It was disco themed, a fact that I found out very last minute and really has to pull a 70's outfit off on the fly. I think I did ok- although it ended up coming out a bit 70's prostitute. I stole a pair of my Mom's jeans from her younger days, my gold 60's swimsuit and a 70's bridesmaid bolero. Funny, I have no connection or interest in the 1970's at all and it's the one retro era I really was at a loss for.

The birthday girl ended up having the best disco outfit ever. All gold hotpants and furry jacket. Plus, Eka looks all beautiful and awesome in this photo.

Best big dog ever- Mister Amigo

CJ made us do the cliche Charlies Angels pose. Iz kinda dropped the ball on his end.

Why on earth did women in the 1970's wear such awful pants? I was crotchzilla the entire night- it was ridiculous! But at least I had super fun afro hair.

CJ is a dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen. (At least, she looks seventeen.)

So, the night was vintage; just not my vintage. It was fun to dress up and out of my box but I think I'll stick to crinolines and victory rolls. Although, I do kinda like my 70's morning after hair.

Happy, happy, happy...

2011-01-02T18:08:00.000-08:00

Another year closes and another one begins. The holidays that lead up to the change over allow you to celebrate the special people in your life that made the past year great. Things are gonna be changing in the New Year with all luck. Looking forward to some new moves.

Happy New Year, O digital world!

From the frozen tundra comes a message...

2010-12-29T09:17:00.000-08:00

Finally got a moment to upload some photos and do a quick vacation post. Been frolicking around in the 20 degree weather and seeing all the family and drinking lots and eating more. I love coming back here because it reminds me that large families actually cook dinners. I've been trying to get in an outfit photo everyday but it's been tough.

I'm convinced those are moose tracks in the snow.

Mama holding baby cousin Jackson.

My beautiful Italian cousins.

Trying to stay warm and fashionable.

Belherst Castle- we went to a wine tasting here. Just beautiful.

Pretty wine themed jewelry that I may or may not have bought.

Food!

Being a nerd and taking vineyard photos.

The only way to Fly

2010-12-24T13:22:00.000-08:00

This is it! Countdown: 1 day til New York!

Clothes, shoes and such are packed away in the giant checked suitcase and now all I have to concentrate on is my carry-ons. United airlines has new policies for carry-on as the must measure less then 45" total. So, I had to go out and fight the Christmas crazies to pick up a new case. I found a rather cute houndstooth one that fits the specs and my undying need for all my accompaniments to have a vintage feel. I'm hopeless.

Anyway, the carry-on gets all my accessories like scarves, gloves, jewelry and makeup plus a change of clothes and toiletries on the chance that the airline looses my luggage.

My other carry-on is my purse and I took a cue from the venerable Super Kawaii Mama in regards of what to pack for the flight. She's got a wonderful Travel Essentials Post full of helpful tips. I also used her What's in my bag? post as a guideline for the perfectly prepared without being overstuffed purse.

Hand lotion, BB Pomegranate lipbalm and my cute little pillbox. Full of drugs! Kidding, just excedrin.

My phone and ipod for in flight amusements.

Passport, wallet and a little Thomas Pynchon.

Sunglasses and an umbrella. Cause lord know what weather will be waiting for us. Un-pictured is my camera for obvious reasons. So, that's it. Aside from running up to Golden Hill to pick-up a carton of cigarettes, I'm completely ready for my trip. Now, I wanna nap and get ready for another Christmas party which I will probably end up regretting. Happy Holidays!

ReVamp; The Art of Changing

2010-12-22T10:07:00.000-08:00

Ok, so since my vacation started, I've been lagging on preparing for the trip. Been too preoccupied with drinks and parties and days spent recovering from drinks and parties.

But now it's countdown: 3 days and I gotta get on this shit. Washed all my laundry last night and set out the clothes I'm planning to take. Got a hair trim and found another silver hiding within my coif. Which is good for two reasons.

1. I love silver hair.

2. Loving silver hair means not dying since it will cover up lovely sliver hair.

So, the dye job I was planning to do is off which means one less item to tick off my list. And now I am currently killing time (and dealing with a flooded back room!) until the shops open so I can buy things. Suitcase and books for the plane and maybe some new makeup.

Ah, segway. Another little thing I needed to do was figure out how I was going to take along my Airspun loose powder, that time tested holy grail for vintage ladies. The best face powder on earth (and also maybe the cheapest) doesn't travel well so I decided to press it. With a little help from some makeup blogs and The Fedora Lounge, I was surprisingly easy.

You need cosmetic powder, mixing bowl, something to press your powder into and alcohol (I used rubbing alcohol or surgical spirit) I've read use of vodkah and other drinking alcohol but why waste good liquor?

Throw your powder in a bowl. I ended up using about half the powder in the container because once you add the alcohol, you lose a lot of volume.

Add the alcohol a bit at a time and mix until its at a pasty consistency. At this point, I got a little nervous because the color changed so darkly. No worries, it dries back to it's original color.

Scoop the paste into your pressing pan. I'm using my Stratton compact (with a broken mirror!) Goop it in, then wet your finger with the alcohol and use it to smooth the paste into the corners and even out the top.

It took mine overnight to dry. Halfway through, I took some scrap fabric and pressed it into the pan and applied pressure to help even out the surface. I added a little stamp of a Fleur de lis cause I'm corny.

Voila! Instant pressed compact. This works for any powder make-up and is especially helpful for eyeshadow or blushes that have busted and crumbled to dust.

Edit!

I don't know how I missed this post by Vixen Vintage but she has a tutorial for pressed powder that rocks. It looks like I just copied hers photo for photo (promise I didn't!) but her post is much prettier and more detailed then mine. Check it out!

All new accessories

2010-12-21T20:54:00.000-08:00

Recently bought some new accessories and have been wearing them around town.

Vintage bird pin is making the rounds- on my sweater and on my beret.

Beaded feather headband from the Bethany Lorelle etsy shop.

And some new acquisitions from Urban Outfitters.

On a jet plane...

2010-12-20T11:46:00.000-08:00

Countdown to New York trip: 5 days!

It's been weeks since I've posted and those have been filled with many stressful happenings. Between birthdays, car trouble, expired licenses and a sexual wrench thrown into the works, there's been no time for fun vintage blogs. But now things have calmed down considerably and I've got a whole week free to post and bore you all to death.

Today's will be all about the fine line between traveling smart and staying chic. I am a notorious over packer. If I'm going on a trip, for some reason I get it in my head that a situation will come up where I will absolutely need my white petticoat (or all 3 Trashy Diva dresses. or my paper parasol.) I never do end up needing these things on the trip but it's one of my weird traveling phobias. Which leaves me trying to lug around two suitcases, a hat box, makeup bag and a purse more often then not. Well, not this year so says I.

This year I've planned ahead and developed a clever (and a bit lame) strategy for my Christmas trip this year. Rather then bring enough clothes for every day of the week I'll be gone, I'm bringing enough for 3. Rather then bring a bunch of favorite pieces that on their own look great but end up clashing, I'm going with a theme and color palette. And I made up little collages on polyvore cause if we are already at "a bit" lame, why not really swing for the fences?

As you can see, sleek and space saving. I'll be wearing onn outfit on the plane (including the jacket) so I can stick to one checked bag and one carry on. Most is from modcloth, all fit into the color scheme of blues, browns and rust. And I'm able to mix them to have a different outfit each day. Fewer clothes means more room for accessories, which is where the variety will really come in. I can bring along as many necklaces, tights and gloves as I want without taking up a lot of suitcase space.

And since I'll be there for the holidays and NYE, I want one fancy dress celebrating outfit.

I hadn't notice until right now that I've got quite a little flock of birds going on in my travel wardrobe. I must subconsciously really be into feathered friends right now.

Sometimes people can be such buggers

2010-12-06T16:55:00.000-08:00

I've come to realize something in the 4 odd years since I first started dressing vintage. It's 2011, we are the rulers of this little planet of ours and we've made technological, social and cultural advances that are mind boggling And yet, we humans still don't like different.

Different from us, different from what we know. Deep down on some primal level, people hate the uncommon.

I'm a member over on The Fedora Lounge and in the ladies section, there is a whole thread about comments you get from people when you wear your vintage. And sadly, most of the posts there are from gals who have been taunted and even harassed. People see a lady in a 50's dress or a gent in a suit and hat and out come the snide comments, the giggles and the rude behavior. I've encountered some of this myself; last night I was just telling a guy that at least half of the responses I get to my clothing are chilly if not downright negative.

Most of it is from people who aren't trying to be mean but just can't understand why I look the way I do.

Am I in a play?

Do I work at the Corvette Diner?

Or Disneyland (of all random places)

I've been yelled at by passing cars, called Lucy/Betty/Dorothy/Rosie, asked if I'm a space traveler (?), laughed at and one time been called a bitch by two girls on the street as I was walking by.

This I tend to indulge (for the curious folks) or ignore (for the rude ones)- but I can't help being baffled that such a reaction is garnered from something as honestly superficial and meaningless as clothing. And the answer I keep coming to is people don't like you to be different and sometimes they're just mean about it.

I follow the blog of a lovely and inspiring woman in England who does vintage far better then I ever could. Her blog, Diary of a Vintage Girl is mainly vintage related but occasionally has some personal posts. And she's been attacked in her comments by random crazies for either being a vintage snob or for not being vintage enough in regards to the personal posts. This has happened at least twice and it's just disgusting to me really. Another example to people not liking different.

It's just clothing folks. Let's get some perspective.

Adventures in Birthday Parties

2010-12-04T14:08:00.000-08:00

Another year bites the dust and I was lucky enough to have some good folks to celebrate with last night. What started off as an innocent gathering at the Bamboo Lounge turned into a drunkfest at El Dorado, complete with champagne, missing friends and a set of busted knees. Yeah, I fell. Really hard. Also lucky that I left my camera in the car for the second half of the night. That way, all we have a nice, proper photos for the blog and the unsavory moments of the night will live on only in memory.

TB showed up, most unexpectedly. It was great to see him.

My new jumper from Nudeedudee on etsy.

I'm thinking this would be good for their wedding photo.

Some of these photos I look very angry in. I'm not but I look like I am.

And honestly, I don't think I've hard a better birthday since the great "Catch 22 Years Old" house party. Yow!

Compiled Crap

2010-11-30T21:07:00.000-08:00

A list of things that are bugging me right now-

1. I come back to work after a lovely holiday vacation to find out I'm taking a $2.5 paycut. We're losing our contract with the school- which means tight times to come for the company. And it also means I may never get out of the southbay.

2. Recently, I was made aware that my louse father is expecting a baby with his "my aged" girlfriend. Ugh. Ignoring this until another post.

3. My utter inability to find a workable pair of winter boots. I've ordered and returned three pairs so far. Damn my scrawny legs- they make me look like I'm playing dress up in Mommy's boots.

4. A six month dearth of any sort of .... male affections is starting to take its toll.

The Nontraditional Holiday Tradition

2010-11-26T15:45:00.000-08:00

Cats and colors and other ordinary things

2010-11-24T11:10:00.000-08:00

Changed up the blog a bit- for winter times and all. Even though we don't come close to getting snowfall here in San Diego, I've always stuck with the notion that winter means white.

I'm on day three of my week off from work and I've managed to spend most of that time at home, in my pajamas. Which is sort of nice but also makes me feel like I'm wasting my vacation. Although, I did go out over the weekend for CJ's birthday celebration; which was all fun and bar hopping and hairstyle ruining rain.

But the lethargy ends today what with going to see the boys play a show tonight and cooking Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. I've never cooked the whole dinner by myself so we'll see how well it turns out.

This has become a new favorite Saturday Morning...

2010-11-20T09:39:00.000-08:00

posting to the blog with a cup of coffee, sunshine (or winter winds in the case of today) coming through the windows and a slew of photographs chronicling the past week. Each Saturday Morning, a different song playing on repeat while I bore the digital world with my vintage babblings. Yes indeed, most certainly my new favorite way to spend a Saturday Morning.

Onto it, right?

Last week, I went ahead and sold my soul (and half my paycheck) to ModCloth. And now, I've got lovely wintry goodness to share.

This isn't part of the clothing post- this is homemade cinnamon rolls and coffee from my Dear Mumma. I just wanted to gloat.

Pretties from For The Cross Jewelry. Go patronize them- awesome stuff.

My mermaid pendant necklace

And my pumpkin set

Onto Modcloth- repurchased the killer cable knit sweater this time in ivory.Plus a circle scarf for those cold NY nights.

Basic cardigan in Rust cause lord knows I love rust.

Coat by Steve Madden- in impractical white but the collar, asymmetrical buttons and

awesome flared skirt make up for it.

And yes, I brought the Miss L Fire Edisons. It was an insanity fuelled impulse buy and like most, one I came to regret. 7 times outta 10, when I run across some adorable item of clothing or pair of shoes, it retains its awesome aesthetics once donned. But there are those few time when I try on what appears to be a flattering pair of 30's fashioned shoes only to have them turn into frumpy old grandma nightmares!

It happens most often with shoes, what looks cute and fancy in the box looks wretched on my feet. And I've come to realize it's not the shoes fault, its my feet.

Tiny, dainty size 6 women don't have this issue but us in the size 9+ range know that the key to small, proportionate looking feet is a big ole towering heel. In a five incher, my feet look super tiny which is good. But in a much more often 2 inch heel, well, the size 9 status becomes very apparent. So, much to my dismay, these charming in size 6 fur lovelies just aren't gonna work.

Cats are peeking over my laptop looking for attention so I guess that's my cue to wrap up. I'll leave it with one of my favorite songs ever by the supremely ferocious and sexy Devendra Banhart.

Here on the Plus Side of Life-

2010-11-13T14:18:00.000-08:00

Thursday night brought along the first Silent Comedy show I'd been to in some months. It was a sold out Casbah show which really is the best way to see them play. The girls came along as my dates and a bit selfishly of me and unbeknownst to them, as emotional backup. Seeing the guys play, which at one time in my life was akin to coming home, now is a bit like navigating a minefield. I dearly adore so many people in that group but I've also stepped on a few too many toes. But my love for that band is greater then my desire for completely comfortable social situations. A well-founded risk- the show was just fantastic. A quality night....

To precede an even better Friday night!

Wine and records and 72% dark chocolate! I can't think of a nicer start to the weekend.

And now a little Saturday morning recovery music to combat the hangover.