Betty2Tone Vintage: Out with the new, in with the old!

Musical Monday: Tea For Two

2012-03-05T16:13:00.004-05:00

I couldn't find any great clips from the actual movie, but here is the main song From Two for Tea with Doris Day

Kitsch Week: Flamingos

2012-03-01T22:56:00.004-05:00

There are a lot of things that can go along with liking vintage. One of my favorite components of vintage would be kitsch. Just in case there are some people that don't know what that means, Webster defines kitsch as:

1.Something that appeals to popular or lowbrow taste and is often of poor quality

2. A tacky or lowbrow quality or condition

Basically it's the, "It's so tacky, it's good" mindset. At least that's how I think of it.

Those plastic flamingo yard decorations are probably one of the more iconic examples, and I'm totally a sucker for them. Here is some of my flamingo collection:

My Awesome Zombie Kitten skirt (that kitchen skirt my friend is wearing is pretty kitschy too BTW)

Plastic yard decorations. Sadly, I can't keep anything cool in my yard because almost everything will be stolen at some point. I couldn't figure out how to display them in my bedroom so any suggestions would be loved.

The coolest bed sheets ever. I also have matching pajamas in winter and summer styles

Cute wall ornament

I also had some great flamingo socks which sadly ripped beyond compare. The last time I wore them was at a John Water's speech, so that was fairly sad but totally appropriate!

I'm officially declaring it kitsch week. Midterms are coming up though, so I can't promise kitsch week won't turn into kitsch month, but get ready for some more kitschy fun here! :D

Rodeo Vacation

2012-02-23T14:13:00.005-05:00

Source

Growing up in Tucson, school kids always got a three (maybe four?) day weekend in February because of the rodeo being in town. There was a friend on facebook still living there that mentioned that the rodeo was in town so that brought back some fun memories. I haven't lived in Tucson for over ten years, but now I'm in the mood to watch some ("girly") Western movies today! If you have Netflix, these are some movie suggestions that are all on instant play (for the moment):

-The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend with Betty Grable

-The Outlaw with Jane Russull

-Foxfire with Jane Russell (this isn't exactly a Western movie, but it is set in Arizona)

-Calamity Jane with Doris Day

Now break out your cowgirl boots and six shooters and have at it :)

Cute Coat Alert!

2012-02-22T15:11:00.004-05:00

Target has the most adorable trench coats this month. They are pretty basic, but have a ruffle around the bottom. I bought a black one, but they also have white, beige, and pink. The pink coat is actually referred to as "fifties pink." I like the black version so much, I'm considering getting one in another color. It's great finding clothing that works so well will a vintage look. They only had the black and white coats in the actual stores (that I noticed) but here is the online page for them

Skeleton Gingham Valentine

2012-02-15T00:08:00.004-05:00

Even being chronically single, I've always thought Valentine's Day was super fun. This year's wasn't great because I am sick, and had a ton of school stuff to do. Just another fussy day, but hanging out with the roommates was fun, and I did get this cute Valentine. A skeleton with red gingham...my roommate knows me too well :D

These are pictures from a Fairy Tale themed Valentine's Day party my friend had a few years ago. That would be Prince Eric (Little Mermaid), Prince Charming, Puss in Boots, an Ugly Step-sister, Little Red Riding Hood, The Frog Princess, Prince Charming (again), and Rapunzel. Yes, that IS the Frog Princess and Rapunzel getting into a girl fight over their "man."

This is from a Valentine's Day tea party I had even longer ago where everyone had to dress up as a famous couple that was no longer together because of divorce, a break up, or death. My friend was Yoko Ono, and I was Nancy of Sid and Nancy.
Have a Happy Valentine's Day everyone! <3

My two favorite things...

2012-02-12T02:06:00.001-05:00

are drag queens and 1950s style bad-"girls." Just a warning, this isn't super nasty, but you might not want to watch it at work, or if you have delicate sensibilities ;)

Yes, I'm still alive!

2012-02-10T23:36:00.002-05:00

Where have I been these days? Well, I spent winter break at my parents' house. I hardly posted anything over break because I (almost literally) did nothing but work and watch Gossip Girl. Now I'm back at school and my Internet/computer always has something going wrong. I haven't really been doing much other than school either. The funny thing is, I seem to get a lot more followers when I'm not posting anything. So thank you for that! :D I really want to try to get back to posting more regularly. I did get this cute ashtray though, and who doesn't love hippos?

Brand new 9.5 oxfords for sale

2012-02-04T21:36:00.003-05:00

These are from Target. I found some similar shoes that I liked better, but lost the receipt so I couldn't return them. They're size 9.5 and seem pretty consistent with Target-brand sizes. They're brand new, in the box, but I did notice some glue or something on the soles. $25 even for the shoes/shipping ($30 if not in the US), and I would prefer to use paypal, but if that's a problem I don't mind working something else out. Let me know if you're interested in the comments, and thanks in advance :D

P.S. They are currently at my parent's house with me for the weekend. If someone let's me know they're interested before tomorrow (Sunday) night, I can bring them to school with me and ship them ASAP. If not, I'll be able to ship them next weekend :D Hope that makes sense

My Friends are Gross Enablers!

2012-01-07T21:43:00.003-05:00

Just kidding! Between my birthday, Christmas, and a couple just-because gifts, I made out like a vintage bandit! Thanks so much to my lovely friends that help me stay stylish!

Look at the details of this purse! It's the perfect combination of gaudy and adorable. I also live with 4 cats, and this matches half of them.

Flapper and Pinup Makeup Tutorials

2012-01-04T04:03:00.001-05:00

This dude's makeup tutorials are awesome.

Happy New Year everyone!

2012-01-01T02:18:00.001-05:00

It's been years since I've gone out for New Years. Tonight I saw The Sound of Music at a theater that plays old movies, played board games with friends, wore sparkly shoes, while still getting home by 1am. This broad knows how to party. I hope everyone stayed safe, and had a great night!

Vintage Fate!

2011-12-15T14:46:00.002-05:00

THIS is why I ended up not being able to get that wonderful pink couch for Christmas. Wonderful fate! I've been looking for the perfect vintage cape/cloak for YEARS. They have all either been too expensive, the wrong size, or not quite right for whatever reason. This is the first thing I laid eyes on in the vintage store I went to yesterday, but it seemed too good to be true! Everything about it is perfect though! Thanks Mom!

Does anyone here know the actual difference between a cape and a cloak? I asked my mom in the store, and her answer was, "I don't know, a cloak has to be shrouded in darkness?" I burst out laughing so hard, but I like that distinction. There was no real reason to wear it yesterday, so I ended up just wearing it around the house, over pajamas. It was pretty stylish!

What vintage goodies are people hoping for this Holiday?

Disappointment!

2011-12-10T11:31:00.001-05:00

This couch was at the thrift store over the weekend and it was love at first sight. I asked my Mom if it was too ridiculous for a Christmas present, and she said no. Sadly, she went back for it today (since I live an hour away) but it was already gone. Sorry pink brocade couch, we would have been awesome together. I've never been a huge "GIVE ME PRESENTS!" kind of girl, so I seriously can't think of anything else to ask for, practical or impractical. Any ideas?

Musical Monday: The Muppets

2011-11-28T17:52:00.003-05:00

This isn't the usual "old movie" I post for Musical Monday, but the new muppet movie was incredible! There were a lot of retro touches in it, so it was cute AND pretty to look at. I NEED Amy Adam's entire wardrobe from this movie.

Musical Monday: State Fair

2011-11-07T16:26:00.000-05:00

Don Draper and I have the same ash tray!

2011-10-25T12:02:00.002-04:00

My roommate and I have been on a Mad Men binge all month. Half way through, I happened to notice that the ash tray Don Draper has in his office is the same as mine! It was my grandparents, and my Dad recently gave it to me. I don't smoke, but it's a great little tray to keep jewelry in. Has this ever happened to anyone with other shows/things?

Musical Monday: Gypsy

2011-10-24T15:45:00.003-04:00

I love cute, inexpensive shoes!!!

2011-10-22T21:41:00.004-04:00

Payless has some really cute shoes this month! Since I'm seriously trying to cut down on the shoes I buy, I'll just share my favorites here. The pair in the middle are adorable and would go really well with vintage or retro style dresses. Sorry shoes, I know you will find a loving home, other than mine!

Probably my best thrift store find yet!

2011-10-14T14:38:00.002-04:00

This purchase has me way too excited, but I will try not to be too dramatic about it. When I was thrifting this weekend, I came across an awesome vanity. It was $69 which is totally reasonable for what it is, just not for my personal budget. I kept thinking about it all week, and finally called my Dad to see if he would be willing to get it for me as an early birthday present. After some teasing, he said that would be fine. I went back today not knowing if it had been sold or not since they don't hold stuff until you buy it, and I live an hour away. On the drive down today, I kept joking to my Dad that I was ready to punch some little old ladies if I had to. Not only was it still there, but they slashed the price down to $39!!! I thought I was dreaming!!! There was a little old man shopping there that was super excited that someone so young was getting so excited over an old piece of furniture. He said I suited it nicely. He also was giving me tips on how to fix it up. He was really sweet, I'm glad I didn't have to punch him. Here's a quick snap of it in my parent's garage:

Goofy thriftstore finds

2011-10-09T23:21:00.004-04:00

There are still major Internet problems at my house. I think I've given up on regular blog postings. Not really, but it feels that way. I had a surprise weekend off, so I got together with my sister and a friend to do some thrifting!

This was the dress I wore out today. It's also the dress I dyed a while back, in action! Yes, we were being slightly crude today.

This dress screamed "Wednesday Addams" to me. It will make a good costume in the future.

Yes, I bought this too. I have noooooo idea what I will ever do with a bright pink prison uniform/jumpsuit, but I know in my heart that someday I will be glad I bought it. Or not!

I also got some records. I found the soundtrack for Gypsy, State Fair, and some Christmas music from Julie Andrews! It really ended up being a pretty fun day!

Best Friends and Faberge Eggs

2011-09-19T23:36:00.005-04:00

One of my best friends from high school was in town and stayed with me for a week! One of the best things we did was going to the Faberge egg exhibit at the VMFA! If anyone lives near Richmond, Virginia, I highly recommend going to see it! It will be there until October 2. I was expecting to see nothing but fancy looking eggs, but there were things like jewelry boxes, cigarette holders, animal carvings, etc. A lot of the items on display had an art deco feel. For whatever reason, I always thought of those eggs as being much older than they actually are. These were some of my favorite things:

Kitty fabric!

2011-09-17T22:35:00.002-04:00

What is more perfect than aqua colored fabric with cats and atomic patters in the background? Pretty much nothing! There's not a lot of fabric, and I don't have great sewing skills, so I'm trying to think of something simple to make out of it. First thought was a kitty bed, but my sister made the point that cats always prefer to sleep in weird things over actual cat beds, so that idea might be out. Unless I just crumple it up and throw it on the floor, my kitties probably won't be interested. I might make a cat shaped pillow for myself though, it seems easy enough. Does anyone have any other ideas?

My Internet problems have been fixed (knock on wood, at least). I've had a friend in town this week, but I should be back to semi-regular blogging soon! I miss it!

100 years of fashion in 100 seconds

2011-09-02T23:19:00.002-04:00

My mom posted this on my facebook page this morning, and I just thought it was so great! It makes me wonder what fashion of today will end up being the "iconic" look people remember 100 years later.

And just a hurricane update: I made it through the storm fine, but there was no power for a week. No fun! I'm also still having computer issues on my school computer, so I'm not sure how much posting I'll be doing for a while :(

No blogging for a while...

2011-08-26T21:04:00.002-04:00

I went back to my apartment for school this week, and I don't have Internet because of some computer issues. I don't know what the problem is yet, so I don't know how long it will take to fix. What a great way to start off the semester! I'm back at my parent's house for the weekend, but the power will surely be out tomorrow, if not longer because of the hurricane. Yes, this is after the swap fires and earthquakes! I hope everyone on the East coast stays safe and dry.

Musical Monday: Grease

2011-08-22T18:47:00.003-04:00

Grease is probably in the top 3 list of my most watched/loved movies ever. I thought about not using it for Musical Mondays since most people have probably seen it, but tonight the mood just struck. :)

Philadelphia and The Mutter Museum

2011-08-21T16:53:00.002-04:00

I went on a sudden and short trip to Philadelphia, PA this weekend! Of course the first thing I did was check out a few thrift/vintage type stores. I didn't find much, but I did get a Dan Clowes comic, and a record recording of The Magician's Nephew from The Chronicles of Narnia.

If you are squeamish (especially about human remains) I suggest you click out of this blog entry NOW. I like this kind of stuff, but I know a lot of people don't, so there is your warning.

Maybe I'm a total creep, but if there's a museum that has abnormal preserved body parts in jars, a corpse that has been turned into soap, a 9 foot colon, etc. on display, then I desperately want to go. The place I'm talking about is the Mutter Museum. It's been around since the mid 1800s, and was made for medical research. I've wanted to see it for years, I finally got to go! My Mom knows the president of the museum, so we got a super-secret-behind-the-scenes tour! We got to see the "Cabinet of Death" in person, and the wet lab which has bottles and bottles of super disgusting things. I was delightfully horrified the whole day. Sadly, there were no pictures allowed (which is fine), but I also forgot to take some pictures of me in front of the museum. If you're interested, there are a lot of pictures online if you just google it. I loved Philly and would love to go back when I had more time and a chance to plan more things.

Musical Monday: Pete's Dragon

2011-08-15T20:44:00.001-04:00

I love Disney villains and videos of nerdy kids lip synching, so this video was just too much for me

Musical Monday: Down to Earth

2011-08-08T21:53:00.002-04:00

I DO Love Lucy! Happy 100th Birthday, Girl!

2011-08-06T14:47:00.002-04:00

Today would have been the perfect day to have an I Love Lucy party if I had thought ahead. I think I might be Lucy for Halloween this year, even though I have already been struggling with choosing between Carmen Miranda or Natashia from Rocky and Bullwinkle. What is a girl to do? It WOULD be the cheapest costume out of the three since all I would need is a wig, but I just can't decide.

If you love poodles and purses as much as I do...

2011-08-06T01:22:00.004-04:00

I was browsing etsy tonight for (possibly) the perfect* wicker purse, but I found these instead:

I would have bought the first one in a second if it didn't cost the same as a month + of groceries, but I can dream. You can find the purses here and here They really are way too cute!

*I'm not saying that I don't think these are perfect, but I was specifically looking for a plain wicker purse when these popped up :D

Pan Am: New TV Show!!!

2011-08-04T14:35:00.002-04:00

I just saw a commercial for this about 5 minutes ago. This looks like it could either be campy-great, or just plain great. I have high hopes, and it's really hard to go wrong with those costumes, or Christina Ricci. I'm really excited!

Musical Monday: Viva Las Vegas

2011-08-01T21:17:00.002-04:00

World's Longest Yardsale

2011-07-29T11:19:00.003-04:00

I meant to do this post earlier in the summer so people might actually have time to make arrangements to go if possible. It starts in about 5 days, so there might still be time if you happen to live close by. The World's Longest Yardsale is a giant mass of yardsales along route 127 (all the way from Alabama to Michigan). There are people that have them at their houses, along big stretches of roads, in parking lots, churches, barns, honestly anything you could possibly think of. I went with a friend and her family a few years ago and it was one of the most fun vacations I have ever gone on. I seriously recommend checking it out. This website has all of the info: http://www.127sale.com/

Shag Dance

2011-07-29T01:17:00.002-04:00

My sister and I went to a shag dance event tonight. There was a band that played some older music and there were people giving shag lessons. I really don't understand dancing enough to explain what the actual differences are, but to me it seems sort of similar to swing dancing. There are a few more of these events scheduled, so I think we're going to try make at least one more.

I thought this was a pretty good video of shagging (not from tonight though):

Musical Monday: Darling Lili

2011-07-25T00:18:00.001-04:00

Half-ass housewife?

2011-07-22T00:46:00.002-04:00

My sister came up to visit me for a couple days to see some plays. I really love this dress, but I didn't get any good pictures of it straight on. The conversation that went down made me laugh.

My sister: You look like such a 1950s housewife, cooking my dinner!
Me: Scooping Spagettios into a bowl and microwaving them counts as cooking dinner?
My Sister: Eh, I'll take what I can get.

One of the plays we saw was set in the 20s, and it was a funny murder mystery about gangsters. I really liked it, and the costumes were so cute! Other than that, I've been working almost every day (literally) so I've had no time for vintage anything. :(

(Late) Musical Monday: Victor Victoria

2011-07-19T18:59:00.001-04:00

This isn't from Victor Victoria, but it made me laugh

Musical Monday: Cinderella

2011-07-11T10:24:00.001-04:00

Musical Monday: Mary Poppins

2011-07-04T10:56:00.001-04:00

I'm declaring it "Julie Andrews July" so I hope everyone who reads my blog loves her as much as I do

Musical Monday: Beach Blanket Bingo

2011-06-27T00:15:00.001-04:00

Musical Mondays are back! I have done Beach Blanket Bingo before, but it is one of my favorite movies, and it's perfect timing for summer. Here are some more musical clips, since I couldn't include all of them before.

The Thrift Store Gods Were On My Side Today

2011-06-25T21:52:00.004-04:00

I usually do most of my shopping at thrift stores, but finding actual vintage is pretty rare. Today I found a great pill box hat, and my favorite style of old lady earrings! There was also a great 1950s style dress that was my size! Plus it was teal, which is probably one of the best colors ever. I seem to find the best stuff when I decide to go thrifting on a whim. Isn't that how it always works though?

I'm being haunted by teacups that come in threes

2011-06-24T16:12:00.001-04:00

All the cute teacup "sets" I've found recently have come in threes. I'm pretty OCD, so from now on I'm going to have to only buy them in threes just to keep things "even."

Interesting tip for doing victory rolls...

2011-06-11T00:54:00.000-04:00

Apparently when my Grandma did her hair in victory rolls, her and her friends rolled their hair up with tampons, and just pinned them in with the rest of their hair. I have not tried doing my hair in victory rolls in the first place, let alone with tampons, so I can't give any pointers more specific than that, but it sounds logical to me.

Busy Busy Busy

2011-06-08T13:50:00.003-04:00

My poor neglected blog! I've been super busy with work and going out, so I haven't had much time to post about anything! These are thrift store/vintage store finds that I have bought recently:

1940s/50s shirt. I LOVE the color, pattern, and the buttons:

A modern sweater with a vintage look:

An old makeup compact. I don't wear makeup, but I cleaned it out and use it as hand mirror:

My family got a puppy!

2011-05-29T01:02:00.002-04:00

My brother named her Taylor after Taylor Swift, but I'm going to pretend she's named after Elizabeth Taylor instead.

"Made in Dagenham"

2011-05-27T23:54:00.003-04:00

This movie is about the English women who went on strike in the late 1960s because they wanted equal pay as men. I don't want to give away more than that, but I thought it was a really great movie. I feel slightly ironic mentioning this in a movie about feminism, but just look at these outfits!

I finally dyed that dress!

2011-05-24T23:47:00.002-04:00

I am not a crafty kind of girl by any means. That's probably why it took over a year to decide to dye this dress in the first place, decide what color to use, buy dye, and then actually do it. I had no idea what kind of fabric the dress was made from, so I really wasn't sure how it would turn out. Somehow the yellow/peach color of the dress mixed with navy dye made the end result sort of a purple based grey, which I love! It looks so much better with my skin tone now.

"Green With Envy"

2011-05-23T18:37:00.003-04:00

I JUST saw the trailer for this movie, and it looks like it has everything I love! Jason Segel? Check! Amy Adams? Check! Muppets? Check! 1950s style outfits? Check! I'm super excited.

I unfortunately did NOT pass my Spanish class this semester. Not a shock, but still disappointing. That class has been a thorn in my side since the beginning. I decided to retake it this fall instead of over summer. I'm happy for the break. I've also been slacking on Musical Mondays. I haven't forgotten about them, but it might be a bit before I get back to posting them.

What is everyone planning for the summer?

I hit the mother-load of vintage luggage!

2011-05-16T16:06:00.003-04:00

My dad was cleaning out his garage today. He found 3 pieces of vintage luggage that belonged to my Grandma, and passed them along to me! Other than being super dusty, and slightly sticky, they are in almost perfect condition and even have the original keys! I looked around on the Internet to get an idea of how old they might be, and I found an ad that could be an exact match to one of the pieces. I started cleaning them, and they're going to look really great once I'm finished! Thanks Dad!

WTF, cats? Seriously?

2011-05-07T02:05:00.003-04:00

I would say that 90% of the stuff in my room is NOT vintage. Of course when I let my sister's cat in for some snuggles, my vintage hat collection is the FIRST thing he goes over to try to climb on/paw at. Then he insisted on trying to "make bread" on my (probably oldest and most delicate) shirt from the 40s that I JUST bought today. And that's even over my delicious looking guinea pig who was out and about in her uncovered cage. I don't know if cats are stupid, or just have really good taste. They're just lucky they're cute. Honestly, I'm guessing that all that stuff just doesn't smell the same as everything else in my room, but still!

This has been my favorite cat comic/blog since I discovered it a couple months ago. I think any cat lover would love it, but this week she made a comic about cat ladies through history, so there are cute drawings of "vintage" cat ladies dressed like flappers, hippies, etc. So I feel it's doubly appropriate to post about!

I love cats.

Exam week...blah

2011-05-04T12:39:00.000-04:00

Exam week is coming up. This could mean that I disappear for the next two weeks, or it could mean twice as many blog posts because I'm avoiding doing work. I never can tell.

The Royal Wedding is the Last Thing I was Expecting to Post About Today, but...

2011-04-29T22:39:00.002-04:00

I noticed how much her dress looked like my Grandma's wedding dress from the 50s. Pretty cool!

OMG, HATS!!!

2011-04-25T22:22:00.002-04:00

My friend's boyfriend gave me almost a dozen vintage hats this weekend! They are glorious! He told me he had "a few" for me, so I assumed it was two, maybe three hats. Almost all of them came with their own vintage hair pins too! I lucked out! They were such a great gift!

I love this one. It has such an odd shape, but it's hard to catch it well in a picture. I'll have to try taking some pictures wearing it. That might work better.

This is one is probably my favorite. It fits perfectly, stays on without any kind of hair pin, and I can see myself actually wearing it pretty often.

This one is just plain ridiculous. I want to get some fake birds or something to add on to it. I have no idea what occasion I would/could wear this one to, but I have faith that a perfect situation will come up where that will be the perfect hat.

Here is a picture of the rest of them. I really have no idea what I'm going to do with all of these hats. I collect vintage hats here and there, but I think I'm going to have to start wearing them out.

Musical Monday: Chicago

2011-04-25T00:06:00.002-04:00

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T02:34:00.003-04:00

My friends and I celebrated by dying eggs tonight! Most of the eggs we made were Nicholas Cage inspired (major inside joke between my group of friends), but I also finally made some Halloween eggs!

What a mess!

'Allo 'Allo

2011-04-21T14:07:00.002-04:00

'Allo 'Allo is a British show from the 80s/90s set in World War Two. I'm not super familiar with it, but a friend of mine had a birthday party based off of the show a few years ago. Pictures of that party popped up on Facebook today, so I figured I would post a few

(Early) Musical Monday: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

2011-04-17T17:55:00.001-04:00

Vintage Style Sims

2011-04-15T19:43:00.004-04:00

I don't play Sims, so I don't know what version this was made on. My friend plays though, and came across a 1940s hairstyle. She made me into a Sims character! This will probably be the closest I'll ever be to wearing victory rolls, mostly because I suck at doing hair.

Another last minute giveaway...

2011-04-15T19:38:00.001-04:00

Over at A Vintage Girl at Home. It's a super cute vintage style/pinup girl bathing suit...size 12

Musical Monday: Little Shop of Horrors

2011-04-11T00:21:00.004-04:00

This is one of the very few movie remakes that I think is better than the original. I watched this all the time when I was little, and I'm sure it's one more movie that helped plant the "vintage seed" in my head. Just so people know, this movie IS on Netflix instant play for now :D

Forever Grumpy

2011-04-09T23:32:00.002-04:00

I've been in such a funk, which has made it hard to think of anything fun or vintage-y to blog about. Over the last few months, I've either been sick, mopey, stressed over school, or all of the above. How does everyone here get out of moods like that? Today was definitely a good day to stay in kitchy pajamas and watch X-files ALL DAY LONG. I'm not going to lie, Mulder is dreamy. I had the biggest crush on him in middle school, and kind of forgot about him until now. He's still got it. At least I have a grumpy cat to spoon with.

The Legend of Flea Market Elvis

2011-04-08T13:00:00.001-04:00

This might be a story that's only funny to my sisters, and one friend of mine, but here goes nothing. There is a flea market a few towns away from my house that my sisters and I go to once in a while. There is a guy that's always there that we call "Flea Market Elvis." We're kind of obsessed. I don't think he dresses like Elvis on purpose or to be ironic, but he totally has the hair, the glasses, jacket, and shoes. We see him at the flea market literally EVERY time we go, even though he doesn't have a booth that we know of. We don't go to that area very often, but we have also seen him at the mall, and the drugstore. He totally hit on my sister at one point, even though she totally denies it. The last time we went, we didn't see him at all. We were kind of bummed because we always wonder if we'll see him or not, and this was the first time we hadn't. We got in the car to go home. We had been listening to a 1950s Rock and Roll mix CD. As we were driving out of the parking lot, an Elvis song came on which was funny enough on it's own, but the next thing I heard was my sister yelling, "Holy shit, there he is!!!" I totally thought she was kidding, but there he was, walking into the flea market. It was pretty much the most perfect moment ever. I don't know what made me think about this today. Now I want to go to the flea market again.

Seeing John Waters!

2011-04-04T14:04:00.003-04:00

I had the worst cramps of my life, and low blood sugar from not eating all day. Even feeling like complete crap, John Waters was amazing! When I saw him last year, the crowd was terrible. There were so many parts of his one man show that my mom, sister, friend, and I were literally the only ones cracking up. This crowd was MUCH better. I was surprised since this was at a fairly conservative Catholic college. His one man show is called "This Filthy World" and is on DVD for anyone who is interested. Anyone who is a John Waters fan will love it. He talked about different movies he's made, famous people he knows, and all kinds of random stuff. He wasn't talking about the vintage lifestyle specifically, but he did make a comment about how everyone glorifies the good parts about living in the 1950s, but in reality it was pretty bad time for a lot of people, especially if you weren't a straight white man. As much as I love the fashion, movies and music of those times, I have to agree with him. He had a question and answer section after his show. I couldn't think of any good questions though. Sadly, there was no meet and greet this time around. The first time I saw him, I was able to meet him, so it wasn't too disappointing. When I was taking a picture with him, I was standing behind one of my biggest idols, but all I could think was, "I really want to give him bunny ears...no...don't do it!" I didn't, but I mentioned that to my friend, Carol Ann, and she burst out laughing because she said that was all she could think about too. Ahhh totally friends for a reason. Anyways, here is a picture from meeting him at the first show.

I also can not think of this song by Little Richard without this scene from the movie playing in my head. It always makes me want to do bad things, which I guess is the point

Great Give-away You Should Know About

2011-04-04T11:29:00.001-04:00

Over at Pretty Little Things. Check it out!

Musical Monday: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

2011-04-04T01:28:00.004-04:00

I had never heard of this musical until last week when I bought the record because the cover looked cool. Strangely enough, the very next day, it popped up on suggested movies that I might like on Netflix. To be honest, I thought the actual movie was pretty boring, but I loved the musical numbers, and all the 1960s style dresses. It was still worth watching.

This is from a Japanese version of the play. I thought that was pretty cool, and different

This gave me a good laugh this morning

2011-03-30T13:19:00.002-04:00

I looked at my blog stats this morning, and someone found my blog by searching, "sneaking a peak at older wemon" I hope you found what you were looking for, mystery searcher :D

(Early) Musical Monday: Cry Baby

2011-03-27T01:41:00.000-04:00

I will be out of town until Tuesday so I figured I would do my Musical Monday post early.

Keds!

2011-03-25T19:20:00.004-04:00

I don't bring my car when I'm away at school, so I literally walk miles everyday. I don't really like sneakers, but even the most comfortable flats aren't great with the amount of walking I do. I was thinking about finding some navy blue keds, but I found these silky looking black keds at Ross instead! I used to wear shoes like this in middle school. I'm not sure why I stopped. I am also happy to say that I don't look like a hipster when I wear them...then again does a hipster really know they're a hipster?

I would have flipped my shit for these shoes back in high school!

I loved this ad.

RIP Elizabeth Taylor

2011-03-23T11:28:00.001-04:00

John Waters and My Love of Retro/Vintage

2011-03-22T01:00:00.002-04:00

There's no doubt that watching John Waters movies like Hairspray and Crybaby as a child imprinted some love of retro/vintage in my mind forever. I'm going to see him perform his one-man show at a film festival next week. I've seen it once before, and was able to meet him afterwards. It was seriously one of the best nights of my life! I was just in awe the whole night! I'm super excited about seeing him again!

Musical Monday: Forever Plaid

2011-03-21T00:03:00.003-04:00

There was a version of Forever Plaid on TV this weekend. Unfortunately I missed the first one, and the second one was on at 4am. I am a severe night owl, and am usually up that early (or late?), but this was one of the few occasions I wasn't going to be up that late because of work. Oh well.

Call me crazy, but I'm not a fan of Spring (or Summer)

2011-03-18T14:33:00.002-04:00

I just don't like all the allergies, and warm weather that come with it. I am much happier when it's cold. Today was the first "hot" day, and of course it was the day that I locked myself out of the house. Spring and I are not off to a good start. Luckily my sister was able to rescue me fairly fast.

I don't hate everything about Spring though. I love riding bikes before it gets too hot. I've been home for Spring Break this week, and have been riding my sister's bike almost everyday. I need to fix up my old bike! It was my Grandma's and I'm guessing it's from the 60s/early 70s. It was my bike as a kid/teenager. It's been sitting in my creepy basement, ignored, for the last 5 years or so. It's kind of rusty, and definitely needs new tires, but I don't think fixing it up will be too much trouble.

I Watch Too Many Judy Garland Videos Late at Night

2011-03-17T02:39:00.001-04:00

What Not to Wear Made-Over a "Vintage Girl" Tonight!

2011-03-15T23:07:00.003-04:00

What Not to Wear has been one of my favorite shows since it's been on TV. Tonight, they made over a woman that dressed in head to toe vintage. At first all I could think was, "Oh no, don't do it!" but it ended pretty well, I thought. They actually let the woman keep a good chunk of her vintage wardrobe, and even used her own vintage clothing in some of the clothing examples for outfits she should look for. In the end, she still had some good vintage pieces, but they showed her how to pair them with modern clothing. They also had some of her vintage tailored so it would look as good as possible. I have no problem with people who want to wear head to toe vintage, a piece or two, or no vintage at all, but I personally think she looked much better after the makeover. I was really excited to see the end result. Did anyone see tonight's episode? What were your thoughts?

Vintage Manicure

2011-03-14T19:18:00.002-04:00

My friend, Star, gave me a vintage manicure today! I've never had one before, and this was her first time doing one. I looove it! It just looks so dainty!

Musical Monday: Harold and Maude/Cat Stevens

2011-03-14T00:15:00.002-04:00

Harold and Maude is not actually a musical, BUT I feel like if it had different music, it would be a totally different movie. Maybe I'm way to into it, but I loooove this movie, and I looooove Cat Stevens. I think the two were made for each other.

This post brought to you by the color pink

2011-03-10T15:04:00.002-05:00

My sister and her friend stopped by my house on the way back from their Spring Break trip. We went to Exile, that store I mentioned that is closing. Everything was at least 50% off, and was a 10 dollar minimum for credit cards. After I found these gloves, I HAD to buy a couple more thing to reach that limit (and beyond). Poor me, right? I'm also going home for my spring break, so I'm sure that will mean more thrifting with my other sister. I can't wait!

Musical Monday: Annie

2011-03-07T00:08:00.000-05:00

Two things I can't resist:

2011-03-02T17:51:00.002-05:00

1. Orphans
2. Boxes of records for a dollar

And the winner is...

2011-03-01T19:28:00.002-05:00

Miss Emmi! Please email me at BlueSequinsR@aol.com (I left a comment on your blog too). I will send your purse and brooch ASAP. Thank you to everyone else who reads my blog. :D This was fun, so I think I'll be doing another give-away at some point, so stay tuned!

RIP Jane Russell

2011-02-28T21:02:00.003-05:00

I can't believe Jane Russell died :( She was definitely one of my all time favorite old actresses, and what a hottie. I've watched a bunch of her movies this past month, so it feels like a strange coincidence.

Does anyone know what these are?

2011-02-28T18:06:00.003-05:00

What is the last thing I probably need? What is the thing I always want to buy? Dishes!I don't even use the dishes I own because when I moved in with some of my friends, they already had more than enough dishes to go around. These were too cute to pass up. I was only going to buy two (out of three) but I figured the chance of me breaking one was pretty high in the long run, plus they were only a dollar.

Does anyone know what these are, or when they might have been made? They have no markings on the bottom or anything. I asked the lady working what they were. She just looked at me like I was an idiot and said, "teacups?" It was all I could do not to laugh.

Musical Monday: Betty Boop

2011-02-28T01:59:00.003-05:00

This isn't exactly from a movie, but it still works. Plus Betty Boop is adorable, so I couldn't resist.

I pretty much think about Halloween year round, and Betty Boop has always been on my list of costumes I would like to do one year. I thought this was a great make-up tutorial for that costume.

No Luck Until the Last Second

2011-02-26T17:10:00.001-05:00

One of my sisters came up to visit today. She walked in and we were both wearing black, yellow, and leopard print. We really don't dress similarly at all, but we always end up matching somehow, totally by accident. We went out to thrift stores and vintage stores all day long. She found a ton of stuff, but I wasn't having much luck. I found this super cute poodle brooch at our last stop at least. There were actually several poodle pins, but this one happened to be the cutest AND the cheapest.

This is just a reminder about my give-away here. I'm really glad everyone loves the brooch so much. It was a last minute thing I found and decided to throw in with the purse, so I was surprised when that is what got the most comments. I'll be picking a name on the first, so be sure to comment before then!

Retro Kitty

2011-02-25T23:30:00.001-05:00

1961 Yearbook Pictures

2011-02-22T23:53:00.003-05:00

I was looking at my Dad's old yearbook this weekend, and thought I would post a few pictures. Aren't these outfits amazing? I'll try to get some more pictures when I'm home again. I didn't even notice before, but I think the guy holding a book in the top right corner of the first picture might be my Dad...I'll have to look into that.

Musical Mondays: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

2011-02-21T01:48:00.003-05:00

This post is brought to you by insomnia, and getting studying out of the way early!

MY GIVE-AWAY IS FINALLY HERE!

2011-02-20T22:53:00.004-05:00

Sorry, but this contest is over. I'll probably have another one someday, so stay tuned! :)

Awesome "New" Dress

2011-02-19T23:26:00.001-05:00

I bought this 1950s(?) dress last week. The neckline is my favorite part! Does anyone know if there's an actual name for that style? I will post pictures of the whole dress after I sew up one of the loose seams in the skirt part.

Also, I'm going to skip my Musical Monday post this week. I have a huge Spanish test on Tuesday I really need to hit the books for :(

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T21:29:00.003-05:00

If I was better at planning things, I would have used this for my Musical Monday post today. I guess I'll just make two! I thought this was an appropriate song for Valentine's Day. I hope everyone had a great one!

Musical Mondays: Oklahoma

2011-02-14T00:02:00.001-05:00

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow...

2011-02-12T21:06:00.003-05:00

I spent all day helping paint a backdrop for the play, Annie. This isn't totally finished, but I think the "end" result turned out pretty damn awesome. I can not express how tired I am now though, but it was fun!

Creepin' in My Drawers

2011-02-10T16:25:00.005-05:00

I first saw this idea at Va-Voom Vintage. This is what you will find in my drawers by my bed.

The top drawer has all of my hair stuff like flowers, hair rats (that I almost never use), combs, headbands, bobby pins, etc.
The middle drawer has my jewelry, and my sillier sunglasses that I don't wear on a regular basis.

The bottom drawer is the most boring one. It has medicine, bandaids, and extra face wash, all that kind of stuff.

I thought about taking pictures of everything in my dresser drawers, but that's where all my boring clothes are...a lot of black t-shirts, and socks. So those are my drawers, feel free to post about your own!

Betty2Tone and Kids Dressing Like Crazy Old Ladies

2011-02-09T16:07:00.004-05:00

I found my English Beat shirt a while back and wore it the other day. Not vintage, but I thought I'd post a picture since I named my blog "Betty2Tone..." after that girl on the shirt.

I bought this photo box for a friend's birthday present. Those girls totally could have been us. I'm obviously the girl on the left with the animal print and cat eye glasses, and she's obviously the girl on the right with the big pink skirt, and crazy bag.

There was no real point to this post. I'm just bored.

Vintage Shopping Today!

2011-02-08T23:59:00.007-05:00

I was visiting home this weekend, and mentioned that Exile was closing at the end of the month. Before I went back to my apartment, my Mom gave me some extra money and said that I HAD to spend it on stuff from Exile (or whatever other vintage store) and that sometimes buying awesome stuff was just as important as buying groceries. THANK'S MOM!

A friend of mine came to visit today, so we went shopping! She had never been to a vintage store, so I was happy to take her to some! I got this great train case from Exile, and another record from a vintage book store. I found some great dresses and skirts at different places, but they were all way too small...Ah the major downside of big boobs and being tall. ;) The train case is a little dirty on the inside, but other than that, it's in great shape! I love the egg shape of it. Plus it's the same blue as some of the luggage I bought a while ago, so even better. I need to dress up super fancy and go take a train trip somewhere!

I can't believe I'm finally able to say this, but I officially have 50 followers! I have to say that 50 is about 48 more than I was ever expecting! That might not seem like a lot to some people, but I'm super excited. I will be doing a give-a-way at some point, so stay tuned! Thanks for following everyone!

Musical Monday: Bye Bye Birdie

2011-02-07T00:01:00.001-05:00

I think I'm going to stop including summaries of the movies that I pick for Musical Mondays. I don't really like writing them, and I'm not particularly good at it. Plus with a lot of these, I haven't actually seen the movie or play, I just like the soundtrack. So from now on, enjoy the fun songs, and pretty videos. :)

Exile is Closing

2011-02-02T19:04:00.004-05:00

Exile has been a store I've loved going to for the last few years, but it's been around for over 20. It's not vintage-only, but they do have a big vintage section, and tons of other cool stuff. I found out today that it's closing. :( I don't know the details, but I'm still bummed. I was thinking about it, and I think I shopped there more when I lived an hour away, than I have now that I live about five minutes away. Funny how things work out like that. I'm definitely going to make a few stops there before it closes at the end of February.

Musical Monday: Guys and Dolls

2011-01-31T00:12:00.002-05:00

I've only ever seen Guys and Dolls in play form, but I do have the soundtrack to the movie. It's basically about gambling and love. I love Lauren Graham, but I was surprised when I found out that she was in this play. I don't know how that got passed me. Here is a clip of her singing, and another clip from another play. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the outfit in the first clip.

Vintage Wedding Dress

2011-01-28T13:11:00.003-05:00

This picture popped up on facebook recently. This was my Grandma's wedding dress. I'm pretty sure she got married in the early 1950s.

Wizard of Oz Costumes

2011-01-27T16:20:00.005-05:00

MarsCon is a Science Fiction convention that my friends and I go to every year. This year the costume theme was "urban fantasy" so some of my friends and I dressed up as Wizard of Oz characters. I was the witch that got squashed by the house, which is why I was wearing the ruby slippers, and not Dorothy. And yes, Dorothy is my friend in drag. That's another story all together...

Somehow it has become a tradition to take pictures in the parking lot while trying to look as sketchy as possible, which explains this picture. It also is a nice shot of the purse I got for Christmas.