I'm back - I think.

Hey y'all.

I just realised that it has been an absolute age since I last blogged.  I have not been feeling particularly good about myself and I guess this has made it more difficult to get writing on here.  My biggest issue (pardon the pun) is that I have put on quite a lot of weight and I just don't feel happy with it.  Weight changes are always an issue but when your clothes are mainly vintage and therefore difficult to replace and made of fabrics with no stretch, it seems to hit harder. I can't do anything up!

As such I have decided to do something about it and have spent the last week following Weight Watchers.  Incredibly I have lost 7lbs in a week.  This seems like a lot but I have really changed my diet so I'm not surprised.  I expect it will slow down from here but it definitely has given me a boost.

I'm also starting the "30 Day Shred" workout DVD today after hearing great things about it.  I probably won't be able to move tomorrow (I'm aching from doing just half the workout as a taster two days ago).

Here is hoping I survive!

I have plenty of film reviews coming up for you and a review of several brands of seamed tights for those lazy days where you just can't face a girdle.

In the meantime please cast your eyes over my new Swirl with watermelon pockets.  This was too tight a week ago but just about fits me now!  Hurrah for diets and sunny days.

Costumedramarama! - The Night Watch

Hello all.

It has been a very busy few days but full of fun and friends.

Last night I had the pleasure of attending a screening at the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, my friends had a ticket to The Night Watch, an adaptation of Sarah Waters novel about tangled love lives during the Blitz, and I jumped at the chance.  Thanks gals!

The story centres around Kay, played by the wonderful Anna Maxwell-Martin, who cuts a lonely figure striding the streets in her masculine clothes.  It begins in 1947 and works its way back to 1941 showing Kay's various lovers, her friends and their family as they struggle through the war, with their sexuality and with the pains of falling in and out of love.

The costume is wonderful, I found myself getting terribly overexcited about various suits and hats.  It is always good to see a period drama about the working classes as most centre around upper class society with extravagant wardrobe choices, I definitely found it refreshing to see a more everyday style.

The series should be coming to the BBC soon and is most certainly worth a watch.

Knitting Magazine - vintage edition

I regularly peruse the knitting magazines in my local WHSmith whilst waiting to catch the train home and usually there isn't a lot to interest me but today - wow - I picked up and and subsequently purchased Knitting Magazine's vintage edition.

The magazine includes several vintage inspired knits - everything from jumpers to capes and a fabulous Miss Marple inspired hand bag.  My favourite being an early Thirties style sailor top that I plan on adapting to a shorter late Thirties style.  Yes, I'm getting that confident with my knitting skills these days (famous last words...)

There is also an interview with the inspiring knitwear designer Lise-Lotte Lystrup - author of "Vintage Knitwear for Modern Knitters" - one of my favourite knitting books, available on Amazon.

The magazine is available from most branches of WH Smith and via this website.

A crazy cat lady post

It is time to out myself as the complete crazy cat lady that I am.

Today is the birthday of my two best pals - Marlon and Gene - my felines.  Marlon is 2 years old today and Gene, whose birthday is uncertain but was probably born around April time, is 1.

We celebrated with salmon steak and just a tiny dribble of milk.

So, in honour of Gene leaving his kittenhood behind and entering the years of his cathood here are some pics of my favourite fellas.

 Marlon the Magnificent hindering my knitting progress - I rescued him from a breeder who was rehoming him as he isn't "breed quality" - I like his stripey tail and overbite personally.

 (Whatever happened to) Baby Gene, arriving at my flat at the age of 10 weeks.  I rescued him from the Celia Hammond cats home.  I went into the kitten pen and he just climbed straight onto my shoulder.

Happy birthday fellas.

Dear Maybelline...

Dear Maybelline,

A while back I blogged about your amazing 18 hour lipcolour.  I really thought that I had finally found my perfect lipstick; a rich true red that lasted through the eating of greasy food and stayed looking pristine through long nights out on the tiles.

So imagine my excitement when I saw you had brought out a nerw improved version, a 24 hour lipstick, no less! I hurried to my local drugstore and bought myself one. 

What have you done?  This new product is terrible.  The colour does not go on smoothly, partly down to the change in the shape of the applicator.  It takes longer to dry and looks patchy.  It also flakes after just a few hours wear, dries the lips and transfers on eating. 

I am so very sad.  Who did your consumer testing?

I will not be buying this product again.

Yours in disappointment

Lisa

Full wave bangs - first attempt - a good fringe day

Well, it has been a while since I last set my hair and so, as I could finally move my arms above my head yesterday, I thought I'd give a new fringe style a go.  My fringe has grown out to around 7 inches long now, perfect for a style called full wave bangs. (The word "bangs" for fringe always amuses me, does anyone know how it came into usage?).

This is a deceptively simple set and is best done on wet hair with a little setting lotion (I favour Motions foamy set for wet sets).  First you need to separate the fringe area into a rectangular section. You then need to roll three rows of standing pin curls.  Most diagrams show each row to consist of four pin curls but with my fine hair I could only manage three per row.

I tend to roll standing pin curls around something - a mascara tube usually works well, and just slide the curl off and pin at the base through the curl with a single bobby pin.  You could also use a very small barrelled curling iron, hotsticks or perm rods to make these curls.

The row at the back are rolled forwards, toward the face, the middle row and that closest to the face are rolled facing backwards, away from the face. (see diagram).  These backwards facing rolls help to form the curl and to bulk up the fringe giving it height.

 

 picture courtesy of www.sepiachord.com

When the set has dried (or cooled completely if using curling irons) you need to first brush out the curls upwards, preferably with a natural bristle brush.  It will look like a huge frizzy mess at this point, don't panic!  Brush through a few times and then place your hand under the hair, on your forehead, and start to brush the hair over the hand.  After a few brushes the wave will start to spring into place, as if by magic.  No, really.

 picture courtesy of www.sepiachord.com

When you are happy with the shape of the fringe just remove the underneath hand and use your fingers to hold the wave where you want it and then spray.  I always press the wave in again while the hair is slightly damp from the spray as this helps set it into place.

This is a versatile early 1940's fringe style for when your bangs are in the growing out phase and it looks good with either the rest of the hair curled and put back with combs, with side rolls, a snood or even with an updo.

Sadly the rest of my hair did not want to play ball today and turned into a frizz ball, ignore it, I think I set it too wet.  Look at the fringe and not the rest.  :-)

This was only my first attempt and I'm going to keep working on this until it is perfect.

A Spring clearout

Hurrah - Spring has sprung - and as the first shafts of sunlight burst through the curtains my thoughts have turned to clothing for the changing season.  I have started reviewing my wardrobe, gathering everything that either doesn't suit me, doesn't fit me or is not precious in some way and am either selling it or donating to charity.

As such I have a whole bunch of items listed on eBay for your perusal -  here is a link to my shop and below are a few items I have on sale.  Not everything on there is vintage by the way, please do not think less of me for the 80's and the modern.  *wink*