My Moving Finger Writes

18th Century Hair Tutorial-ish

2011-10-07T11:38:00.000-07:00

Hello ladies! Thank you for the warm responses in my last post :) Here's a video I meant to do for so long but my hair just wasn't long enough. I decided that after Halloween I will yet again bid farewell to the platinum locks, so I really wanted to do this while my hair was still white. It's a LONG video, and I ramble too much and it is cut off in the end. Apparently I can't take videos longer than 36 minutes. It's a fun look, and I'm pretty sure I'll use it for Halloween. It's in no way historically accurate, just more of a 'look'. I just wanted to share what techniques I use. I love the way it turned out though. Someone even shouted Let them eat cake as I passed them. So here's the video, and some crappy pictures that don't do a very good job of showcasing the hairstyle . Hope someone will find a use for it! :)

Corn Maze

2011-10-03T21:08:00.000-07:00

Hello! In case anyone is even still following this blog that I haven't updated in months. Life has been crazy. Good crazy. But I was a) distracted b) not very interesting and c) lately much more drawn to 'modern' fashion & hairstyles. I find there are plenty of blogs pertaining to the fashion world, the blogosphere did not need my contributions. But alas, I was in a vintage mood and thought this would be a great opportunity to get back into the swing of things.

On Friday Nate & I went to a corn maze in Portland. We found a really good deal on one of those groupon-esque websites and decided to give it a go.

I cut my bangs again. I regret it, but I guess they are good for retro looks. I'm trying as hard as possible to block the toilet with my arm.

On our way in! Nate is super excited, I promise.

Awkward posed outfit shot. This skirt belonged to my Grandma back when she worked for my new employer (more on that next post). The blouse and cardi are both from the bins.

Six acres of maze! It was pretty empty that day. You'll noticed a lot less lip gloss in the coming pictures.

There was a petting zoo, too! I love animals, so this was a welcome surprise.

All around, it was a great day! Thanks for sticking around :)

Sailor Tami

2011-07-05T23:41:00.000-07:00

So blogalicious ladies, here's the reason for the fancy hair set :)

I had a really fun photo shoot on Sunday with a photographer who wanted to get some vintage-y images with a 1940s/1950s feel to them.

This is one of my favourite dresses that I'm too scared to wear for regular outings involving food or booze (or even worse: both) for fear of stains. But doesn't it look like it came from the same catalogue as my new banner?

I love love love the images, and had a great time. We went out to Edgefield , which in true McMenamins fashion was the cutest, most eccentric place I've been to in a while.

I have more, but I thought the 4th of July themed outfit was best on its own

for todays post :)

It's been a while..

2011-07-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

So, I finally had a reason to pin curl my hair again (my work/fitness schedule make it unreasonable for everyday anymore)!

So, in true Tami fashion there's no setting pattern, just all rolled in the same direction (that's pretty important). My hair is pretty long, for me, and hasn't been thinned out in over a year, so I had to do a lot of smaller pin curls.

I mixed a little Sprunch hairspray into the setting water. I usually don't do that, but like I said my hair is so thick right now I was worried it would be too heavy to hold a curl.

I let them set from midnight until noon. I had to be sure these would hold up! What I really like doing is unpinning the curls, then just let them hang there for a while while I do my make up and other little things. Sometimes there's a bit of leftover moisture and this is a good way to nip it before it ruins your curls.

And all brushed out! First with my fingers, then a large paddle brush. From underneath.

And tomorrow (hopefully) you'll be able to see what all this fuss was for. Happy Fourth of July!

Cotton Candy

2011-06-29T09:16:00.000-07:00

For the weekend I went up to Washington for my Grandmas 70th birthday bash. Old folk always get a kick out of seeing us youngins wearing stuff from "back in the day", so wearing vintage was a no brainer (lately I've been more into wearing modern clothes with a retro vibe).

I got both of these awesome garments from a $1 sale at my favourite vintage clothing store in Portland. This skirt is so beautiful! It's handmade and the lining was falling apart, but after fixing it up you can barely tell.

First pedicure of the summer season!

As you can tell, I really like pink.

Sticking with the pink & $1 theme, this lipstick is from Wet&Wild.

And yes, since watching Sucker Punch (& dyeing my roots FINALLY) I have had my hair in pig tails. I don't know why, but when I really like something I just copy it until I'm obsessed wth something new. I wish my mop was long enough to copy Kahleesis hair!

Sucker Punch

2011-06-23T11:42:00.000-07:00

First off, I am not a lazy blogger, I just have been so lazy about dyeing my roots that I'm too embarrassed to take pictures right now. Should be taken care of this weekend.

I want to share a movie I really liked that didn't receive very well ratings. First off, I think this movie is great because it has a an all female cast, even though it's a Warner Bros production (there are rumors that WB refuses do even look at scripts with a lady lead).

Anyways, I'm not gonna summerize the movie. Just picture a mash up of Moulin Rouge, Shutter Island, Sin City, Burlesque and some steam punk mixed with anime, for good measure. Amazing, right? Visually one of the best movies I've seen lately. The costumes? To die for! The story line? A lot heavier than I thought it would be, but I still liked it. The music? Amazing remixes.

Have you seen it? What did you think?

Non Blog Related Post

2011-06-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

Hello! So I have a quick question for y'all: on Wednesday I'm getting an IUD, but after reading about other womens experiences on various message boards I kind of have cold feet. So, if you or someone close to you have one: how long did the whole spotting/irregularness go on for? And did you gain weight? Neither of those options sound appealing for the summer time. I understand everyone is different but i'd really appreciate some feedback!

The anonymous posting thing is turned on, incase you don't want the world wide web to know about the happenings in your uterus. Thanks in advance!

Geek Chic

2011-05-25T21:38:00.000-07:00

What do Buddy Holly and yours truly have in common?

How sweet are my new glasses? The frames were only $18, and the lenses $25. Cheapest pair of glasses I've ever ordered!

I've been wanting some retro specks for quite some time, but I think cat eye glasses look stupid (on my anyways), plus I like the contrast of my super girly look with masculine frames.

Happy Anniversary! Well Kind Of..

2011-05-18T18:32:00.000-07:00

I started off this beautiful sunny day with a pilates class at my gym. Usually pilates is kind of a pasy work out in my eyes, but every now and then I need a break from running and weights, plus my back has been killing me so I gave it a go. Turns out I had a great time! The exercises were easily modified to be more challenging and the instructor was ridiculously cute and bubbly. Pretty sure I'll be going back next week :)

In other news. Our 6 month was today. Turns out we're both kind of broke (and I think Nate forgot lol), so instead of doing something fancy we went for a hike in one of Portlands many parks.

I have been wanting to make a red pinafore style dress for quite a while, but the other day I found a handmade one at Buffalo Exchange for less than what the yardage would have cost me. Thank you anonymous Portland seamstress for getting rid of it! It fits like a glove.

When Nate saw me his face dropped. "You're not really dressed for a hike..."

Pah, silly boy. Just because some people feel the need to put workout gear on to walk up a trail doesn't mean I have to!

There was this really awesome old stone house/shack on one of the paths, of course I had to use it as a backdrop. It's a little nicer than my messy studio haha.

Before the hike I took some outfit pictures by my place. Here's a pretty funny outtake. The timer was quicker than me...

After all that activity today I am ready to stuff my face!

Victorian Hair Comb

2011-05-15T19:35:00.000-07:00

As everyone should know by now, I like doing things the easy way. Easy hair that looks like it took a long time? Yes please!

I got this faux tortoise shell Victorian hair comb off of eBay for dirt cheap. They were pretty common back then, so it's easy to find them for a good deal. Eventually I'd like to get a silver one, but for now I'll stick with the less expensive version.

Just pin your hair up, and stick it in the back. Voila!

The sides adorned with some simple pin curls.

This is me without any foundation! How crazy is that? This face stuff I got is really amazing body wash . It makes you break out at first because it gets all the gunk out of your skin, but after that it's smooth sailing.

This outfit isn't anything special, but I love them together :) Please excuse the mess, I still don't really have a great place to take pictures when it's raining out.

My hair isn't quite long enough to perfect the Marie Antoinette style yet..but stay tuned! :)

Carnal Carnival

2011-04-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

Hello! I still don't have internet at Tamiland, but I successfully made Nate flee after turning on the Disney Pandora station. I think it's a double win for me actually. I get to blog and he's out buying doughnuts.

Anyways, here's a little setting pattern that usually works out really well. The side hot sticks are all vertical, the back horizontal, and the very top two (the bangs) to the right.

I'm trying out this new skin care stuff and it works so well! While it's still pretty scary, look at how much more even my skin is.

Let them set for about 45 minutes. Right after taking them out: crazy bangs!

After brushing them out hair spray lightly and enjoy!

We had a really fun event going on at my new store. We had four different seminars taught by industry professionals going on, as well as prizes and a raffle. I went to the intro-to-bondage one and one of my coworkers used me as her practice piece for the whole class. It was so much fun! You can see the rest of the class wrapping up in the background. Excuse the haggard look, this was after a very busy day!

Right now I'm working on perfecting an everyday Marie-Antoinette hair style, it's so fun! Just gotta work out the last kinks (literally).

I am not dead

2011-04-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

But I don't have access to the interwebs at my home yet. But I have a bunch of great posts lined up, mainly hair tuts of course. I'll be back in about a week! Thanks for following my dears <3

ps. My job at the new location is absolutely fantastic! Best thing to have happened to me in a while :)

Go Forth And Conquer

2011-03-16T21:42:00.000-07:00

Thank you all SO much for your support regarding my unexpected unemployment. I went in, talked with the Owner and they agreed that I was let go under unfair conditions for absurd reasons and offered me a job at one of the other locations. I'm taking it for now, as I really can't afford to not work, but I am definitely going to actively be seeking a different job. I'm over the company, I just need something to pay the bills. So my days working in ye olde porn shoppe might be coming to a (real) end.

My Grandma gave me this great quote in one of her super supportive e-mails: Go Forth and Conquer.
I think it's so powerful! I am defintely going to live according to that motto from now on.

I decided that my conquests are all going to be executed glamorously. So I wore this little number..for lunch at the mall. Lol.

This old velvet dress is one of my favourites, it fits me like a glove!

And here is how a poor unemployed conqueress hides her roots: Why, a sequin fascinator, of course.

The place we went to was one of those super cheesy, faux-1950s diner type places. I love them because they remind me of the dance scene in Pulp Fiction. Every table had it's own little mini jukebox!

So things are looking much better right now :) Still not optimal, but I'll get there soon enough! I joined a new gym right by my new house, and it's so much nicer than the one I used to work out at! I figured if I have all this free time I might as well use it be become hot for the spring time.

Sad Day

2011-03-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

Very, very unexpectedly me and two of my fellow longtime coworkers were laid off this weekend. It was so out of the blue, none of us expected any of it. Needless to say, I'm heartbroken. I really loved that job and everyone who worked there.

That aside, I just moved. FUCK. I am so scared I won't find another job and won't be able to pay rent at this new place. Normally it wouldn't be *that* big of a deal since I'm pretty good about saving money, but I spent most of my savings on the deposit, first & last months rent and all the new stuff I've been buying for the place.

I'm really sad, and kind of terrified, and just needed to get it out because I feel like such a loser. I've always done my best at every job I've ever had (including that one), and I can't believe that someone's personal issues would affect my career. I can't even use that job as a reference. Please wish me luck fellow bloggers, I really need it.

I hate moving 2.0

2011-03-08T19:49:00.000-08:00

I'm glad you ladies are as excited as I am for my little house!

Just around one year ago I was whining about how much I hate moving. Fast forward 9 months and I'm doing it again! But since I have much less stuff it's a little easier this time around.

I don't really have anything besides my bed, a night stand & my clothes. So moving my crap from A to B hasn't been too bad. I've been working on that the past two days and besides the bedframe & mattresses most everything is at Tamiland.

Here's my new moving problem: I can't commit to buying anything! I vowed I would only get nice things I really liked since I'll be on my own and have more money this time. But everything I look at, sofas, dinnerware, glasses, dressers, tv stands... I can't decide on anything! My usual style is rummaging for cute stuff in clearance bins any buying it if it's cheap. Now I don't know what I want!

While at Goodwill looking for plates, instead of buying housewares, I bought this dress. (that's my sweet mod pose, btw).

The only new thing I've bought for the place yet are these.

Which will come in handy, because the only thing in the fridge is this.

*sigh* I'll be sitting on the floor, wearing a new dress, drinking in the dark by myself.

Anyways, one more thing I though I'd share. I hate leaving with my hair looking a mess, even if I'm sweaty and braless, so I wrapped this sweet turban using a scarf. Pretty neat, huh?

And now I'm off to drive another load over to my little blue house. Please tell me how to make up my mind!

Big News!

2011-03-04T11:43:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited! I just found out that my application for a new place went through! I was pretty nervous I wouldn't get the place. These past couple weeks I spent searching for the perfect fit. And I found & got it! It's in South-East Portland, which is exactly where I wanted to be.

Since I was meeting with various landlords I had to dress like a boring responsible adult, but now I can bust out the weird old lady garb again.

This is all a mish mash of of different eras, vintage & new. Thw skirt is 1950s, the blouse 1980s-does-victorian, and the sweater H&M. Could somebody please pry these boots off of my feet?

Worlds most awkward photo! I just like how the buttons on the blouse, skirt & sweater and the necklace have the pearl-y iridescent glow to them.

I love this hat! I didn't have a grey hat or a porkpie hat yet, so this purchase was totally justified. I can't go hatless right now because my roots are soooo bad but I'm i the middle of packing and don't want to deal with dyeing anything right now.

And here's a peak at the new Tamiland! I get the keys on Sunday! How freaking adorable is this place?

I can't wait to get new furniture. Thrifting & Ikea? yes please!

Late Valentines

2011-02-23T11:46:00.000-08:00

First off, thanks for being awesome about my last post, you ladies are fantastic!

On Valentines Day Nate & I both had the flu. Nothing is more romantic than synchronized episodes of fever and chills. So we spent it o the couch in sweatpants watching Toy Story 3. We did manage to exchange gifts in between bouts of nausea. Funny thing is we both, without the others knowledge, got each other a Domo . Nerd alert!

As my 'real' gift Nate got us tickets to go see the Portland Columbia Symphony! I love classical music and he really blew me away with this present.

That jerk shocked me the night of the concert. With a very serious voice he said

"I don't think you can go"

"Why?!"

"It's in a church and I'm worried you'll go up in flames"

-__-

I'm used to the very old, ornate churches of Germany, but this one was very nice in a modern way.

The symphony getting ready to play.

I've seen concerts like this before, and every time it's the same thing: the first 5 minutes I have a really hard time holding back tears. The beauty and power of these concerts in person overwhelms me! I really recommend supporting your local arts and attending concerts like this.

All dressed up :)

In newer news, I've reached that point, yet again, where my closet is exploding but I hate pretty much everything in it. Gah. But of course the funds for new garments are lacking. Maybe a trip to the fabric store can remedy this? I'm so uninspired :(

Lady Porn Day

2011-02-22T11:17:00.000-08:00

I had a 'regular' post all set up for today, but then I discovered Rabbit Writes Lady Porn Day and knew I had to contribute. This is probably foolish on my part because everytime I mention working in an adult store I loose about 5 followers, so with this I will likely have none by tonight ;)

I'm not going to get into whether porn is right or wrong, because well, I think my stance on that is pretty clear. I also don't think all pornn is great. Yes, there is stuff out there that is degrading to women (& men), but so are a lot of 'regular movies. Everyone has different interests, and the porn market is only reflective of that.

I've always been into erotic images. I remember as a kid I was way too excited whenever I saw a pair of boobs in a movie that I probably shouldn't have been watching. And that definitely carried over into adolescence & adulthood. To this day I have naked ladies everywhere.

A great argument against porn, moral issues aside, is that it's just not for women. Yes, most movies are made with a male audience in mind. Some movies are just bad, fake or unsexy. You just have to look, and find your niche as with all films. I find nothing worse than the gonzo style jack hammering topped off with annoying fake moaning that most people associate with porn. But there is so much other stuff out there now! There are whole production companies that cater to a female audience, female directors, female owned production companies etc.

My personal picks for women, whenever they or their partners ask for advice on movies that they would enjoy, are as following: (All links are work safe!)

Andrew Blake and Michael Ninn directed movies. These are so high fashion and artsy and tastefully done, I love every single one I've seen. Dita Von Teese actually starred in an Andrew Blake film, and it is to this day the only porno I've bought because I had to own it. It's so hot! It's called Pin Ups 2 (you can see a small picture of boobs in this link). All of us ladies who work at my store love the movies by these guys, and customers have never been disappointed with their work.

Full Feature & couples movies. These are mostly high cost, high end productions with well known actresses & actors that have story lines. Couples movies center on the relationships between the people having sex. One great thing about this genre is the men are really great looking (most dudes in male centric movies are butt ugly). Wicked, Vivid & Digital Playground are the main production companies in this field. While very popular with women, my personal take on it is kind of meh. The famous Pirates movies fall into the full feature category.

Reality Porn. Might sound like a contradiction because porn is pretty fake, just like pretty much any other branch of the entertainment industry. It's all shot with handheld cameras and the actresses and actors acknowledge the camera. It all has a much more real feel to it, and ads an element of voyeurism that can be quite the turn on. If you want to go even further, there are amateur movies that feature real couples that look like real people (not the usual 90 pound 'perfect' girls) having pretty real sex.

Educational Videos. Most of the ones we carry are pretty dated, but we just got a new one is that is phenomenal! Anything that Tristan Taormino churns out is a must see, she really knows what she's talking about, but Expert Guide To Female Orgasms is a MUST SEE. The first half is educational, the second half is totally female-centric and a great watch.

There are many many other movies out there that I think are great for women & couples to watch. I hope this was an interesting read for you. I don't know as much about movies as some of my coworkers, as I am queen of lingerie land, but I think it's important to be educated and open minded.

Please feel free to share your thoughts! The anonymous feature is enabled. I don't judge anyone's tastes, but I can understand how some would be embarrassed talking about such a personal matter. I just really like hearing other peoples thoughts on the matter. What are you favourite kinds of movies? Actresses/actors? Genres? Likes & dislikes?

Next post will be about old fashioned vintage goodness again, I promise :)

How to Finger Wave

2011-02-18T07:41:00.000-08:00

I have bee a very bad blogger & commenter lately, but I will get into detail about that in the next post. I recently, for the first time, clicked the little "stats" tab in Blogger and it turns out that pretty much everyone who gets here via search engine is looking for something finger wave related. So without further ado, how to fingerwave!

This is the exact technique I've used for years. It turns out better or crappier, but in general this is how I do it.

Todays results:

They weren't quite dry on the larger side but I had to leave, so I just stuck a couple bobby pins in and waited an hour or so and took them out then.

Previous results! Same technique, just sometimes more rigid or soft.

If you have any questions or comments please don't hesitate! Input makes it easier for me to make tuts :

Time Travel!

2011-02-12T12:07:00.000-08:00

I've always loved the pseudo Victorian look. Lately I've been rewatching a lot of flicks from the 1900-1920s period, and it's really been an inspiration.

Weird thing is, aside from the accessories, nothing is even vintage. But all day I felt really awesome just because I liked what I was wearing so much. I think it's kinda Steampunk too. I might add here that I'm a huge nerd and love getting dressed up for conventions. Please tell me I'm not the only one!

Details! Bowler on sale for $10 at UO (Every since plowing through Boardwalk Empire I'd been wanting one SO bad), F21 brooch, Antique cameo & ring. The cameo is only there because the vest was missing a button and I'm too lazy to sew it back on.

Close up of the ring. Sterling & Onyx. I love it so! Antique jewelry is one of my favourite things to acquire.

Being lame with photoshop.

Besides run some errands in prep for Vday I didn't really do much. We rewatched Moulin Rouge (I have to add that Nate has not only seen it before but he actually really likes it. That's how I know he's a keeper haha) and my house threw a party at which I got stupid drunk at off of gin & orange juice. Orange juice is the best mixer every because it cures hangovers while you're partying.

Tonight Nate is taking me to a Valentines Day Rave. Yupp. Can you tell that was his idea? Haha! But that's not our 'real' Vday. What are your plans? Celebrating Valentines early?

Is it spring yet?

2011-02-10T00:50:00.000-08:00

Today was gorgeous! Nice and sunny and not too chilly. And nothing says summer than nautical garb in my opinion. It was still too cold for a sailor dress I just picked up, but instead thought I should bust out this 'new' skirt I got from a place in Portland called Hatties Vintage. It was a pretty expensive shop (well expensive for me, I'm used to Goodwill prices) but I can't say no to anything nautical.

any camera buffs out there know why the hell my hair has been glowing in pictures? I can't figure it out!

Believe it or not this collar isn't vintage, it's from Urban Outfitters.

I'm thinking about entering a contest to find Portland most awesome sex industry worker. I don't think I'll have much of a chance going up against strippers and porn stars, but you never know, an adult store merchandiser could make the cut, right? It would be a pretty great/ridiculous title to have though, don't you think? A great ice breaker at least ;)

Finally!

2011-02-06T12:52:00.000-08:00

We actually made it to the art museum this time! It was kind of chilly out so I wore my favourite winter dress. It's really heavy and has longer sleeves which really none of my other dresses do.

(I don't know what's going wit my camera, I have no idea why my face & hair are glowing

Paired with some wool socks I was ready to brave the Portland weather. And some hidden nude seamed fishnets added a little sauciness.

My new boots! I fell in love with them at Nordstrom Rack but didn't have the funds to spend $150 on a pair of boots. So I found them on Amazon for $60! Still a little steep but I really wanted some lace up leather boots.

Hot stick curls, bicycle necklace (Portland represent!) and some bows for a touch of girly.

I won't bore you too much with details of our day, but I went to my very first food cart (mmm gyros pita).We also wandered into Magpie Vintage which was right across the street. Looks like Boardwalk Empire is having an impact on the vintage scene! I know that it has on me. Working on a great early 1920s dress right now (but that's a post for another day).

The art museum was great, we only got to 2 floors though because of time. Then we went to the world famous Voodoo doughnuts. Even my future husband Anthony Bourdain has eaten there! I'm kind of embarrassed at how huge my doughnut was compared to Nates. That fool even said he was sure I wouldn't be able to eat the whole thing. Man was he wrong. Overall it was a great day!

:)

I need this dress.

chocolate & peanut butter doughnut. Soooo good!

The Curse

2011-02-01T01:12:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across this wonderful old puberty & menstruation educational video. It's pretty amusing. I don't know about you, but I don't feel like wearing my finest dress during that time.

I like how they assume that every girls hymen is intact. And you have no idea how happy I am those napkin belts aren't around anymore.

Hope you canget a kick out of this as well haha.

More Lazy Hair

2011-01-30T13:30:00.000-08:00

Wednesday & Fridays I have spin class until 1, and have to work at 2:30, so there is pretty much no time for me to do anything fancy with myself. I thought I'd share another lazy 'do that takes about a minute to do.

Just do a messy french twist type deal in the back and leave out a big chunk in the front. Wrap a cute scarf around your head. I like over the top, so I usually tie the scarf into a huge bow. Next, take the hair that's hanging in front of your face and roll it up. Pin it and you're good to go! Just don't worry about it being 'perfect', I like slightly messy hair.

You can see my car door in the corner. I just set my camera on the roof of the car before I leave to take pictures in my alley. Of course this is usually the same time the garbage men come down the alley.

Eek, too much blush!

Hope everyone is having a nice lazy Sunday. We are going to have an X Men marathon and eat lots of pizza.

By the way, Nate was pretty excited that you fashionable ladies like his new hat :)

It's just not meant to be.

2011-01-26T16:45:00.000-08:00

Tuesday started off great. It was employee appreciation day, meaning we could buy everything at cost (= super duper cheap). This is what I got:

garter belt w/leopard print bows (my old one I wear almost every day and it's in pieces), corset back leggings, undies, super cute sparkly lingerie set, skinny dip massage oil (best smell in the world), Betsey Johnson fashion tights, corset back tights, 3 pairs of nude fishnets w/black seam (I go through these like crazy), and cashmere blend over-the-knee socks.

My total was only $49! Heck yes. Btw, if you're ever in Portland and want to hit up my store, let me know and I'll give you a sweet discount.

I had to wear the socks right away. Overall I was going for a mod look. This 1960s wool skirt has been in my closet forever but I don't think I've ever worn it.

I think the shirt is more 1970s, but there's no tag so I'll never know. It was so nice out! I like it when January doesn't feel like January.

Granny shoes from Ross. This picture makes me feel dizzy.

Obligatory thick 60s liner, Flippy hair, & crooked septum ring (kfdfdytdhf).

We went to the Portland Art museum.

Well, we tried at least! This was the second time we went. First time they were closed, this time they were closing early for some reason. I swear I will never make it farther than the lobby.

So we decided to dink around downtown a bit. I forced Nate to go into H&M. He actually bought this hat without me having to beg!

I feel in blogland everyone has super stylish boyfriends and husbands (& girlfriends and wives of course), but my Nate couldn't care less about fashion, still owns clothes he bought as a teenager and think it's normal to buy shirts in an XXL at 150 pounds. So for him to buy a cute vintage style on his own hat made my day. Baby steps one can hope ;)

Mmm Accessories

2011-01-25T01:20:00.000-08:00

Have you ever built an outfit around one tiny item?

I just got these adorable earring from a junk shop for basically free. I like them so much I just wanted to look like a bigger version of my earrings (does that make any sense at all? I am feeling somewhat delusional right now).

So bring on pastel pink, cream, white & floral! The only thing missing was more rhinestones. Maybe next time...

Happy Monday!

Blog Award

2011-01-23T13:41:00.000-08:00

Some fellow bloggers were kind enough to nominate yours truly for a blogger award. Thank you Eunice, La Dama , and Glytten ", you ladies have great taste ;)

Anywho, the 'rules' state I have to share 7 uninteresting facts about myself and choose 10 bloggers to nominate back.

1. This very moment I'm incredibly hungover.

2. I'm a pretty passionate athlete. I'm a distance runner, a cyclist & recently a hot yoga fanatic. I plan to add pole dancing classes to my weekly regiment. If you're a runner & in Portland let me know! I love race buddies. Bridges to Brews anyone?

3. I'm German and lived in Germany until the age of 19.

4. After moving to Portland in July from the Seattle area I can never see myself in any other City (well, besides Vegas). The whole 'green' lifestyle really sucks you in.

5. I work as an apparel merchandiser for an adult store. It's the greatest job ever. I get to make displays, dress mannequins and rent porn for free.

6. If it's cheap and it sparkles I will buy it.

7. My name was supposed to be Chloe, but through a twisted turn of events it ended up Tami. I hate my name! I wish I was Chloe instead. As if it couldn't get any worse,my friends call me Tam Tam. In public.

So, I hope you're still awake. Anyways, here are some blogs I really adore:

A Harem of Peacocks
Betty 2 Tone
Elegantly Wasted
Diversions
Story of a Seamstress
La Ville Inconnue
Pretty Little Pictures
Girl with the Star Spangled Heart
Artful postures of Love
A Red Lipstick

Hope everyone's weekend was great!

Be Mine

2011-01-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

At the store we are in full Valentines Day mode. Besides the fact that this meant an entire floor overhaul that took me 4 days to do I'm loving it. I sectioned off two distinct VDay areas: sweet (light pinks, white & black) & saucy (red, black, magenta). And I got to put up a bunch of decorations which was really fun.

I'm loving the colour scheme so much I decided to dress like an oversized Valentine myself. I see this happening a lot in the next four weeks.

This dress is one of my alltime favs. the colours, the pattern ,the neckline..so perfect! And I had to par is with a lacy slip & cardi of course.

And i couldn't love the hair more. Why did I ever stop dyeing it in the first place?

I think I already know what Nate is getting my for Vday. He is pretty unsneaky with presents. He straight up asked me what size my septum ring is. I havebeen whining about wanting one with rhinestone balls for a while.

Him on the other hand..I have no idea what to get him! He is always so content with everything. Any ideas for your typical male who like video games & couldn't care less about fashion?

How to: Dye your hair platinum blonde!

2011-01-16T21:09:00.000-08:00

First off, thanks everyone for your input on my last post. Good to know that a sheer blouse is acceptable and not too slutty for day wear, even with a polka dot bra underneath.

Anyways, I've been playing around with the idea of going platinum again for quite a while. The whole natural beauty thing doesn't seem to be my cup o' tea. I remember that when I did it the first time around I had a hard time finding information and even had to call the beauty supply store while dyeing to ask a few questions (believe me, you don't want to go into panic mode with half of your head covered in bleach). Maybe there are better internet resources out now, but I made a walk through of the process in case it could be of use to anyone.

So to start you need:

Day old hair that doesn't have product in it (excuse the make up-less gross mess that is my face, just got home from the gym)

From left to right:
Toning shampoo, non metal mixing bowl, brush (the hard the bristles the better), developer (Please consult a professional when determining what level of developer to use), Quick Blue brand bleach see the size of that bucket? I plan on being platinum for a long time), hair brush (NO METALLIC BRISTLES!)

Ok, here's the tricky part: mixing up the bleach. Before I got the single packets . This was easy because you just mix one packet with one 4 ounce bottle of developer. With the bucket I had to measure a little differently. But the basic formula is: 2 parts developer, 1 part bleach. I used 4 scoops of bleach & 8 scoops developer.

Once you've figured out the recipe, mix it up really well with the application brush. Even though my hair is short this was barely enough. Damn thick hair!

I start in the back. Just section of thin layers and coat them with the blue goodness. Please make sure you wear protective gloves. I didn't once and my hand hurt for days. Why yes, I am an idiot.

Once done with the entire back move to the sides. I usually cover the roots on both sides, then get the length. I also recommend brushing though each section to make sure to got bleach on every strand of hair.

Bleach helmet! While it sits you'll notice it gets puffy, that's normal. It's also normal for it to feel warm and slightly itchy.

Now the scary part: washing! I wish this picture wasn't so steamy so you could see how purple the toning shampoo is. It's dark purple straight out of the bottle and lavender once lathered in.

Side note: If you don't tone your bleached hair it will look yellow & ugly. Yellow is the lightest colour you can achieve with bleach. The Purple colour neutralizes the yellow and makes it look white. So tone, tone, TONE!

Anyways, I washed it once with the toning shampoo, once with conditioner (I don't use conditioner ever really) and then once again with toner. The more you tone, the whiter it will look.

Tada! With flash

without flash.

Pretty darn light! I'll tone it once or twice more tomorrow to get that perfect shade of platinum, then use this shampoo just once a week or as needed to keep it up.

Please let me know if you have any questions! It's not scary and very cheap to do at home :)

Trashy?

2011-01-15T12:52:00.000-08:00

I've had this pseudo Victorian blouse for ages now but no matter how I style it it looks frumpy. So I decided to go a different route: Slutty.

It's sheer and I wore a cure little polka dot bandeau top (bra?) underneath. Added a short skirt and some nude fishnets and called it a day. I liked it, but my perception on what's socially acceptable is pretty skewed due to my job.

So what do you think? Cute or too trashy?

And this is the awesome headpiece I wore with it.

Going platinum again sometime this week! So excited.

The Secret Sisters

2011-01-13T01:35:00.000-08:00

I don't often post music on here, but this group really deserves every shout out it can get. I fell so hard for them! Bluegrass is one of the finest music genres in my opinion.

I heard this song on the radio and hunted them down with my finest Google-fu. Without further ado, here's the best thing to happen to your ears & eyes (such stylish gals!)

Let me know what you think!

Quick fingerwave setting pattern

2010-12-31T09:45:00.000-08:00

Everytime I cut my hair I realize just how much more fun a bob is. This took about 10 minutes to do with 40 minutes of setting time.

Tada!

And this is some vintage silliness just in time for New Years. Whose resolution hasn't been losing weight at one point in time?

My resolution this year is; try something new (& out of my comfort zone) once a month. And I've already started! But more on that later. Happy 2011 everyone!

Christmas & a haircut

2010-12-27T10:50:00.000-08:00

Ahoy! I went up to Washington to spend the holidays with my family and made an executive decision to leave my lap top in Portland. It was a much needed break. I never get anything done when my computer is around. I'll sit down to check Facebook and 4 hours later I'm still on the damn thing. It felt pretty good to actually be productive for days on end. I hope to make at least one day a week internet free from now on (We'll see how long that lasts..).

Anyways, part of my productivity included making a new dress out of an old lace curtain and a ribbon. No pattern, just kind of winged it while watching the Mickey Rooney marathon on TCM. I brought my sewing machine back to Portland with me. Finally! This was the first Seattle-Portland trip I've made with enough room in the car.

Christmas Eve I decided to chop my hair off. It's wonky as hell but I do like this length better on me. I'm also REALLY itching to go platinum again. I miss my white hair! Thoughts?

Speaking of white hair, we got a new addition to the family. Say hello to little Peyton :)

Our table & tree looked great, as always. No, I didn't do any of the decorating. If I had, everything would be mismatched and kitschy.

I love this picture! My brother never smiles in pictures, he always makes dumb faces, so it was nice of him to look like a sane person for once. And the baby is sadly not mine (hellooooo baby rabies), but my cousins. Her name is Macey and she is perfect! Such a sweet demeanor and just cute as pie.

I got a bunch of great gifts, but my favourite would probably be a magic 8 ball. So random but I've been playing with it non stop. What was your weirdest present this year?

Sharing is caring

2010-12-12T19:15:00.000-08:00

Two things I want to share today. First is the AMAZING wool skirt that used to belong to my great grandma. She was the 'fat girl' of the family (grandmas words, not mine!) which is awesome because it means I can squeeze my size 6 butt into the really old skirt.

It's a wee bit tight, but once Christmas aka cookie eating season is over and my ass deflates back to it's normal size it should be perfect.

(excuse the colouring, it was really washed out and I couldn't quite fix it)

The one thing that gets me more excited than old clothes is history. I was just explaining the French Revolution to a friend the other day, and then today I came across this amazing video. I'll have to make sure to show this to her! Enjoy.

If you like stuff like this, checkout their channel on Youtube! There is plenty of history turned pop song goodness. I know what I'll be doing all evening!

Hot Sticks!

2010-12-07T21:21:00.000-08:00

Originally I started this blog with the intention of just posting various hair tutorials, mainly vintage inspired. I grew bored of that, mainlty because it was just a bunch of pictures of my face and hair, so I started posting a whole bunch of other stuff and feel like the hair how-tos have been put on the back burner. Let's change that!

Hot sticks are my favourite way of styling my hair. You put them in, let them set while doing your make-up, eating breakfast, playing with your guinea pig etc. and then take them out and with very little effort have awesome hair all day long.

Soooooo...I have a neglected YouTube account that somehow got a whole bunch of subscribers. I guess that guilted me into making videos for this one. I'm really weird, over-expressive and have the voice as Paris Hilton when she isn't using her fake voice. So consider yourself warned before watching.

Questions and feedback are awesome! They help me make better tuts.

Holiday Bazaar!

2010-12-05T19:51:00.000-08:00

Portland has an awesome Christmas Bazaar (the word 'bazaar' is not used often enough in my humble opinion) and since I'm addicted to Christmas my friend Tabby & I packed up and went holiday shopping. It was HUGE. And most of the stuff was local &/or handmade, so it was a great opportunity to buy some gifts that couldn't easily be purchased anywhere else. And while that's great, I of course only bought Tami presents...

This is soap! How cute is that? Te different parts really smell like strawberry, vanilla & chocolate, too! So useless and completely amazing, of course I had to get it.

Speaking of cute and useless...

I really want this! Thankfully reason had not completely abandoned me.

Best purchase of the day! I love love love piggies, they are my favourite animals. The dude at the booth was my age and thought I was crazy for getting that excited over a hat. One of the boys I live with says it looks like a donkey, so I am kind of second guessing myself on if it really is a pig.

Say hello to my newest favourite dress! It's a black velvet 1950s 2 piece dress. Nothing says Christmas more than a velvet dress, so wearing it was a no-brainer.

The vest has a nice big collar and the buttons are adorned with little rhinestones. My blouse is silk, so I felt extra fancy today.

So, in summary: I have yet to buy presents but had a great day!

Don't make me go all Queen Elizabeth on your Spanish ass

2010-12-04T13:49:00.000-08:00

I am a huge history nerd and fashion lover. So anytime those two mix, I get waaay to excited. Take this editorial from Vogue Russia. It's the most fantastic thing I've seen in a long time. I love mixing historical elements into modern outfits. Please click on the images to view them in their full grandeur. The detailing is amazing.

This one is by far my fav. I think it wouldn't be too difficult to recreate a wearable version of this!

Please tell me I'm not the only one who adores these!

Underwear as Outerwear?

2010-12-03T10:34:00.000-08:00

In my opinion, a big yes! I've always been obsessed with lingerie, even before working at my current job (Owning 12 different pairs of black fishnets alone? Guilty as charged). And I've come to the conclusion years ago that most of it it too pretty to just wear in the bedroom. There is a not so fine line between classy and trashy, obviously.

One of my favourite ways to incorporate these delicate pieces is by wearing a visible bustier. They definitely have that 1950s appeal to them. And everything lace is spot-on trendwise right now. Not that trends really matter, but it makes acquiring new pieces so much easier.

So for a lovely night out I paired this gorgeous cream & black busier with a black 1950s silk skirt. I do believe a figure hugging pencil skirt would have looked nice, too, but that was a little sexier than I was going for (save that for the second date). I did wear a little cropped cardi too, just to not look a fool in the winter.

(Just how awkward is this photo? Lol)

Under it I wore a little sheer bralette from my work to keep things a little less scandalous. Plus I just adore the buttons and ruffle lining my so-called décolleté. And how pretty is the quilting on the front panel and cups? I'm such a sucker for details.

I love messy updos. They look put together and effortless without trying to hard. Plus with the rain I don't really like curling my hair.

I was finally able to go on a blogging splurge the other day. Finding and commenting on new blogs is always fun, I wish I could do it more often.

Thanksgiving, Fur & Piggies

2010-11-28T23:17:00.000-08:00

Hello! This was my first Thanksgiving away from my family. I spent it with my lovely friends & coworkers. My contribution to the feast were sweet potatoes! I don't know anything about cooking really, so I was kind of nervous about messing everything up and bought about 10 to practice with. Well the very first one turned out great so I've been eating pretty much nothing but sweet potatoes since. Gotta get rid of them before they go bad right? ;) The perk to that is that I have absolute perfected the art of the sweet potato. I seriously have never had anything so delish.

mmmm yummy!

And next I should insert what I'm thankful for. Besides the obvious friends, family & good health I'm very thankful for having this little ball of love in my life

He definitely has that "Mooom, leave me alone I want to go eat carrots" look on his face.

And I can finally spend money again! My first purchase was this amazing 1950s fox fur cape. Please don't judge, but I love me some (vintage!) dead animal.

I wore this out with a friend vintage shopping. Before shopping we went to the famous Waffle Window . I seriously don't understand why Portlanders aren't the fatterets people in the world. I've never had such delicious food before moving here. Afterwards we waddled to Red Light and Vintage Pink on Hawthorne. And yes, I spent way too much money. One dress I bought had a broken zipper that the tag didn't indicate, which is lame, but overall I got some great things. The people at Red Light even took my picture for their website, which made me feel almost famous.

Hope everyone had a great Turkey Day/Weekend! <3

Who's the King of your Satelite Castle

2010-11-16T12:43:00.000-08:00

I love fall! Just like everyone else. I also love long swishy skirts. This one is a personal favourite. It has a train! And the colour is so perfect for autumn. I managed to shift my weight in a weird way, the skirt isn't really dragging on the ground that much.

When you wear something this fancy it's important to find a balance. So the floor length taffeta skirt gets paired with a casual cotton tee. The scarf gives is a fortune teller vibe, which is always a great thing.

And this is the best fall time song ever. Man, Dave used to be such a babe.

Not sure what to call this one

2010-11-09T23:59:00.000-08:00

Before I unload this tutorial upon y'all, here's the Readers Digest version of what's been going on in my life (just pretend like you give a hoot)

-I placed 245th out of ~1200 runners in the Portland Run Like Hell 10k race (54 minutes, new personal record baby!)
-Being a merchandiser is a lot more stressful than I had ever imagined
-My girl roommate is crazy (in the bad way) and being at home is pretty uncomfortable right now
-I learned that wearing nothing but a fur coat feels extremely sexy

Anyways, here's a tut for a style inspired by Rhianna. I say inspired because I wear my hair in a similar fashion a lot, but rarely curled and I thought this is too darn cute. It has that retro vibe without looking straight out of a period fashion plate, so it's great for days when you just want to wear a cute thrifted top without going all out vintage. Here's the image of Rhianna

You'll need:

a butt load of bobby pins
hotsticks/rollers (Tried this while curling iron hair and it didn't look great)
scarf big enough to tie into a bow

This is a great "my hair is in need of a wash but I'm too lazy"- hair-do. Exhibit A:

Take the hair on the crown of your head and pull it back. You should have hair hanging all around the edges of your head.

Hotsticks time! roll the hair that's hanging down under, so the sticks are kind of U-shaped all along the edge of your head. Once you're done with that, let the hair you pinned up earlier down. That hair is going to be rolled back. This simply helps when you're pinning it up later on.

These don't have to stay in as long as you would normally leave hotsticks in since you'll be pinning most of it up later anyways. 30 minutes worked just fine for me. In this time I put my face on.

****We interrupt this tutorial for a brief announcement****

In my last post someone asked what make-up I use.
Foundation: Clinique Almost Powder Perfect amount of lightweight coverage + SPF!
Bronzer: Benefit bronzer in DALLAS So glowy and luminous!

If you want to know anything else, please ask, I could talk about make-up for days :)

***Now back to our regularly scheduled hair-do****

When you comb these out the bigger the better! Just use your hands to shake it out

Now comes the fun part. Pick out a few random curls that frame your face all around your head. Pin everything else back in little twists. Make sure youleave th eends loose they you have the curls bouncing around. If you want height pin the strands to your crown, if you want something with less oompf go for the back of your head.

Other side

So, now that you've pinned everything up it's time for the finishing touches. The scarf not only looks adorable, it also hides that greasy mess I call my roots (I'd like to add here that I am pretty grossed out at how bad my hair looks here. But it happens to the best of us, right? ... )

Ta-da!

Pretty snazzy, eh?

Later that day I met Kat Von D (I love that woman) and she said I looked like a doll! Even a bad ass like Kat Von D loves this hairstyle.

Woes of the Poor

2010-10-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

Are you an emotional shopper? I am. Whenever I'm sad, mad, angry, anything but happy all I want to do is shop. And somehow it always makes me feel better. And right now is one of those times. Of course it's boy inflicted. BUT... I can't. It's only 40 days until Black Friday and I really need a new computer. So it's saving time.

But I let myself do a wee bit of damage, both to comfort my nerves and to update my fall wardrobe for really cheap.

I couldn't even wait to put the shoelaces into these. And they were only $20!

Sweet cloche for cold days & bad hair days. And I swear that lipstick looks good in person, it's so hideous in pictures though.

Aaaaand my fav. A vintage fox (?) fur stole. It looks so good over and jacket or cape and it's super warm!

Now to just stop buying things for 5 weeks and I should be set. I also got promoted at work. Say hello to the new Head Merchandiser! So super excited. I am now queen of lingerie land!

Katie Vs Michelle

2010-10-11T22:56:00.000-07:00

As a vintage enthusiast I love films set in period. I normally dig straight up costume movies, but occasionally movies set between 1930 & 1970 get two thumbs up from me as well.

But I am very weary of movies that portray stars of the past with stars of the present. I always find films about celebrities with lesser known actors in the lead rolls more convincing. Gwen Stefani as Jean Harlow was hard enough for me to watch. But I have a feeling that Lindsay Lohan as Linda Lovelace won't be that hard to swallow (pun definitely intended).

Looks like films about two of the biggest vintage icons are in production right now. Jackie Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe. And yes, both are being played by very familiar Hollywood faces. Katie Holmes and Michelle Williams. Don't get me wrong, I think they are great actresses (Michelle a little more so), but I don't know how I feel about this. Check out these images.

Who do you think pulls off the iconic impersonation better?

Pin Curled Finger Waves 101

2010-10-05T22:05:00.000-07:00

Last time I went to Seattle I "borrowed" my dads camera (along with a trunk full of groceries and toilet paper). Today and yesterday are my weekends, so I decided to make a tut for how I set/do my hair. This is not out of nicety entirely, I was supposed to meet with a photographer this morning, but he was having car issues. Suited me just fine, I had no problem at all having the most stylish hair in the cinema (The Social Network really is pretty good).

Setting pattern: All rolled under and towards my face. I tried doing the whole one row clockwise, the other counter-clockwise pattern before, but in my opinion it really doesn't look different in the end and this way I can just space out while setting.

Tools used: Clinique mascara tube, spray bottle of water

Next morning. I take the pins out and just let the curls chill while I put my face on.

Now just brush everything out. I didn't brush my hair before setting it, so this part was torture. Don't follow my lead.

You'll already be able so see some distinct waves.

Now go back and rebrush everything but from underneath, like so:

(FYI, I do know what the handle on a brush is for)

Do this in layers, and start from the bottom.

So, now you have a beautiful wave! If you like the natural, soft look you can stop here. I am over-the-top, so I go on to make this wave even 'better'.

I use my handy dandy alligator clips (without these things I don't think I could do a single hairstyle)and push the wave together, making it more extreme. Do this all around, hairspray and let sit for a while.

Voila!

And here's one with a smile, just to prove I'm not as deadpan as this tutorial makes it appear.

I hope this was somewhat helpful! :)

:)

2010-09-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

So I got a few of the digital shots back today. Holy moly, I can barely believe that's me. I'm really looking forward to seeing the Conley prints now.

ps. I'll be in Seattle next Monday so I'll have access to a camera again, which means I can finally get a tut together for some pincurled fingerwaves (my fav incase you haven't noticed).

pps. The photographer wants to set me up with a lad from his historical reenactment group. Score!

Just some shameless braggery

2010-09-14T16:01:00.000-07:00

I had another photo shoot this morning (Does that sound as pretentious to you as it does to me?). It was with the same photographer and 1898 camera, and the shots that I saw came out great. I don't have any of the pictures yet, but I thought my hair and makeup came out rather well and wanted to share. The hair was done with pincurls that were too dry so they aren't as great as they could have been. Oh well.

I am so tired, and it definitely shows in these. Thankfully they were taken just now. I am much more fresh faced in the real ones. Why am I so tired? Well, the day before I found a bar here in Portland that specializes in 1920s drinks and has a great happy hour. Let's just say that setting my hair was interesting...

Harlequin Girls

2010-08-28T14:29:00.000-07:00

At my work we started getting Halloween costumes in this week. I should probably explain where I work so that it makes sense to anyone reading this why on earth we already have Halloween costumes. I work at a high end adult store. Porn, lingerie, toys, the whole shebang. I absolutely LOVE my job. I look forward to work everyday. The pay is fantastic, I get benefits and the customers are so awesome. Anyways, Halloween is our busiest season so we get all that stuff in pretty early.

Now I'm all for dressing like a skank every now and then, but I like interesting costumes more than slutty nurses. Last year I was George Washington and Sam was Benedict Arnold. We hand made our outfits, it was awesome. So Halloween has been on my mind this week, and since I'll be making my costume I need to start figuring stuff out. I'll probably end up having 239425 because we dress up at work, so brainstorming this early isn't a bad thing.

Every year I play around with the idea of being a harlequin, and I'm thinking this might be the year to do it. Watch out, Portland!

I love her hat! I need to find one just like it.

*dies* This is SO perfect! Ideally I will look just like this on October 31st.

I hope you don't think I'm too crazy for thinking about this already. Do you have any ideas for Halloween yet?

It's been about a million years

2010-08-24T00:24:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I have been the worst blogger ever! As you know, I moved to Portland, OR, two months ago and things have been crazy. I've been doing a lot of acting on the side, and through that I came across a pretty phenomenal opportunity. A local photographer was looking for a model to photograph with an original 1898 Conley camera. I thought I should share the PG-13 ones with y'all! The others show my boobs, the point of the shoot was to recreate those racy French postcards that were so popular back then. Who knows, maybe I'll post those on here too eventually :)

Posing for these was so much fun. All props and costumes on set (which you can't really see in these, but believe me they were awesome) were original Victorian pieces. We have a second shoot coming up and I couldn't be more excited!

I love cheap stuff

2010-07-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

So, I have been living in Portland since Tuesday and I love it more than I thought possible. And my roomie and I already have jobs! We both got hired the day we set out to hand out resumes. It's pretty fantastic, especially because everyone and their mom was telling me Portland had no jobs and a high unemployment rate. So yay!

While heading to headquarters to fill out some paperwork I stopped into Forever 21 and found this adorable little hat topper bow veil thing. It was only 10 bucks too. Of course I snatched it up right away!

(aren't my photoshop skills rad? I didn't realize how messy the room was until I looked at the picture..)

And yay for not having to hide my septum piercing in my nose anymore!

Flower Skirt

2010-07-05T22:58:00.000-07:00

I found this great old fabric a while ago but just couldn't decide what to do with it (That's the problem with vintage fabric, you need to be careful because it's not like you can fuck up and then just run to Joanns for more yardage). Well, since I'm moving (to Portland!!!) tomorrow I had to come up wit something quick.

I figured a skirt would be easy enough, plus my grandma just gave me a buttload of buttons. Well I forgot to factor in all the hand gathering, so it took a lot longer than I expected. I'm still thrilled with the results. I made matching detachable suspenders but didn't wear them today as all I did was run to Target and Big 5.

With my last project I was so thrilled that the button holes went so smoothly. Must have jinxed myself there, I had to undo aaaallll of these.

And speaking of Target, I got these amazing platforms there for $5 a few weeks ago. $5! I love them and get to that pretend I am a Venetian noblewoman walking around on towering chopines.

How was everyone's 4th? I was actually too tired from the 3rd to really do anything, so I'll say that getting silly on too many gin & ginger ales at the downtown Seattle Cheesecake Factory was in honor of the USA.

The General

2010-07-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

I really like silent films, so I might be biased, but I watched The General last night and it was fantastic!

It's a Civil War era comedy about a Confederate engineer whose locomotive gets stolen by Union soldiers. He sets out to recover the train and his woman, who conveniently was also stolen by the Union.

The film is really funny (if you have a silly sense of humour), and Buster's stoic expressions throughout cracked me up (and he is pretty dashing as well if I do say so myself). It starts off kind of slow, but once the train is actually stolen it gets good.

Marion Mack is the leading lady of the film. She has the perfect little 1920s face and does a great job playing the damsel in distress.

The film is available in full length on Youtube, but the score isn't the one used on TCM (nor is it as good IMHO).

My Grandma, (almost) Daughter of Neptune

2010-07-02T19:59:00.000-07:00

Here in Seattle we have Seafair every summer. I haven't been in a while since hydroplanes, naval ships and the Blue Angels in bore me in general. But back in the 1950s it featured fun things like parades, boat races on Green Lake, royalty, community festivals and other swell pastimes.

My grandma Betty, who is my mother figure, was one of the Seafair princesses in 1954! She said she got sucked into doing it against her will, but I don't believe her. I'm sure she loved it. She still has all the newspaper clippings from it. She got to ride around during the parade wearing a swimsuit (a two piece! *gasp*) in a fancy convertible and everything.

Today we were going through some of her boxes of old memorabilia and we came across her professional princess portraits. I couldn't stop swooning over it. Look at how beautiful she is! She was nice enough to let me have the photo. Or in her words: "it's just been sitting in a box for the past 50 years, it's better off with you".

I've always been self conscious about my round moon-pie face, but seeing her with the same facial structure and how pretty she looks makes me feel better about it.

Things are going slow here at the moment, the big move to PORTLAND is on the 5th!

1960s hair

2010-06-28T21:11:00.000-07:00

I have noticed that my little blog had been getting twice the amount of hits it normally gets. So welcome new friends! Haha. Drop a line, I love checking out other peoples blogs.

I have been having the worst time making a bustier. Having a small chest makes it really difficult to develop a cup pattern. So I decided to cheat. Went to Goodwill and bought a bra in my size that I can take apart. I usually don't feel weird buying things, but I definitely felt awkward buying a used bra. Especially since I didn't get anything else. So I was just that creep buying used lingerie, no biggie. Now I just need to get the mock-up to look decent.

Anyways, I haven't pin curled my hair ever since moving back to Seattle. My bobbypins are all in a box that I don't want to unpack until I'm in Portland. And I have been reeaally lazy lately. So here's a tut for a great vintage style that takes pretty much no effort and looks good on a range of hair lengths.

Inspiration:

Don't they look fantastic?

So you start out with fresh hair that's not conditioned and not quite dry yet (let air dry up until now)

Use a diffuser to blow dry your hair upside down. Thanks to an ionic blow dryer this takes like 2 minutes.

VOLUME!

Part your hair deeper to the side, and use your hands to kind of smooth out the jungle on your head.

Us a 1 1/2 inch curling iron to flip up the bottom all the way around. This doesn't have to be perfect, especially the bottom layers.

Lightly spritz some hair spray onto the tips, but do it from the bottom and kind of scrunch it in. Viola! Wasn't that easy?

Now just throw on your fav pink lipstick and do the twist! Haha

Sailor Shorts!

2010-06-26T19:05:00.000-07:00

It's good to be on-the-line again. Viruses rendered my poor ancient laptop useless for a few days. But things are looking better now. I spent the intenetless days sewing the most awesome thing I think I've ever made. I have never even attempted anything in the shorts/pants area, I usually just stick with dresses, skirts and tops. BUT I've wanted a pair of high waisted sailor shorts forever and the ones I could find were waaaay out of my price range (well, since I'm unemployed my price range is around $0 right now..). Equipped with coupons galore I bought 2 yards of stretch denim and some 50% off buttons and the fun began.

(Yes, I had to have these sunnies not only in pink but also in red)

I drafted the pattern on my own. It was actually pretty simple. The flap is fully functional and the insides of the pockets is lined with a dark blue liberty print calico. There must have been a disturbance in the force because I did not need to undo a single seam. Usually I have to take everything apart 3183 times to get it to look and fit right.

With the scraps I've been making a denim bustier that should be done here pretty soon. Thanks for looking!

Tami the creep part 2

2010-06-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

Remember how I said I am unemployed until July, i.e. I have too much time on my hands? Well, I couldn't get THIS super cute top posted on Q's Daydream out of my head. It's so cute in that 1940s beachy way. Of course she bought it a million years ago and isn't available anymore. So I drove my butt back to Joanns for the second time this week and this is the result.

It was pretty simple to make. Of course when making the mock up I fitted it while wearing a bra and the first end result was too big. If I read your blog and you ever complain about your boobs being too big I will e-punch you.

The fabric is this adorable liberty print that was dirt cheap. This picture showcases the colour much better (and highlights my flab..no more cookies for me for a while...)

And who doesn't like photoshopping pictures to make them look older.

I just realized noneof these show the other side. Well, it look pretty much the same. And I think I need to go to Wreath-Wearers-Anonymous, I seriously can't stop wearing it. (I'm giving one away Here :D )

He can call me flower if he wants to

2010-06-13T15:52:00.000-07:00

Props to you if you can guess what that quote is from. Anyways, lately I've been lusting over these awesome flower hair wreaths.

Found at HeadCaseByG

Found at AmoreBride

Found at whichgoose

Sadly I am both poor and bored. So I went to a craft store and made my own!

Daisies

Little white & red flowers

I've worn them out every time I've left the house since having them and can't believe how many compliments I've gotten on them.

I have enough materials left over to make one more in either style soooo I decided to give one away! Just leave a comment saying which one you'd like if you win. I'll choose a winner in a week so next Sunday. Thanks for looking! :)

Let's Lock'n'Roll

2010-06-11T20:47:00.000-07:00

Lock and Rollers are amazing. My grandma was sweet enough to give me her set a few years ago, but I constantly see them in thrift shops. Ebay usually has a few as well. They are so versatile and can be used on any length hair.

First off, here's my mop with any styling what so ever (If you don't condition your hair and let it air dry you get much better results, but that applies to any kind of curl IMO).

Here's the setting pattern I used. It's important that the sides are both rolled in opposite ways, i.e. one side is counterclockwise and the other is clockwise. I've made the mistake of forgetting to do this plenty of times and it usually doesn't look terrible, but it's just nicer the other way. I left this set in for about an hour.

Here it's all brushed out, super voluminous, very late 50s early 60s

And here is the same set brushed under and smoothed down with my hands. So different! I like it like this better.

(you may be asking yourself "what's up with the crappy pictures Tami?" Well I managed to break yet ANOTHER camera. This one wasn't my fault though. It was working just fine then didn't turn back on. Eff you technology)

The great thing about these is you can use them for any length hair. Here's a picture from waaaaay back in the day. I believe I left them in overnight. Victorian sausage curls! And just ignore the dress and top hat..I'm weird

All brushed out: 1970s disco!

And here's a nice one where I left them in overnight in short hair. Pretty soft wave, my fav!

If you have any questions about Lock & Rollers feel free to ask :)

Summer Time

2010-06-08T17:40:00.000-07:00

This dress was bought while rather intoxicated in Portland last weekend. Greatest purchase ever! It's a lovely 1950s handmade dress. I don't think I would ever have the patience to hand gather all of those pleats.

I don't know how you fellow bloggers always have such nice outfit posts! I for the life of me couldn't get a good shot of the dress, cut myself on that fence, kept missing the timer and got my foot stuck in a hole.

I really like the way the gold belt & shoes look with the dress.

I've also been having a wild love affair with this 99 Cent hot pink lipstick

Hot sticks = awesome big hair

And I had to share this one, it's so funny. I got stuck in a hole and didn't make it out before the timer went off.

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend! Mine consisted of drinking plenty IPA, watching men in kilts throw logs, eating ungodly amounts of sushi, Babies, a foam party and Apples to Apples :)

Ahoy!

2010-06-03T19:12:00.000-07:00

My life has been busy for once! I am all moved in back at home in Seattle. The move was such a pain! All of my stuff is still stored away in Space Bags (which are the best invention ever made IMO). I went down to Portland to look at places to live and I am so in love! The date to move to the Rose City is set for the end of June/early July. So excited! The weekend there was full of shopping, eating sushi, singing karaoke, and drinking beer.

I bought this dress forever ago (I can't resist anything nautical, I've given up trying) but it was way too frumpy for my taste. Now that I am reunited with my trusty sewing machine I was able to alter it into something awesome.

Before:

After:

I shortened the hem a little more than I wanted to (a lady was kind enough to remind me of this today by yelling "whore" as she drove passed me), the sleeves and made the bodice more fitted. I adore how it came out even if I have to wear shorts under it. Many more reconstructions to come! And much more regular posts too, yay for internet!

It's Saturday night and I'm sober

2010-05-16T01:02:00.000-07:00

Didn't see that one coming! I'm back at 'home' in Seattle right now. Drove a load of stuff over to my old bedroom. I honestly don't know where I am going to put all this stuff, especially my clothes. I was a nice sister for once and did my brothers laundry for him that was clogging up the laundry room. Washed & folded 7 (no joke) loads of his smelly jeans, tee & socks. Seriously, he own more clothing than anyone I know. I'm a girl and have 2 white t-shirts. He has almost 20! Speaking of unnecessary, back at my apartment I have a pile of stuff that belongs to various ex's that has accumulated throughout the years. T-shirts, basketball shorts, even a pair of slippers! I don't want to keep it, but I'm not going to call any of them about it. I think I'll just give it all to my brother, he would wear pretty much anything.

In my last post I said I was going back to my natural hair colour. After about 3 tries it finally looks ok. Before it was a disaster. It was a disgusting grey-purple-ugly combination. I stuffed it into a hat for work all week. Now it's a bit darker than my natural colour (not too noticeable at the roots though, whew!) but the summer sun will take care of lightening it up a bit.

All of my fun hair stuff is now in Seattle, so I won't really get to play with it until the 24th (also the end of my awesome hair-background for a while). Then I'll be here for a month, then beautiful Portland! Not too excited about being in Seattle for so long, but it does mean that I will have the chance to take ballet classes Pacific Northwest Ballet for a few weeks. I am so excited about this I can't really express it. Let's just saythat the PNB is pretty famous in the dance world, and even though I will just e taking open program classes I am still giddy like a little girl.

I am also putting together a small give-away for the end of the month as a thank you to those who still read this. Due to moving my posts have been sparse and boring, but it will get better again, I promise :)

Copy Cat

2010-05-07T13:47:00.000-07:00

Moving is going so slow... I can't wait until everything is over with. Right now I'm moving all my stuff from Eastern Washington over the Mountains to Western Washington (Seattle Area). That needs to be done by May 31st. It's a 6 hour drive to the west side and my car is tiny so it's been going in intervals on the weekends since I work during the week. Then in the end of June most of that stuff will be transported down to Portland, Oregon, to my new place! I don't think anyone knows how excited I am to be moving there. I hate Seattle and the though of staying there for even just one month makes me unhappy. Funny thing is, I've never been to Portland for more than a day trip. But I really like it and think it's a great Tami City.

In other news, in a vain attempt to look like these ladies...

...I've been wearing dark purple lipsticks as opposed to the reds and pinks I normally go for. And not gonna lie, I love it. It's so different and makes me feel way cooler than I actually am.

AAAANNNNDD Today I will be going back to my natural hair colour.

It's not as fun as platinum, but the roots just bug the crap out of me and I don't want to deal with it this summer. Maybe I'll go back someday, but for now it's back to golden blonde.

I really dislike moving

2010-05-01T14:44:00.000-07:00

I'm in the middle of moving, the internet is complete gone AND I managed to break another camera. Could I be any worse at blogging? Good news: come the endish of May all shall be back in proper blogging mode. So things will be kind of sporadic around here until then. But I have lots to post, it's just all being packed up and shipped across the state. Boo.

Before I broke my camera (who knew rain and a camera don't go together very well) I did manage to take some hair pictures. Hot sticks make THE nicest waves. If you're at loss on fingerwaving seriously try hot sticks. So good!

I finally snagged a pair of 70s bell bottoms that I have been wanting for ages! They are a little big and not as high waisted as I wanted but they shall do for now.

Music wise I can't stop listening to bluegrass/Americana. The O Brother Where Art Thou & Cold Mountain soundtracks have been on repeat for weeks now. I don't like country music at all neither do I consider myself Christian, bu this is some good shit yo.

Fail

2010-04-13T15:45:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I haven't posted in so long! A mix of working 9 days straight plus feeling like my uterus is exploding has resulted in me not really putting any effort in myself. Seriously, if you could see me right now you would click the "unfollow" button as fast as you can say fug. The most productive thing I've done is watch season 5 of Angel (*insert rant about the ending right here*).

But I finally have a weekend of. This weekend to be precise. So if you have any questions about hairstyles/tutorials etc. please ask! I would love to put together a tutorial or two but my mind is drawing a complete blank. So ask away! :)

Aging a little too fast

2010-04-10T00:58:00.000-07:00

Welp, I did it again. Left the purple toner in my hair for too long. So now my bangs are yet again a lovely shade of violet. On the upside my pin curl set came out nice.

I love this locket. Those definitely aren't my initials on it though. But thank you DBS for giving away this necklace (btw I like to think that stands for "Dats Bull Shit") I think it would be a great investment to have one made up for moi. If you have any Etsy seller recommendations please let me know!

Now I just need to cross my fingers that this set will work for what I have planned for today.

Outfit today, a little less homeless Russian, a little more scandalous granny. That's my new romper with a skirt thrown over it. Great idea in concept, but the execution left me no other choice but to strip down naked to go to the bathroom.

Reason #79 why I love carbs

2010-04-08T14:24:00.000-07:00

I picked these adorable rose earrings up the other day at Goodwill. Luckily they still had the original packaging on them. They are handmade in South Australia from bread dough. BREAD DOUGH. How awesome is that? Good thing I'm not living my life gluten free. Eiffel Tower is a separate earring.

Lately I've been dressing like a homeless Russian lady from the country. Please excuse the face, I've been boycotting make up and contact lenses. I'm sure that's what every good Babushka does.

Jumping on the bandwagon

2010-04-06T18:15:00.000-07:00

I have been in love with all the 1940s floral rompers I've been seeing on various blogs lately. So imagine my surprise when I found one at a thrift store today!

It's a wee bit small, but you can't really tell form just looking at it. The skank in me kind of likes the way it's tighter on the booty :)

Excuse the gross hair + glasses combo..ever since getting sacked from the Clinique counter I can't find the motivation to put effort into my me. But I found somegreat hair inspiration in an unlikely place today that I'm definitely going to try out this week.

For those who want a playsuit/romper but can't find a vintage one, Walmart (out of all places..) has some really cute ones for $12. They come in 4 different patterns, two of which are floral, and are made of cotton. I will probably pickup the pink floral one. I can't find any images on the Walmart website, but they are in stores already so keep an eye out :)

Insert witty title

2010-03-31T18:19:00.000-07:00

On Friday I received this amazing dress that I bought from Wearing History. She was an absolute doll and I have never received something I ordered online as quick as I have this dress. It also helps that it fits like it was made for Tamis only. All the awesome patterns on her site are making my fingers itch. I can't wait to be living with my sewing machine again.

I added the little sash, I thought it looked fun.

Note to self: don't ever pose like this again unless I purposely want linebacker shoulders

This hair took me maybe 5 minutes to do. Blow dried it straight last night, then this morning with a 1" curling iron curl in the ends all around. Curl bangs under and split into 2 strands, roll up & pin secure to head.

I think it would look better if my hair was longer but oh well. First time I've worn it straight since getting it cut. I don't know why my camera started taking such fuzzy pictures, I haven't changed the settings at all. I HATE TECHNOLOGY.

In other news, I got cut from working in Clinique. That girl bitching about me and the return of an old Clinique girl combined got me pushed out. So now I'm back to working in general merchandise. I was really angry the day I found out, but by now I'm over it. My GM friends are way more fun plus I can wear whatever I want.

I just need to get out of this town. In two months my lease is up and I am out of here. I just need a fresh start.I'm sick of my job which I've had for the past 3 years, tired of relationships that don't work out, and just need a change of scenery in general. Portland here I come! That's only my second choice though. Ideally I'd be in Vegas handing out beads to belligerent tourists whilst wearing a showgirls costume. One can only dream.

Barrel curls ftw

2010-03-29T16:18:00.000-07:00

Putting the hair on the top of y head in barrel curls, as apposed to flat pin curls, gave me the height that I was looking for. So if your 'do ever seems flat, barrel curl those mofos.

This afternoon was ridiculously windy, so by the time I walked home my hair looked more Sylvia Fine than Marilyn...

50s shift dress & blouse, Betsey Johnson necklace, Nordstrom tights, Walmart shoes

Now I need to rant real quick. Clinique employees have to wear all black, but somehow in my head tights weren't included in that colour scheme this morning (no sleep for me). One of the other Clinique gals, who wasn't even working that day, comes up to me and wants to have a serious dress code talk. I wasn't properly representing the Clinique family, she would have to inform the counter manager about this blah blah blah. For crying out loud, even the manager wears blue shoes sometimes. Anyways, I was ticked off. I hate people like that.

Ra ra ra ah ah

2010-03-27T12:47:00.000-07:00

Went to a Lady Gaga themed gay prom last night. So much fun! I'm kind of disappointed in myself for wearing pants though.

Many strawberry daiquiris and gummy bear martinis later..

On a less fabulous note, a guy who I went on a couple dates with years ago died this week of cancer. He had told me he had been treated for a brain tumor before but of course I never thought it wold come back. We're all young and invincible! I was never really interested in him, and when I saw him on campus I'd usually pretend to not see him. Guess who feels like a douche bag right now? He was such a unique guy. You would run into him in a hallway and he'd be wearing a smoking jacket and carrying a sword and wouldn't think any thing of it. RIP Craig.

Actually, I don't want to end this on such a sad note. Ran into my ex last night and he looks so bad now! His hair and beard are much too long. Think blonde Jesus. Made me feel much better about not being with him anymore

My first blog award :)

2010-03-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

Miss Emmi over at They'd have called me the Bar Nothing was silly enough to think my blog deserved an award. Now y'all get to read 5 even sillier things about me.

1. The main benefactor of this blog is me. I have the worst memory ever,so it's nice having a webpage full of hairstyles I know I will be able to do, I just need a little push.

2. My roommate & I own (combined) 4 guinea pigs. I guess that's kind of well known around these parts by now. But what isn't is that we constantly sing songs to each other and replace certain words with "pig" or "squeak". Example: "If you like it then you should have put a pig on it" (I'm sure Beyonce would be proud). The most popular pig-remixed songs currently are ABBA.

3. Speaking of ABBA, I think my favourite period in time (20th century wise) is the 1970s. I have an entire 1970s blog week planned out in my head. Just wait until I live somewhere where there is internet! Little House on the Prairie, disco music, bodysuits, embroidered flowers, I could go on and on!

4. I have an inner 500 pound lady. I LOVE food. I also eat faster than anyone I know. There's really no need for me to have teeth, I just wolf everything down. Don't you really want to take me out to dinner now?

5. My favourite hobby in the world is ballet. I am terrible, but it is so much fun. I have no idea what I did with my life before dancing. Now I'm just patiently waiting for the part where I get good at it....

and now to my nominees: (I am too lazy for any html right now, my sincerest apologies)

http://snapped-garters.blogspot.com/ I love Amy Jeanne's sense of humor and her scans of old pictures are a great source of inspiration

http://mirth-thehouseof.blogspot.com/ Lily is an incredible seamstress and she gives me so many ideas!

http://vintagevivant.com/ All around girl crush right here

http://thefrogseyebrows.blogspot.com/ Cute as a button and lives close to where I do, of course I love this blog

http://c-o-l-a-cola.blogspot.com/ If I could raid anyone's closet it would definitely be Andi's

Success!

2010-03-22T13:54:00.000-07:00

A helpful tip from Screen Siren nudged me into the right pin curl direction for a more 50s hair style! And the answer is so easy I kind of want to smack myself for not realizing it myself. But anyways, thanks doll! Just roll the pin curls under, not out like I usually do. DUH.

Tada! I still don't really like the way my bangs look but I think a barrel curl will do the trick next time.

Finally got around to touching up my roots. When I got my hair cu the stylist kept insisting I get them done at the salon and it took all my effort to not stand up and shout into his face that I can do it myself for a grand total of $7.

I was waiting to wear this dress for a more special occasion than just work but I've been having a poopy week and nothing cheers me up like a new dress and a good hair day. Besides, I'm working in Clinique for the rest of the week so that means all black for the next 4 days so I should take advantage of being able to wear colour, right?

Bad Tami

2010-03-17T15:54:00.000-07:00

So I intentionally got my hair cut in a way hat would make me do my hair in more 1950s styles and branch out from the 30s hair I normally do. Well last night I did my first setting pattern with the new hair. Man it's different with all these bloody layers.

Anyways, rolled them all up like tiny victory rolls.

So of course I was expecting a 'do that would leave Marilyn green with envy. And what did I get?

I look like a freaking flapper with a bad haircut. This whole 50s hair thing is going to take some practice. I just need to keep telling myself "no more fingerwaves" over and over again.

Recently I have been loving the whole socks & oxfords thing going on in all the ~*high fashion*~ magazines. Socks from Walmart and shoes from Ross? Even better.

Hair cut

2010-03-15T15:22:00.000-07:00

I finally forced myself to get my hair cut. It was just long and boring and blaaah. So I made my way to the hairdresser and of course forgot my pictures and diagrams I had printed out earlier. So I got to interpretive dance out how I wanted my hair cut.

Just a crappy cell phone picture (in the uber glamorous library bathroom of course) for now. I haven't pin curled it yet but I'm liking the way it looks just curled with a curling iron.

And a picture of my outfit because it's finally springy around here!

This week I'm pretty busy, but keep checking in because I have so much stuff I want to post!

2010-03-08T17:51:00.000-08:00

Well I actually have about 283091 dresses that I call my favourite..let's call this one my favourite formal dress. It's from the late 50s and it is DIVINE. The material is so thick and it's sort of shiny. Sam calls it my curtain dress.. Anyways,I got to bust it out this weekend because we had a champagne party (like a wine tasting party, but more sparkling).

I had ballet that night, looks like my drunk feet were still in ballerina mode..

Close up of the fabric. It's so pretty!

And a piggy cuddle session of course :)

How to use a curling iron like a marcel iron...

2010-03-05T16:48:00.000-08:00

..or more simply: How to fingerwave your hair with a curling iron.

I "came up" (I'm sure other people have too, I just didn't have any directions, hence why I came up with it) with this technique right after I had my hair bobbed. I posted a video then but it seriously is utter crap. That fact that it has over 100000 (!) views on Boobtube makes me feel so guilty. DO NOT WATCH THAT ONE ARRGGHH. I tweaked it a year or so later when I was hied to do 1920s hair for a few model for a fashion show at my university, and didn't have time o do a wet set.

This video merely shows the technique, not a certain hairstyle. It came out kind of funky but you get the idea of how it works. Those long clips (that I am incapable of doing anything hairwise without) and the hairspray really help, I just wasn't capable of doing anything in that awkward angle.

Bonus: You extra points if you can find the following n the video: Me burning myself, the guinea pigs squeaking, Sam going SHHHHHH, and me letting out the worlds longest sigh, my name tag from work.

Ugh

2010-03-04T16:28:00.000-08:00

The internet at my apartment has been down for DAYS. I am dying here. Some of you may have seen the uber crudiness that is my "Fingerwaves done with a curling iron" video on Youtube. Well I have a new awesome quality version with a much better technique that I'm dying to upload. Please sacrifice a chicken or something to the gods of the interwebz for me!

Want want want

2010-02-28T20:59:00.000-08:00

I have been in such a 1950s plaid dress mood lately!

I cried bitter tears over the waist-tininess of this dress. I would have bought this in a heartbeat. I'm having major issues linking to the listing, but the Etsy seller is liveoncejuicy :)

The neckline and colours of this dress are divine! (Adorable girl not included) Sadly again I am faced with the teeny tiny waist problem. Great sewing inspiration though. Find it at badgirlvintage on Etsy.

And last but not least is this baby:

I just bought it on Ebay! I never have gotten lucky bidding on stuff. I am so in love with this dress. Just look at the collar. Love love love. Now all I need is a straw hat, a cold beer and some sunshine! I hope it gets here fast.

Lazy day hair

2010-02-27T11:39:00.000-08:00

First off, sorry about the lack of posts. My internet connection kept having seizures. Secondly, 25 followers? Holy crap, when did this happen?! Thanks everyone for giving my silly hair/style/whatever blog the time of your day :)

Anyways, here's a tut for when you just don't feel like taking the time to pin curl your hair at night but still want to look stylish the next day. This takes maybe 20 minutes to do (but you'll need about 1 hour since the rollers have to stay in for a while)

My beloved hot sticks were all rolled under. It doesn't really matter though since I wasn't trying to brush them out nicely. Of course you can if ya want.

Aren't my MS paint skills rad?

Leave these babies in for 30-40 minutes (the box says 15, that's bullshit) then brush them out with a really big comb/brush. Twist the sides up and pin in place. Leave your bangs/fringe out of it though.

Next, use a 1 inch curling iron to curl your band under.

The curl will help you form a little roll. The curse of being blonde is that my bobby pins are always visible! Grrr. The need to make see-through ones or somethin.

Side view

This is what too much bronzer looks like, errr I mean the other side look like

So ya, not a traditional vintage style, but does the trick on a lazy day.

All dressed up and everywhere to go!

2010-02-21T16:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my sorority had it's annual formal dance last night. I found a dress dirt cheap at a charity shop right next to my apartment. The dress had kind of a 30s feel to it so I needed hair to match!

Fingerwaves in front, barrel pin curls in the back

Tada!

I made that fascinator ages ago and the pictures somehow made their way to a Swedish blog

The dress! And I did Sam's hair too. Doesn't she look fabulous?

And this handsome young man was my date :)

Copy Cat

2010-02-16T16:59:00.000-08:00

I am not very original. I am always inspired by pretty much everything. I think it's the artist in me, and I hope that doesn't sound as pretentious to you as it does to me. I look at something and want to do it Tami style.

Exhibit A:

I was in love with the hair the models in an Elie Saab S/S 2010 runway show that I had to copy it. I iwsh I could copy her bone structure as well.

My version:

I really like how it turned out, I think next time I won't straighten my hair though. I think waves or curls would look much better with this. Straight hair this length always screams new broadcaster to me.

That's my serious face.

I got these really cute tights as JC Penney yesterday. Since when does JC Penny have a Sephora in it? I think they waited until I stopped working there and then were like "Ok, Tami's gone, move the awesome make up she would have gotten an employee discount on it." *grumble grumble*

Tights from Penneys, skirt from Ross, Cardi is made of awesomeness and bought at Wet Seal (wtf kind of name is that for a store anyway?), shoes thrifted.

The Aviator

2010-02-14T18:32:00.000-08:00

Hello and happy Valentine's Day y'all! I am sitting here in a towel and instead of getting dolled up for tonight like I should be. Sam and I watched The Aviator earlier today and it was fantastic. The plot, the actors, the cinematography, THE COSTUMES, everything was just perfect.

The Aviator himself.

Gwen does look pretty awesome as Jean Harlow (I wish my hair was still this white!)

Cate Blanchet as Katherine Hepburn was my favourite. She is hilarious and her 30s wardrobe to die for

And although I really am not a fan of the 1940s fashions, Kate Beckinsdale looked great as Ava Gardner, even though her character was a bit annoying in the beginning.

All in all, if you love anything set in the Golden Era then this movie is a must see!

New little treasure

2010-02-10T16:32:00.000-08:00

I had seen this little hat at my favourite junk store a few times and always wanted to buy it but never did. Yesterday it finally found its way home with me. Not gonna lie, I wouldn't have known what it was unless I hadn't seen Mona Lisa Smile. I tried using my Google-Fu skills (much more dangerous than Kung-Fu btw)to come up with more information on them with no avail. So if you have any info on these college beanies or even just old pictures of people wearing them I'd really appreciate it.

The main selling point on it, besides being adorable, was the fact that it had the original owner's name and college handwritten in the brim.

Side view. It is still kind of pointy, I'm assuming it has been stored in a folded position for many years. I'll try taking a steamer to it (that's what I say now, knowing myself it will just always remain pointy. Yay procrastination)

Things to ignore in these pictures: The crappy cellphone camera quality of the pictures and the unflattering coral coloured lip gloss I thought was a great idea at the time.

UGH

2010-02-08T17:41:00.000-08:00

So I lost my camera. Yes, the brand new camera that my poor little grandma bought as a gift to me for Christmas. If I can't find it by Wednesday I'm going to buy a new one. The 'old' one was a Nikon S203. Should I just get that same one again? Or is there a better one for less $$ out there? I've checked Craigslist and shot out a few e-mails. As you can tell I hate not having a camera! This new one will never ever be brought out to a bar with me ever again! I am so mad at myself.

I think this picture of a wet soggy angry Brandon conveys how I feel quite nicely.

Please keep checking back, I will have a new one (or even better, the old one!) soon. Ugh and that reminds me that I had a new entry saved on it! Grrrrr

Tami the creep

2010-02-03T12:43:00.000-08:00

Did anyone ever read the American Girl books growing up? Remember the one where Molly gets sick because she rag curls her hair every night for a play? Well I was reading this a while ago and have had the urge to try rag curls ever since. Last night's boredom inspired me to finally do so. But what to use??

A few months ago I got dumped out of the blue by a guy I really liked. Well guess who still has his sweatshirt? I didn't want to keep it (not that sentimental) but I didn't want to burn it either (not that crazy). So I cut up his sweatshirt and used itto tie up my hair. Sleeping with the ex's sweatshirt wrapped in my hair...If that isn't creepy then I don't know what is.

Anywho, I think I used about 20-25 rags. I curled them up (towards the hair part). I had no idea what I was doing though, never tried this before.

Not very comfy to sleep in, not gonna lie. But holy guacamole was it worth it.

I had made 1 minute to brush these babies out (I am always running late for work) and look at that wonderful, consistent wave! It was like that around my entire head, I wish I had a picture of the back but trying to photograph the back of my head was beyond my mental capacity this morning.

Definitely a technique I am going to be refining in the future.

I almost wet my non-existent pants

2010-01-31T16:38:00.000-08:00

So I went thrifting out of boredom on Saturday. I wasn't even really in the mood but Sam wasn't home so I figured it would be a good way to kill some time.

Let me start off this amazing find by stating that I LOVE old stuff, especially if it gives me an insight to how different (or similar) western society/culture was at various times. Well I walk to the upstairs of Palouse Treasures (best junk store ever). I didn't even feel like going upstairs because I didn't find anything of interest downstairs and kind of just wanted to leave. Well I look into the antique case and what do I spot?

An issue of Metropolitan Magazine from 1920 for 99 Cents. 99 CENTS!!!! These babies go for $40+ on Ebay. And yes, I am pissed that they slapped a price sticker on it. Click the pics for bigger, more readable versions :)

The table of contents. Look at that gorgeous lady. I am not that big into literature, but the illustrations, photographs and advertisements are SUPERB. I'm sure I will get around to reading the articles, but for now I'm just all about the pictures. Plus it's so fragile I don't want to handle it too much.With my luck one of the pigs will get a hold of it and turn it into an antique breakfast.

The thrifting Gods must approve of me taking ballet classes, because this beauty is in there just for me I feel.

Corset (well garter, but corsets are mentioned..) ad!! Swoon...

More pretties..

Some of the ads in here crack me up.

Who wouldn't want a laxative that works in your sleep?!

Oh, you couldn't possibly send your man out into the world and expect him to sew on a button..

And to end with a little wtf.

Remember the old days when blatant racism in the form of blackface was good fun for the whole family?

But Tami, whatever did you wear on this excursion?!

I have no idea when this dress is from, but I feel it sort of has a 1930s feel to it

I think these are from Walmart haha, but I love them dearly

Casual Vintage 'Do

2010-01-26T22:35:00.000-08:00

Nobody asked for it, but since I took the pictures I might as well post them. This is a style I like doing for days when I don't want a full blown vintage hairstyle but still want that retro edge. It's super easy to do and brushes out into a cute pageboy the second day.

Pin curl your hair but don't roll the curls up all the way. Stop about ear length. As with most styles, make sure all curls are rolled into the same direction (unless you like the uneven crazy hair look).

Take them out the next day and brush them out by brushing under, like you're trying to get a Prinz Eisenherz look.

The soft waves should form pretty much on their own.

I know, it's not flashy and fancy, but it's quick and easy so give it a go. I apply that same advice when selecting a prostitute.

Why hello thar crooked septum

Thrift finds

2010-01-25T17:56:00.000-08:00

I had this really cool thing called "free time" this weekend. So I got into my car and hit up the local thrift shops. Thrifting in this town is pretty fun to do since it's not as over picked as it is in the Seattle area. Thrift stores definitely aren't cool out here, and neither are old vintage clothes, so there are usually quite a few treasures to be found. A dilemma I often have is that due to the lack of fast food back in the day a lot of vintage clothing is pretty small. I'm 5'8 and a size 8 on a good day. In vintage terms that's pretty big. But the thrift gods decided to mock me in a different way this time. All the amazing dresses I found (amoung them a beautiful pink prairie dress and a black 50s day dress) were too big on me! And I'm all for small alterations, but thse babies would have needed so much taking it it would have changed the garment too much. So I left them behind for other people who cherish old musty clothing as much as I do.
On to the finds!

Awesome gloves that I have been looking for forever $.99, Rococo dish $1.49, Rococo reproduction dish $1.99, Skein of peacock yarn $.59

ADORABLE really old cotton top with tiny roses $1.99 (seriously, who in their right mind would give this away??)

Old nighty. Does it gross me out that some groovy chick probably got it on in this? Not enough for me not to buy it. $1.79

And that leaves today's outfit. The dress and belt are thrifted so I guess they fit into this post. The dress was HUGE when I bought it, but I loved the Peter Pan collar and the fabric and knew I could do something with it. I took it apart and sewed it back together into this(in my opinion) cute dress. The skirt is pretty poofy and hits a few inches above the knee. Still working on that not-looking-awkward-in-pictures thing.

I have a tutorial for the hair in this, I'm still ton on whether or not to post it as it's kind of a boring hairstyle. Let me know if you want to see it :)

How to fingerwave your bangs with pin curls

2010-01-20T21:07:00.000-08:00

So, the art of turning pin curls into great waves takes practise. But here's a small tut hat explains the basics. If you have any questions feel free to ask :)

To start we're going to use barrel curls. They are pretty similar to flat pin curl but instead they are more 3D.
Roll the curls on the larger side of your hair part away from the hair part. Roll the curls on the smaller side towards it.
The pin curls on the back of your head should just be normal flat pin curls. If you're wondering why, it's so you don't smoosh them in your sleep. If you sleep on the side of your head you might want to make the lowest row on the sides flat as well. (I am so sorry these were taken with a flash. It's pretty scary, I know..)

Wrap your bandanna around your forehead so none of the barrel curls get smooshed down. Your bangs are going to be pretty curly so brush them out and sculpt them down into waves. Use long metal clips to secure them as you go along. Spray and leave them in while you do your make-up/eat breakfast/flash your neighbours etc.

Tada!

Yay

2010-01-16T15:16:00.000-08:00

This is going to sound petty to most of you.

I dance ballet. I am not great, hell I wouldn't even say I am good. But in class last night the instructor told me I could move up into the next level! I am ecstatic. Not sure if I actually am going to, I really like the class I am in now. But just the fact that I could if I wanted to makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

The other day I walked into the living room and this is what I saw:

I love my roomie.

Got pretty silly drunk with some friends last night. Apparently I was hitting on a gay guy. Whoops, my bad. Maybe that's why I'm single. Or it could be because I shouldn't be allowed in public when intoxicated.
Exhibit A:

No idea whose shades those are but they definitely were still on my head when I woke up this morning.

basic pin purls part deux

2010-01-12T16:09:00.000-08:00

So much for posting how to brush them out the next day, eh? I decided it would be a great idea to forget my camera at a friends place over the weekend. But now it is back with me.

Too bad this set turned out pretty bad. I was also running late for work so I didn't really have much time to style and adjust etc. Normally they look much better, I promise.

So take out all the pins. And when you're done, go over your head and make sure you really got all the pins out.

Then bend over (just trust me on this..) and shake your head like a mad person.

Now take a brush and brush out every single curl. I do them individually first then go back and brush as a whole. By now you should look like a cheap version of Cousin It.

Now put that brush away. Use your hands to smooth the curls. I like giving them definition so I wrap them around my finger to do so.

Remember that crappy side I mentioned in the previous post? Ya here it is.

How to pin curl your hair

2010-01-08T11:25:00.000-08:00

Hands down my favourite thing to do with my hair is to pin curl it. It takes some practise to figure out how to do it, so I put together a simple beginner tutorial. There is no point in posting extravagant tutorials when I haven't explained the basics, now is there?

Just a warning, this is pretty face heavy, so if you don't want to see 1287303 pictures of my visage I suggest you leave now while you can.

To start you need freshly washed, damp (not soakingwet, not dry as a fart) hair. I find that my hair is much easier to pin curl when I don't use conditioner. I also don't use any kind of setting lotion but if your hair hates you you might want to look into it.

How to roll the curl up and get it to stick to your head.

While descriptive writing is fun and all, I opted for the Youtube route. That's a tube of lotion, but pretty much any ol tube will do. Just make sure it's not too small (straw) or too big (water pipe).

My hair is really thick so I find that stretched out bobby pins work better than brand new pins.

Pay attention to which direction you're rolling the strand of hair (clockwise, counterclockwise, over or under) because if you want a nice vintage looking wavy 'do you have to roll them all in the same direction. This can be tricky at first, but after a few tries it will come to you automatically.

So, now you should look like this:

These also double as images you can use to spook small children. Thank God for make up

Ignore the left side, look at the right. See how nice and aligned they are? Later in the brushed out pictures you will see that that side turned out much nicer.

Wrap a scarf around your head and pin it down. Make sure the curls have at least 7 hours to dry/set.

Nothing was funny at the time, no idea where that goofy grin came from

There, now go out and pin curl your hair! Tomorrow we will brush these babies out.

2010-01-07T16:19:00.000-08:00

Today at work I got to make a display with the new Victoria's Secret collegiate line. It's all so cute! I don't wear sweats very often, and when I work out I usually just wear old t-shirts so I can't really justify buying any of it..but I do really love it! This was my second day in a row doing displays. I used to all the time but not anymore. Tis a shame, I really like it. Especially when the scary manager gives me a thumbs up. In the 3 years I have worked there this was my first compliment from her. I doubt it will ever happen again, I have a feeling that each employee only gets one compliment from her throughout their career at Barnes & Noble Inc.

The pigs squeak so loud it's starting to hurt my ears. I wonder if there is such thing as guinea pig opera. My oinkers definitely have Prima Donna potential.

Here's what I wore today. It would look much cuter with heels, but my feet would fall off if I had to wear heels for 9 hours.

This dress is one of my favourite things ever. You know that one outfit you have that you wear whenever you don't know what to wear? Well for me it's this dress. I have no idea what the heck is going on with my face. Just the usual tired and greasy I guess. The boots are so nice. Thrifted them for 10 bucks and they are Italian leather. To the person who gave these away: You are a fool.

Thrifted dress & boots, too sheer tights from Target

Again, no idea what's going on with the face. But it shows the colours more accurately (of the dress, not my face).

And now I am off to go grocery shopping. Yay spending money on things that won't last me long. I think I will pin curl my hair tonight so get excited for a setting pattern tomorrow :)

Blah blah

2010-01-05T18:19:00.000-08:00

Due to the increase in work there is a decrease in my cute wardrobe these past few days. Which has it's good and bad sides. Good: I have money so the pigs won't starve & I get to see cute co-worker more often. Bad: Jeans & t-shirts everyday is making me feel soulless. I really need these 30+ hours a week though. Just wait, in a few weeks I'll be complaining about the lack of hours.

I think I threw away two paychecks. UGH. Why am I so disorganized? I just want my money.
This Sunday is Tristan's birthday and I have a fabulous dress in the mail. A) I hope it gets here on time B) I hope it fits.

So what is going to happened within tonight/tomorrow? I will hopefully find those damned paychecks AND wear something fashionable to work.

To end the evening on a happy note, here is Colonel Brandon nomnoming some organic (only the best for my pigs) spinach.

Lazy Saturday

2010-01-03T14:19:00.000-08:00

As much as I hate Walmart I had to go there yesterday. I needed a new shower curtain and a crocheting needle. Somehow I ended up spending $50 though. My thought process was pretty much "well if I get a new shower curtain we need new mats and towels too. And I might as well get a few different sized crochet hooks. And I'll need a movie to watch while crocheting. Oh these tights are a must have as well". And at the grocery store all I wanted to get was carrots and spinach for the piggies. Well a smoothie plus some chips and salsa for Tami sounded like a great idea. And that is how a $15 adventure went up to $60. *sigh*

I love these tights. My Grandma gave them to me.

I have had this jacket for years but never wore it. The bag is PERFECT and was about $5 at Goodwill downtown.

Thrifted top, boots & bag, gifted tights, JC Penny shorts and Nordstrom Jacket

And I almost peed myself when I found these boots. I have been watching so much Little House on the Prairie lately and it's making me crave anything prairie-esque.

I ate SO much last night. I am still full. I don't really feel like going to the gym but I owe it to my poor body. Maybe I'll make it happen. All I did was hang out with a friend I haven't seen in ages and watch Dexter (that show is pretty fucked up btw).

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T12:38:00.000-08:00

I honestly don't remember what my resolution from last year was. And I don't think I am going to bother making one for this year.

I finally got the software for my new camera installed so I can start posting more pictures. Lucky you.

New Year's Eve was spent at a bar. Tristan and I were the only people not wearing acid washed jeans. And they weren't being worn in the fashionable ironic hipster way. They were worn in the dead serious mom jeans kind of way.

I need to find a better spot to take pictures at. Everything is so flipping messy right now though.
I love this dress! I found it at Buffalo Exchange in the Seattle U-district. Who would ever get rid of this dress? It's shiny and has a magnificent brocade pattern. Something Marie Antoinette would surely wear if she was around nowadays.

This photo awesomely demonstrates how freaking uneven our floors are. I need to figure out how to stand without looking so awkward.

And staying within the Marie Antoinette theme I stuck a giant plume on my head...

...and threw in a little heart shaped beauty spot.

In the spring I shed my skin and it blows away wth the changing winds

2009-12-30T22:07:00.000-08:00

It's just one night away from New Years Eve! How crazy is that. The year just flew by. Or maybe it just seems like it did since I partied so much I don't remember all the details from 2009..

Anyways, here are some of my favourite moments of 2009 (not always featuring the most fashionable attire I might add)

January

The highlight of this month I don't really remember, but here is me looking gross and drinking a delicious beer at the best bar in Pullman. This was one of those nights where we all intended on having one beer, which turned into 13 pitchers between 4 people. Needles to say, the walk home will forever remain a mystery.

February
Valentines Day is actually my favourite holiday even though I've never been in a relationship for it. I think it's just all the cheesy decor and mounds of candy that won me over.
But this is from a weekend after that. I was sad about something. Probably the fact that the rum was already almost gone.

March
St. Patrick's Day was spent in Spokane where we dress in green dresses, green wigs, drank green Absolute (which was actually Potter's brand vodka that we filled into classy Absolute bottles) and took a cab to a strip club. I got in trouble for spanking a stripper.

April
I love dressing up. So I had a formal attire cocktail party at my place. The first 20 or so people who came actually dressed up. It went downhill from there. I love ths picture. I have no idea what we were talking about, I'm assuming it is something very important concerning his nipple.

May
My roommate Sam & I got guinea pigs! We love then dearly, even if they are poop machines. I swear that's all they do is poop. It is a proven fact that the drunker you get, the more fun you will have playing with them, as seen to your right.

June
This was the month I decided to go platinum. I have wanted to forever! Until then I had never dyed my hair, with the exception of dying half of it black back when it was oh so cool to be dirrrrrrrrty like Christina Aguliera. I love the platinum. Little did I know this would be the same time Lady Gaga decided to start wearing bob length wigs.

July
Whoot America. But instead I got to experience something pretty un-American, and it was amazing. It was my first time going to a wedding that wasn't of a family member. Yes, going to a friends wedding made me feel incredibly old. My friend is Pakistani and the whole wedding was a traditional Pakistani one. How many people do you know who got to eat goat at a wedding? It was awesome. And the nom noms were phenomenal.

August
On the Sunday before school starts back up again we have this thing called "12 to 12". Basically, you drink from 12 pm to 12 am. I have never made it to 12 am and I also will not show any pictures from this event...

September
My birthday month! Time to celebrate all things Tami. I turned 23 and felt so old I decided to throw myself a kiddie themed party. No boys allowed, party hats a must. We listened to little kids music and played games intended for a younger audience (don't you worry, we managed to turn those games r-rated). It was so much fun! I even go a pinata with airplane shots inside. Happy Birthday to me! (why yes, that is Severus Snape on my bosom)

October
A partier's dream came true. I went to Las Vegas! This is the town I belong in. I have never been so sad to leave a place. It was magical. Think Disneyland for grown-ups. The occasion was Sam's 21st birthday. We saw Thunder From Down Under and I haven't screamed that loud since seeing Hanson in concert when I was 12. It was so special it even gets two pictures. First was in front of the New York New York.
Second was at the Wynn. No we did not stay at a place that classy. We stayed at Excalibur, which was awesome. It looked like a giant Lego castle. Sam and I went to a souvenir shop while extremely intoxicated and somehow managed to buy 17 shot glasses...

Novemeber
I filled my bad ass quota of the year by getting my septum pierced.

December
I graduated college! Hurrah! And who would have thought that with all that partying I would still make it with honors? For various reason I decided not to walk at graduation though. So instead of a cheesy cap & gown picture, I present to you all the newest member of my family. His name is Darcy and he loves carrots. He looks so tiny next to Brandon!

Happy New Year everyone!

1, 2, 3, 4 Tell Me That You Love Me More

2009-12-28T21:08:00.000-08:00

My day started out much fancier than it normally does due to the breakfast of smoked salmon and crackers. All that was missing was a flute or two of champagne. Too bad going to work with booze breath is frowned upon.

The lousy part about having a new camera means installing the software so I can actually upload my pictures on here. I am still figuring out the settings on it. And not that I need to take videos but this model does not record sound. I think I may need to start water marking my pictures. I've stumbled upon a few I uploaded to the LJ Vintage hair community on other various blogs. It is pretty weird seeing your face pop up in someone else's blog, especially if it's Swedish.

I had to work a full 9 hours today. I can't remember the last time I worked a shift that long and I am so tired. I feel like such a granny but I am going to bed asap.

My apologies for this luke warm first "real" entry, I will have more entertaining things up in the next few days.

And to conclude, some pretties:

Pretty beaded headband I intend on replicating soon(er or later..)

I am obsessed with bows, and this one is perfect in every way, just like Mary Poppins

Don't you wish you could be this crinoline-ed gal with her little dandy?

This Edwardian driving hat is DIVINE

Hello

2009-12-27T21:16:00.000-08:00

The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.

Hi everyone, welcome to my humble blog. Take a seat, have a cookie.
This is my second blog, the first was unsuccessful for many reasons, the main ones being the lack of camera and internet. Believe it or not those two factors play a huge role in fashion and lifestyle blogging. Unless you want a very boring blog of course.
So this is my second and hopefully last attempt at maintaining a healthy blog.

Who are you?
For starters, my name is Tami and I am a 20-something old recent college graduate. Instead of heading back where I came from and starting what I like to call a "real life", I will be sticking around this college town until my lease is up and avoiding as much responsibility as possible until then. Shenanigans and excessive shopping to be expected.

But Tami, whatever do you have to say that could possibly interest me?
If you like vintage hair, weird outfits, diy accessories, and ramblings about life in the Pacific Northwest I might have a thing or two that's up your alley. Meow.