Things you can do while waiting for your at home hair color to cure: Making rats.

Happy Easter! To those of you that celebrate it that is. I was raised baptist, but have fallen off the church pew in the more recent years of my life.
I wanted to put together a quick project to share with you, my.. three... readers. Maybe more? Maybe some just dont comment? LOVE ME! *ahem*
So! moving on.
The following information is courtesy of Pin Curl Mag http://pincurlmag.com/hair-rats

What is a hair rat? They are extra padding that were used back in the day to add volume and make those classic hairstyles easier to achieve.

Historically, hair rats were made from the hair of the wearier. Women would simply gather the stray hairs caught in their brushes, when they had a pretty significant amount, they roll them with their hands until a tight sausage shape was achieved and viola- a hair rat! These were then used to roll their natural hair over (like rollers) and secured with hairpins to achieve everything from liberty rolls to Betty Page bangs, and because it was made from their own hair- the color and texture matched perfectly, making the rat extremely hard to spot.

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Probably one of the worst things I ever spent money on was those bump-its. I could never get them to look right, and they always had a bumpy effect, not in a good way. Is it any surprise how quickly they ended up at the dollar store/savers/goodwill?

Now, back to rats. Being incredibly germaphobic, the idea of saving my hair gave me the creeps. There is no way in hell I could save enough hair to make a rat without having a nervous breakdown, so I achieved the same end result with a synthetic costume wig. I got mine for a dollar after halloween.

You will need:

A wig, or a bunch of your old hair. I vote wig.

A teasing comb

Needle and thread in complimentary color

Hairnets that match the color of hair youre using. Note the wig I'm using is blonde. I'm slowly transitioning back to blonde from brunette. Goody sells nets in a package of three for around $1.50 to $2.00

Take a section of hair about the size of rat youd like to make and just start back combing and teasing the hell out of it. The more knotted and puffed the better. It gives you more shaping flexibility.

Next you want to tuck it in to the hair net and get a basic shape going on. This is a larger one that will be used to give some oomph to beehives and 60's styles

a few quick whip stitches with the needle and thread to keep everything in check, and youre good to go.

Here is a smaller one for betty bangs and victory rolls. Its twin is in progress. (See? Buy the goody nets in threes!)

This project literally took me less than the 30 mins I had to wait for my hair dye. 

Care is simple, just like a natural hair rat, a swish and splash in some warm water and shampoo, a quick blot (dont squeeze too hard!) and air dry. The synthetic hair I believe is less likely to get germy and oily.

Modern vintage product review: Claudia wedges by Dexflex

I've been coveting these shoes since I first saw them pop up on the Payless website. They have the look of Remix shoes without the horrific price tag. Plus, right now theyre on sale! They originally retail for $30, theyre on sale for $20, and if you google search for a coupon code, I found one that gave me 25% off, making the ones I ordered online only $15! Bonus: They also come in wide width!

I first purchased them in the brown color, and instantly fell in love. The wedge heel gives just enough lift without killing my back, and the cut out details have a nice vintage flair to them. 

Not to mention, they are comfortable as all get out. I wore them to work, and was able to go up and down the stairs multiple times without feeling like I was going to lose my balance nor did they pinch my toes.

I ordered them in white, and will be picking up the black ones on my adventures today. I totally recommend these shoes as a spring and summer staple!

Plans

I think I will finally be able to get some real work done on my online adventures this weekend. I've been strategically running errands after work every day to free up my saturday and sunday. I may not get any sewing done, but I want to at least sort and cut some fabric, and finally finish tidying up the upstairs of the house. I may even get some photos taken of some treasures I've found on recent thrifts, including a new floral sheet to make another dress!

My boss has been under a lot of stress lately, and its transferring to me by proxy. Not intentionally, but because it upsets me that shes upset and so we stress together. I've been getting a crash course in employee relations because shes been busy covering the duties of an employee thats resigned. I'm actually running a recruitment by myself, for welders. You would think... ok, I think, that with the unemployment rate so high in Nevada, and Carson City being so industrial, I'd be beating them away with a stick.

Not the case. I'm calling in every job posting resource I can find from the unemployment office to job connect, to tribal outreach groups, to free posting boards. (my company is trying to save money)

Just typing this now, I've had the idea to get in touch with the welding teachers at the local community college.

I try to keep personal stress out of this blog, but sometimes a girl just needs to vent it out.

And now I will make like an old lady and go to bed. Its 8:15pm.

Like a boss.

Busy Bee

Seems I've been apologizing for being away more than I've been at my post writing blogs. But of course, busy. when I wasnt working, I had the luxury of being able to blog because I wasnt doing much else. Now please dont take that as a knock at people that dont work. I realize its hard to convey tone in text.

I've been longing to revamp my vintage shop and really make it cater to pin-up and rockabilly in addition to offering true vintage wares. I have lots of fabric set aside for bows and scarves, I just dont seem to have the time to actually sit down and start sewing, or rephotograph bows, or post some new vintage items in the shop. It's maddening really, but I'm grateful to have a job that now affords me a little extra money to indulge in revamping the store.

I finally caught up on my laundry this weekend, and washed my quilts and comforters, and got everything vacuumed.  I try to keep up with it, but with two dogs, they shed everywhere!

I wanted to mop floors, but just ran out of time. Maybe next weekend.

I'm very much jealous of my fellow Dolls headed to Viva. I wish I couldve gone this year, but no such luck. Riot is just around the corner though, and I hope they post the schedule soon, so I know what day Deke is playing and can plan accordingly. I want to do some recon on the vendors as well, to see if its somewhere I would be interested in vending my stuff.

In an interesting turn of events, I find myself lately looking into some 60's fashion to supplement my 50's addiction. Especially styled after Joan on Mad Men. Kind of a sexy wiggle style.

I stumbled across this great pencil skirt pattern, and naturally purchased it

Mccall #3830, View C

http://mccallpattern.mccall.com/m3830-products-2773.php?page_id=113

On sale right now on the website for $1.88

It has the right look and length, without the high waist that is NOT flattering on a bigger Betty such as myself

I'd like to make one in this fabric:

image courtesy of little cherubs heirloom

ABC's of me! (Thanks to Mari)

A. Age: 31.5 That half a year counts! I'll be 32 in September
B. Bed size: Full. Perfect for me and two pugs, though sometimes I get shoved to the edge
C. Chore that you hate: Yard work or anything hard on my back. If I can sit, I can fold clothes for hours
D. Dogs: I have two brats. I mean pugs. Both are rescues. Yasmin, aka noodles I've had for 7 1/2 years and sadie, aka 2.0, I've had for about a year an a half
E. Essential start to your day: peanut butter and preserves sammich and hot tea for breakfast. A bit unothodox but its portable and can easily be eaten in the car on the way to work. Plus its good fats, unlike greasy fast food breakfast
F. Favorite color: Overall, pink, but for clothing, Navy Blue, Red, and yellow
G. Gold or Silver: I like soft golds, like almost sepia toned gold. bright brassy golds are gross
H. Height: 5’9"
I. Instruments you play: I briefly played the piano as a child, but couldnt get my left hand to work with my right. I played trumpet and french horn from 4th grade through senior yearJ. 
Job title: Octopus, since it feels like I have 8 arms at work. Truly I am an HR assistant, a recruiter, a payroll person, a production control person, a receptionist, and resident tea queen at a manufacturing plant.
K. Kids: no human ones, but I do have a niece and two pugs
L. Live: Sparks Nevada, right next door to Reno
M. Mother’s name: Donna, like the Ritchie Valens song
N. Nicknames: Several. Smiley, kitty, elle, mysti to name a few
O. Overnight hospital stays: Tonsils, heat stroke, cracked ribs, not all at once!
P. Pet peeves: people that talk on their phones in a store, and people that leave their carts in the aisle
Q. Quote from a movie: "We were supposed to fight for people who could not fight for themselves. We were supposed to fight for Willie" A few good men
R. Right or left handed: Left
S. Siblings: I have one older sister but we are estranged to the point of I may as well be an only child
T. Time you wake up: 5:00am during the week, 8 ish on weekends
U. Underwear: not wearing underwear is icky
V. Vegetable you hate: sweet potatoes. I cant eat them at all. they have a weird taste and texture
W. What makes you run late: Not hitting the lights on sparks blvd trying to get to the 80
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Teeth, lungs, ribs, back, pelvis, knee, wrist, and skull. I'm accident prone
Y. Yummy food that you make: home made tortillas and tortilla soup. also dim sum and dumplings
Z. Zoo animal: Lions. when I lived in Las Vegas, attending UNLV, I used to walk from my dorm to the MGM Grand (about a mile) and just sit at the lion exhibit for hours watching the lions when I was stressed out

Turquoise atomic "stuff"

I've started mentally (and physically) gathering things for when i have my own place. I know I want to get authentic in terms of furniture, but decor wise, I want to really have a nice mix that speaks of my own personality.

I know I want my living/family room to have an atomic look, and I'm still on the hunt for a starburst clock.

This is what I have so far:

Fabric for pillows

Both are Michael Miller cottons, modern of course. For couch throw pillows.

And then I thought i had sold this dish, but imagine my delight when I found it in a box the other day!

A disneyland boomerang candy dish! I'm glad I still have it.

I know its not much, but Its a slow progression of collecting that I love to do anyway.

Oh hi! and Riot!

Gosh, I really need to get back on a posting schedule that is more frequent than once a week!

Work has been keeping me busy mostly, as well as selling on etsy and ebay. Have to save for Viva 2014 somehow!

I'm thrilled that I have someone to go to Viva with. My friend Leanne isnt a billy chick, but she loves pin up and classic cars so she agreed to come along! She and I are going to check out Riot this year in Reno to get a taste of a weekender. I'm a weekender virgin! Lucky for us we live in Sparks, so we dont need to get a hotel room.

Here is a screen grab from the grand sierra resort website:

And the thing I'm most excited about:

DEKE! I <3 Deke Dickerson, and I'm thrilled to get to see him live!

I know that Riot doesnt get as much hoopla as Viva, but as a Reno girl, I have to represent!

A drive by musing before bed

I think I want to try and make a dress with a mandarin collar and frog detail, but with a circle skirt.

hmmmm


good night!

She's a working girl

I've been away away away, but for good reason. YES! I finally am back to work after a depressing 3 months of unemployment. That doesn't sound like much, especially here in Nevada, but it took me 5 months before that to land a job once I moved. I couldn't even get work on the graveyard shift as a maid at a casino.

Because I wasn't qualified.

Really?

Anyway, I worked for a building company in Carson City, and then was sadly laid off after only three months. I loved working there. I may be a girly girly girly girl but I'm very comfortable in construction and manufacturing atmospheres more than strict corporate environments.

But you know, the Lord works in mysterious ways because the phone rang two weeks ago, and who was on the other line? My old boss! There was a spot for me again, and I've been back for a week now. The drive is brutal as hell, but I'm glad to just be working, and have a little more stable money coming in. Etsy and ebay sales only cover so much, and not a lot to be honest.

Working hasnt left much time for vintage adventures of late, but I leave you with this snap of my jewelry box. this is just a tiny tiny segment of what I actually have.

My Liebster answers, FINALLY

I've been sick the past few days, and really not interested in sitting at the computer for long periods of time. My days have been bed rest, pugs, soup, and American Pickers on history channel.

Now that I'm over the worst of whatever was ailing me, I was able to sit down and truly take the time to answer the questions that The lovely LaToya over at Mid Century Pink posed to me when she so generously nominated me for a Liebster Award on her blog.

I know there are a bunch of other steps in the Liebster process, nominating other bloggers and such, but I'm still so fresh on the scene, I dont KNOW many other bloggers! :( But here are my answers to her questions.

1.    Salty or sweet treats?

Both! Only not at the same time. I love home made tortilla chips with rock salt, and I love sweet things like cake and frosting too!

2. Who is your favorite musician or type of music (or both)?

I have pretty eclectic taste in music. Rockabilly for sure, classic oldies, Motown, Classic rock, plus top 40 stuff. I have Britney next to Mozart next to Metallica next to Deke Dickerson next to Elvis next to Garbage

3. If you could be anyone other than yourself (living or otherwise) for 1 day who would it be and why?

For purely selfish reasons, Imelda Marcos. Not for any political reason, mostly to play with all those shoes!

4. What is your absolute favorite thing in your closet?

Arrrgh decisions!! Probably my Lucite purse. It’s a recent acquisition, but one I’m happy to have checked off of my must have list

5. If someone gave you a million dollars to do only 1 thing with what would you do?

Donate the bulk of it to charity. I don’t need that much money. It turns people’s hearts black.

6. Vintage night attire or (if you are like me) old yoga pants and sweat shirts?

Tank tops and boy shorts mostly. I’m a rough sleeper, and jammy pants get all twisted, plus I hate having things up near my neck (main reason I don’t wear necklaces) so tank tops fit the bill

7. What is your favorite quote?

Be yourself, everyone else is taken

8. What's the one thing on your vanity that you could never live without?

Chap stick. Nevada is brutal on dryness in the lips and skin. I go through a chap stick probably every 2 weeks. There’s always one in the bathroom drawer, one in my purse, one in the car, one on my desk, one in my bedside table.

9. If you could relive any age, which age would it be?

I’m torn between the 50’s (of course) and the 60’s to witness the civil rights movement. The bravery shown by supporters of integration is so inspiring

10. If you could have been an extra in a classic film, which one would it have been?

My absolute favorite film of all time, All About Eve

Thanks again to LaToya for the generous nomination! xoxo

I am the most illest

And not in that cool, hip, gangsta sort of way. No, I'm actually sick as a dog with the flu. :(

I still have to do my fill-ins for my Liebster Award from Miss Mid-Century Pink, and I promise I will!

For now, here are my (finally!) painted shadowboxes and shelves, and some other stuff in my bedroom. One of my favorite things to collect is porcelain minis from Japan. Especially Poodles. The Poodle picture is wood, and the clock was a boring walmart thing that I painted gold and hand jeweled. That was a lot of gluing, let me tell you.

Stay germ free lovlies!