The gifts of the past

Purse sizes have become blown out of proportion. You can fit a beach towel, your 24-ounce water bottle and high heels in some bags. But those totes are better for the beach than a night out with your beau. A beaded handbag is what you need. You can find one in every antique store, but bags without stains, rips and loose beading are rare. This Christmas, I was given many special gifts and one was very personal. My in-laws gave me my husband's grandmother Nancy's costume jewelery, gloves and evening bags.

In 2016, gloves are only seen in Downton Abbey and Dapper Day at Disney. I do own one pair which I found by surprise in the pocket of a vintage coat. They fit, and I've worn them once. I also wore gloves in middle school to attend Cotillon, a finishing school of sorts. Those gloves just didn't look right with my akward cha-cha-cha and brace face. 

I wore my lone pair to a '60s inspired party, but it was hard to keep them on! Holding a cocktail glass seemed dangerous, as if I would crash to the floor at any moment. Then the ring debacle? On the inside or out?  Worn on the outside looks garish... Like I was an extra in My Fair Lady.  So I shoved my cocktail ring deep in to my purse, hoping I wouldn't lose it.  But there is NO way I am shoving my hands into the 60-year old gloves from Nancy. I would bust the seams with my un-ladylike hands. My hands have lifted weights, carried fajita laden trays and typed for hours. They might as well be rippling with muscle.

Only Scarlett O'Hara's lily-white hands would fit in these sweet gloves. 

The original craftsman's card was included. The white leather gloves have braiding on the perimiter, which I would bust through trying to shove my bear paws in.

During Christmas present time, a jumble of earrings were inside the purse. Yay! It was like finding a $100 bill in a old purse.

With orange rhinestones mixed with red blue and green, the tear-drop shaped clip-ons and butterfly brooch are not something I would choose for myself. But I do like them. They are very fitting of the '60s and are a matching set. 

I have an orange '60s-inspired sheath dress that would look perfect with these! It's very special knowing my husband's grandmother wore these. That's one of the many reasons I like gifts from the past. With proper care and storage, vintage jewelery can last forever. But I don't keep them hidden in a box or on a shelf. I wear my vintage jewels and display them like sparkling mini-sculptures.

I wanted to be sparkling for my anniversary dinner, so I opted out of puffy crinoline and went for sleek. 

 I've had this Roberto Cavalli dress from Dillard's since 2012, and wore it to an outdoor wedding. My favorite snapshot ever was taken there, a rustic barn venue in Alabama. But the dress' stunning neckline didn't take center stage. I wasn't hiding on purpose.

I love how the notched collar brings attention to the face, like neon arrows flashing on and off saying, "Look Here!" 

It's almost tight enough to be a wiggle dress with chevron-like detail on the body. This is my "Joan" dress. She's my favorite character from AMC's MadMen. She's smart, full of attitude and charm and embraces her assets, including her curves. I could not wait to see what she was going to wear every episode. Here she is flanked by blonde Betty (hair goals) and Peggy.

To add shine to my hunter green frock, I chose Nancy's golden beaded bag.

The sunny purse was perfect with my metallic shoes. 

It's the smallest evening bag I have, and it barely swallowed my iPhone before I snapped the clasp. My lipstick, ID and phone were all it could muster... But I'm sure a pair of folded gloves or handkerchief would have fit.

I didn't wear the butterfly brooch and earring set that night, but chose a unique pair of clip-ons I snapped up from Renninger's. 

They look a bit like Christmas trees, but the shape is so midcentury. And I love the sheen painted on the rhinestones. It was my first time wearing them, and I was able to make it 5 hours without noticing. No pain!

I finally went for the short hair cut that lends itself to '50s style. I was so happy with the result, I was squealing while doing my hair.

 My hairdresser said she was waiting for me to ask her for this cut. She gave me a Midi cut of sorts, longer in the back, and shorter on the side, like a U. I hope to pin-curl more often, but it looks cute curly, too! Even with no makeup:( This is Mom hair that can be retro in a snap. 

Pin Curl Dreaming

It is so fun to watch my favorite show, and pin curl away. With a bottle of setting spray, comb and Bobby pins by my side, I nearly finished Orange is the New Black.    With 2 standing pin-curls at the top, and flat pin-curls all over, I was ready to sleep in my wet set. 

I did leave the window open to our bedroom, so maybe the cool air helped. On fresh hair, my curls came out so soft and only a tad frizzy. I need some pomade to smooth things out. I've heard Suavecita is where it's at.

Paired with some fun green and blue clip-ins from an estate sale, I was ready to go. They matched my Kelly-green pants perfectly.

I'm still researching how to keep a pin curl set for the second day. Do I re-roll and re-pin? Spray again? I'm still a novice. And I still rely on my one roll trick at the top of the head. 

P.S. I'm also having a 1950s dress made for me! I picked out the fabric last week, and the seamstress came and measured me yesterday. In 3-weeks time, I'll have a dress made just for me, a first! If it is what I'm expecting, I hope to have many more pieces made. On my way to being a modern pin-up❤️