On dress

Several weeks ago, a friend of mine vented to Facebook about an uncomfortable experience they had while dressed in vintage attire.  Apparently a couple of uncouth cads approached my friend and proceeded to berate her for "celebrating a terrible time in history."  After all, it was during the past that we had mass oppression, bigotry, racism, sexism, Nazism, and a whole slew of other offensive -isms.  These boorish boobs actually tried to shame her for her clothes.  I suspect the irony was totally lost on them.

Now, I have been dressing in vintage and vintage-styled clothing for many years.  Not once have I been chastised for it. (Perhaps being a big girl helps here.) It seems that most people recognize that an appreciation of the fashions, hairstyles, shoes, and art (music, films) of an era does not equate to accepting the entire culture without reservation.

For all we know, Margie here could be pointing
out key points of her Feminist Manifesto

Lest anyone doubt, let me take this time to put any questions to rest:  I am a feminist.  I am an open-minded thinker.  I am a supporter of equal rights.  I am an environmentalist.    And, yes, I dress like a woman of the past; a woman who may have struggled had she shared my views during her time.

While I may daydream about how wonderful it would be if folks returned to a few habits from the past, oppression is certainly not one of them!  (But while we’re on the subject, might I just suggest that we do make an effort to not look like we’re ready for Zumba class when we are going out to dinner?)  I wear what I do for the same reason that you do: I like how I look it them/they're comfortable/they're clean.  

My clothes are not a political statement. My hair isn’t meant to suggest that I want to return to an era of segregation, sexism, and oppression.  My home decor does not imply anything other than my taste in furniture is decidedly different from the average Ikea shopper.  If you want to know what I think about a particular subject, you'll get a much clearer answer by actually asking me versus just assuming based on the sort of frock I put on. ;)

Rat Pack Weekend & Birthday Extravaganza

I confess.  Up until this past weekend, the only time I'd ever spent in Las Vegas, Nevada was a layover in the airport.  As I'm not a big oontz-oontz club-goer, nor do I gamble, there was really no huge desire to go to Sin City.  At least, not conventionally.

Years ago, some friends of mine and I had discussed the idea of going to Las Vegas for a Rat Pack-styled weekend.  Now THAT sounded interesting.  So when the idea was resurrected to celebrate the milestone birthdays of four fabulous fellas--I was giddy about going.

This past weekend was our Rat Pack Birthday Extravaganza and it was a royal hoot.  Major props and tremendous thanks go to Kerri "the enabler" Morin for producing the affair.  She scouted the locations and picked the times and places for our meet-ups throughout Vegas.  Our weekend would not have been nearly so much fun without her hard work.

Kerri & Carol Ann at Oscar's

Friday night we meet up at the newly renovated Plaza Hotel at Oscar's Bar for cocktails.  Oscar's tagline is Beef * Booze * Broads.  While I was there to only sample one of their offerings, I couldn't help by giggle.  And they did a great job on that count, too.  Oscar's made a tasty, well-balanced Sidecar.  The mixologists even gave the Monkey Gland cocktail a try and did a decent job.

My Brian at Oscar's

Afterwards, we wandered Freemont Street and settled in at the Gold Nugget's aquarium bar for more chatting and one more round.  The aquarium was gorgeous, but the Sidecars were just a little too sweet.

Gold Nugget

Jeff & Brian S.

Yours truly, Cat & Theresa

In hindsight, I wish that I had scheduled more of our free time at Freemont Street.  It was the classic Vegas "strip" back in the day.  It had just the right mix of tacky, naughty, and suave.

The birthday celebrations began at 3:00pm on Saturday at a Casa Fuente, a cigar bar in the Forum Shops.  Here we all raised a glass to celebrate Jeff's birthday.  I enjoyed a Jimi Hendricks cocktail.  Hendricks gin, Lillet Blanc, simple syrup and white grape garnish.  Though a touch too sweet, it was one of the better cocktails of the evening.

Casa Fuente

Jeff and his "minion" cap

Theresa, Kristina, Kerri

While I abstained from purchasing a cigar, those who did enjoyed them.  I, instead, stuck to smoking my ladies vintage pipe.  It's a gorgeous red bakelite pipe with a corncob bowl.  It has a darling rhinestone embellishment on the stem.  Perfect accessory for my cherry dress.

Smoking section

RAWR

At 5:30pm we all convened at Vesper in the Cosmopolitan Hotel.  I was very much looking forward to this bar as their menu features classic cocktails and the bar's own interpretations of those cocktails.  Alas, the drinks and the service were a disappointment.  My Corpse Reviver #2 was only okay (and I had to ask for the classic stemless cherry garnish).  Other cocktails were barely drinkable, and the service was painfully, unnecessarily slow for a mostly-empty bar with five mixologists.  Thankfully we didn't let the bar dampen our celebrations of Brent's birthday too much.  Brent's cheerful, goofy attitude was infectious and we laughed--a LOT--as we continued our celebration.

Brent goofs off

After Vesper, we were free for dinner and a change of clothing.  (It was at this time that I left my camera back at our room.  Thank goodness others had cameras!)  We met up at 8:30 at the steakhouse Smith & Wollensky to celebrate Brian S's big day.  Brian's father had called ahead and reserved a private room for our party, which was probably for the best as we all continued to be boisterous.

The food and deserts were amazing, but the drinks were unfortunate.  My Sidecar was made without fresh lemon juice and their Negroni featured a very strong dry vermouth taste that was off-putting.  Clearly this was a place for wine, not cocktails, so I enjoyed a lovely muscato with my creme brule.  It was a perfect combination.

While here, Mark and Cara used their Polaroid 100 Land camera to take portraits of us all.  Ironically, I had picked up a Polaroid 100 weeks ago, too.  Great minds and all that.  But Mark and Cara were smart enough to pick up a flash kit with the camera, which I did not.  All attempted photos taken indoors with my camera were just too dark.

Brent & Kristina

Carol Ann & Kerri

Cara & Mark

Cat & Jeff

Yours truly & Brian M.

Theresa & Brian S.

The boys

After Smith & Wollensky, we were off to finish off the birthday celebrations by raising a pint to my dapper fella, Brian M.  Where else to toast an Irishman for his birthday?  Why, Nine Fine Irishmen in New York, New York, of course!

Scrunchy face and the birthday boy

Never forget your towel!

With the birthday celebrations finished, we wandered the Strip for a brief moment before deciding that it was time to call it a night.  My Brian, Cat, Jeff and I followed Theresa and Brian back to their hotel, the Mandarin Oriental, for a night cap in their bar.  A gorgeous view, a great Negroni and a quiet end to the night.  Perfect.

The following day we decided to be lazy and lounge around our room (and enjoy the jacuzzi) before it was time to head back home.  It was a great way to top off the weekend.

My daughter's favorite thing from the weekend: jacuzzi tub

A few final observations:

• When dressed in Rat Pack era finery, expect to be gawked at and commented to all weekend.  Most comments will be complimentary, but you will get the occasional weird one.  Weirdest one of the weekend: being called Mary Poppins.  ???
• Drinks on the Strip are not nearly as strong as drinks on Freemont Street.  That said, while I drank a LOT, I was never more than buzzed.  
• Evil Dead: the Musical, in 4D--oh, if only I had known and been able to schedule time to see it.
• The idea of a 40 foot tall stripper is much more interesting than the actual thing.
• Alas, I only saw one working girl while in Vegas--but, boy howdy! was she a sight.  Bolted on boobs, inflated lips, bleach blonde hair, and a feather boa!  Oh, and she thought we all looked great, too.

HUGE THANKS to Kristina Gundersen-Rudmann and Cara Zitny for additional photos!!

Shopping and tea--what else can you ask for?!

Should the Lady by Choice ever ask you to tea, do say, "YES!"  You will not regret it.  But I am getting ahead of myself.

Store front

Tricia asked me to accompany her to check out the new Besame Cosmetics boutique in Glendale.  Afterwards, she suggested tea at the Rose Tree Cottage.  I was quite happy to join her as I'd been an online customer of Besame for years.  Plus, who doesn't love tea?!

The cosmetics boutique is absolutely darling.  It's a small store-front, but perfectly shows off Besame's gorgeously packaged, vintage-inspired cosmetics.  Gabriela, owner and founder of Besame, was on hand to show off their new products, like the violet-tinted loose powder.  She even gave us a sneak-peek on several up-coming goodies.  Coming soon items include an adorable travel case (pictured), a scarf and lipstick set created with Kenley of Project Runway fame, a reformulated moisturizer, cake mascara, and a gorgeous new powder compact.  I am very much looking forward to all of these!

Travel case-coming soon!

I could not help myself, I just had to pick up some new powder and I love it.  The violet powder is not at all chalky, but gives a gorgeous matte finish to my make-up.  The package is small enough that I could pop it into my purse for touch-ups, but I also picked up a new pressed powder refill for my on-the-go needs.

Oh!  And do take a moment to gaze at Gabriela's collection of vintage make-up and beauty items on display at her shop.

Vintage cosmetics

After our shopping adventure, we went to the tea room.  While Tricia had been once or twice before, this was my first time at Rose Tree.  It certainly will not be my last.  I am a certified tea expert (seriously, there's a bit of trivia about yours truly), and do enjoy a good cuppa as often as I can.  The Rose Tree Cottage did not disappoint.  They offer multiple seats each day for tea instead of a menu service.  Even so, they graciously accommodated my dietary restrictions without fuss.  They serve their own blend of English tea; a tasty, full-bodied black perfect for afternoon tea, but perhaps a touch light for breakfast.  I enjoyed it with a touch of milk and sugar, but it was also lovely on its own.


Alas, Rose Tree does not allow photography, so I came away without pictorial evidence.  (Tricia did ask for a photo of us to be taken, and may have posted it to her own blog.) But all told, it was a lovely tea and featured some very tasty goodies.  I was particularly fond of their Yorkshire pudding.

In addition to their tea service, they have a small store within that vends their own tea, British imported treats, and Barbour clothing.  (I found a gorgeous red Macintosh coat that, try as I might, I could not justify spending nearly $500 on.)

The day was a grand time.  Great company, shopping, and decadent tea all make for a perfect afternoon.


Here are some additional photos from the Besame store:

Tester station

Product, product, product

This darling gal sits upon the display case

Display of the new violet powder

Close-up of collection

Darling detail

My haul

Tarted Up: Darcy & Shawn's Wedding

My handsome fellas

After hustling to finish the border-print cherry dress last week so as to be able to wear it to a wedding, I almost didn't wear it.  Typical.  I started to have second thoughts about whether or not a cotton frock would be appropriate to wear to a late afternoon wedding.  Yes, I am ever critical of dressing appropriately.  But I do know that I have, and do, miss the mark from time to time.  I wanted to make sure that I didn't on Saturday.

Enroute

A quick review of clothing etiquette suggested that I allow the wedding invitation to be my guide.  Sometimes the invite will specify the level of dress, of course.  This one did not, but it was certainly non-traditional, so I ultimately decided to wear the dress, but to dress it up a bit.

In his suit

To emphasize the Dior-esque New Look silhouette, I wore my Morticia corset underneath.  It whittled away my waist to a gorgeous hourglass while slimming the curve of my hip.  I added seamed stockings, a touch of jewelry and wore my beloved Remix shoes in green.

I pin curled my hair in a wet-set Saturday morning and it turned out lovely.  Very 1950's Elizabeth Taylor, I thought.  Make-up was also retro, but I was most disappointed by how much my liner transferred to my upper lid.  Both the church and the reception hall were on the warmer side and I must've looked like I was melting by the halfway point of the evening.  As such, not many photos of me were taken.

Letting go of glamour

I have absolutely no right to be out of house looking like I do right now.

My hair needs washing. My face needs a touch of color. My clothes are not at all flattering. In short--I'm a wreck. But such is my lot these days.

My daughter had an appointment to make. Our pantry needs restocking. These errands won't just do themselves, so I had to make the best of it. I at least managed to put on some eyebrows.

The obvious question is--why didn't I just shower and freshen up prior to leaving? To anyone wondering exactly that, I'd like to introduce my son, Declan. He is a high-needs child who demands constant care. Thankfully, he is also a cheerful, loving young boy. But wildly independent he is not. Nor does he often allow me time without him either in my arms, or at my feet.

This morning he was particularly needy. He barely let me make his breakfast. There was no chance of some mommy-time, alas.

Currently I am hiding in my car while my daughter is at her appointment. I am juggling the baby, his snack, his water bottle, and my sanity as I type this on my phone. **sigh**

And to think there was a time in my life when I wouldn't be caught dead like this... Well, frankly, I still may not want to be caught like this, but needs must, alas.