Weekly Musings

Bonjour! I know this is supposed to be a weekly post and I promise I will resume it beginning today. With B and I's move we simply have had little time to spend on our hobbies, but now all is unpacked and the design phase is in full swing so I can get back to MMIH! Here all are the things that I am taking great joy in at the moment.  

German Boy: A Child in War While perusing the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on Dulles Airport grounds this weekend with my father, we wandered in and passed and author doing a signing. I ran over to the board set up with his biography stating that he was a retired Air Force Colonel and had spent his childhood in WWII Germany. I did my Honors Thesis on the Nazi High Command and spent the better part of two years studying WWII Germany. My mouth dropped but my Dad had his eye on the planes straight ahead. I went after him but said I wanted to go back to meet that author. Feeling like a little girl again midway through our tour I took him back to the booth and met Mr. Wolfgang Samuel. What a fascinating man.  I picked up The German Boy immediately and he was happy for me to read it since I revealed my background in the subject. I can't put it down. I recommend this to all of my readers whether you have an interest in history or not. It is not often we hear from the German civilians that lived through the Allied invasion. 

The Valentino Rockstud Pump. Enough Said. 

Bull Run Winery. For those of you DCers needing a drive out of the city on a weekend take the drive out to Gainesville! Bull Run Winery is situated on the Bull Run Battlefield and features live music, tastings and best of all: relaxation. You can only get their labels at the winery they don't sell to distributors so it is a treat to go and have a couple glasses! 

Juvel Lera. Best friend and artist Libby makes these FAB pieces of jewelry. I bought two white pieces and can't take them off. People ask all the time "Oh! Wear did you get those?" They add pop to a ensemble for a night out or just a casual outfit to run some errands in. 

Bringing Back the Sparkle

Today I wanted to reflect on an article I read in the Huffington Post. 

It was entitled "10 Vintage Styles That Really Need to Come Back" http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4414558

Day gloves. pencil skirts, heels and red lipstick. The trademarks of our grandmothers. Ever wonder where that glamourous fahsion sense went? I know I do. I mean, don't get me wrong. Sometimes a hoodie and jeans is the best remedy to a bad day. Or a baseball cap and yoga pants are the best items of clothing to accompany you on a brisk walk outside. But more often than not I wish I could throw on some tights, a fluffy dress, fascinator and hit the town with B.    

What made me decide to post about this topic? No ladies I am not aiming to be hard on us girls of the 21st century. I follow so many wonderful women bloggers that have magnificent fashion sense. BUT. I do wish some of these styles would make their way back into the pages of Vogue. Some will make the occaisonal appearance. But altogether? Haven't seen it yet. I just remember flipping the pages of my Grandma Doris's photo albums and gazing into the photos that took me back in time. Those images are part of why I love fashion. 

  

Things I love about the '50s: The dresses. The leather jackets. The Fonz's hairdo. 

Believe me I am almost the definition of the driven, independent woman. But the gloves and the skirts in this picture are lovely. So classy. Do I even own an apron? No.  I am sure my Garndma Agnes looked this beautiful. My Grandpa to this day dons the Fonz's hairdo. Just for one day I'd like to step out of my house in white heels with those headbands!

And the '40s. These Rosie the Riveters broke the tradition of staying at home and took over the workforce during World War II. But leave those pencil skirts behind? I think not! I own more jeans than skirts. This picture makes me want to toss the blue jean look aside and buy deep red lipstick, set my hair and never leave the house looking anything less than this fabulous again. 

And the Women of the Roaring '20s.

This generation is getting a LOT of attention. These women dripped with elegance. I am so happy to see some of these styles coming back due to the rising poularity of The Great Gatsby motion picture. The film makes you want to step into the television and the join the party.  Gatsby along with a personal favorite, Downton Abbey, bring this generation to life.

For the girls who have never asked their grandma which shade of lipstick would work better with an outfit or simply have never tried on a full skirt: I challenge you to one day pick out a dress worthy of one of  these genrations of ladies. Go out on the town. Take pictures. Experience how beautiful these looks can make you feel!

A glimpse at a couple family photos that helped inspire this post