Attention all vintage beauty lovers!!! Must-read how-to manual!

Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, from 1953

When I think of beauty and glamour, I automatically think of Hollywood's Golden Age, and the stunning ladies who filled the new, larger-than-life, CinemaScopic, technicolor screens with their striking beauty. The famous Monroe-Grable-Bacall comedy,  How to Marry a Millionaire, was the first film to be shot in CinemaScope, which was a new widescreen filming process pioneered by 20th Century-Fox. Upon reviewing the film and it's new, widescreen formatting, The New York Herald-Tribune commented:  "The big question, 'How does Marilyn Monroe look stretched across a broad screen?' is easily answered.   If you were sitting in the front row, you would probably feel as though you were being smothered in baked Alaska."

Of course, Marilyn is probably the most recognized (and commercialized) of all Hollywood's beauties, but there were many others ladies who exhibited uniquely-glamorous qualities of their own--and proved that gentlemen didn't always prefer blondes. Consider the following:

The epitome of the classic, brunette bombshell--Jane Russell,  in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, from 1953
(Who else could have played opposite Marilyn Monroe?!)




 One of Hollywood's most glamorous red-heads--Rita Hayworth, in the film Tonight and Every Night, from 1945.
(There's a reason Madonna sings "she gave good face..."!)



 The stunning, petite, and violet-eyed Elizabeth Taylor, in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, from 1958

The "Sweater Girl"--Lana Turner, in Mr. Imperium, from 1951
(Yes, I know she's blonde, but you can't talk about screen sirens without mentioning her!)




 The lovely Maureen O'Hara, whose notable films include The Quiet Man,  McLintock! and The Parent Trap

Of course, the list could go on and on...  I just love-love-love these glamorous looks! As I also love anything makeup or beauty-related, I set out a while ago in search of a vintage beauty guide which would teach me all the tips and tricks employed by the masterful makeup artists of that time (i.e. the Westmores, Ben Bye, Whitey Snyder, Max Factor, etc.) Not that I have expectations of actually achieving these looks, but it could be awfully fun trying! (Yes--I'm a 26 year-old who still likes to play in her makeup...and I'm finally not ashamed to admit it!)

So, in my on-going search for these beauty guides, I came across a gold mine of information contained in a book written by the infamous Westmores:

 

Westmore Beauty Book -- A Complete 1950s Guide to Vintage Makeup, Hairstyling and Beauty Techniques

 

I cannot begin to tell you how incredibly informative this book is--and what's more-- it was written by the Westmores as a do-it-yourself, how-to, at-home guide, so it is very user-friendly.  The Westmores were some of the Hollywood's most respected makeup artists and wrote this guide so that everyday women could enjoy the same knowledge and know-how of the famous screen sirens that they so admired. The information included is extremely comprehensive and will teach you everything you need to know about achieving the most aesthetically-pleasing you; topics include:  face shapes, skin types, facial symmetry, shaping, shadowing and contouring, color selection, makeup application, makeup removal, hair styling, hair dyeing, exercise, facial massage, at-home facials, manicuring, personalized beauty questionnaire and follow-up, and how to establish a beauty routine. It also has very practical beauty information as well and isn't solely focused on transforming you into some kind of glamour goddess. (The intention of the manual isn't to force you into the movie star look, but to give you the tools you need in case you should want to try it out.)  Really, I cannot over-stress HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! It is a vintage-glamour-loving fanatic's dream!! I only wish I could find more like it, so if you know of one, please,  please let me know about it! =)

(Images from Wikimedia Commons)

How to Iron a Shirt

Thanks to my blogger friend, Chantal, at CALM Homemaking 1950s Style, I have recently learned that I have been ironing incorrectly my entire life! As a self-taught ironer (we'll pretend that "ironer" is a word, here so I can avoid writing "person who irons" 50 blue-million times...), I thought I was doing pretty good to just iron--period. Not because it's hard, but because it is a respectable, but dying art.  After reading her post about ironing, I decided to look into it further and to do a little research on using liquid starch (which I have always been curious about, but somewhat intimidated by). 

Not much has changed...

As long as I've been married (going on 7 yrs. now), I have always taken pride in  ironing my husband's work clothes into as neat a condition I possibly could...or so I thought.  I have always used a lot of steam, (a good ironing practice) and used spray starch (also a great ironing aid).  I just never knew I had been using the wrong technique the whole time!  I thought I was doing pretty well, until I discovered I was doing the entire process backwards.  (All of this, by the way, concerns the ironing of a dress shirt.)

To summarize my previous, self-taught (and incorrect) ironing ritual, I used to:

     1) iron the front of the shirt, with the bulk of it hanging towards me;

     2) work around the body and around the shirt, back to the front;   

     3) iron the sleeves and

     4) iron the collar. 

I often found by the time I had finished the collar, placed it on a hanger, and held up my accomplishment to admire, that, alas--there were already some determined wrinkles trying to re-establish themselves on the front--where I had very first ironed!   This was always a mystery to me, as I would have to re-iron this section (and if you've ever done this, you know that it's very difficult to iron only one little section and not disturb any other...)  Then, last week I came across Chantal's post about how she had been doing the exact same thing; and thus my ironing revolution began. Since I have been so impressed by the fruits of my newly-acquired, proper, ironing technique, I was inspired to share what I learned, in hopes that someone else might benefit from my newly-discovered information.

How to Iron a Shirt (Correctly):

1) Start with the inside of the collar

2) Iron the outside of the collar.



3) Iron the sleeves, starting on the back side, then doing the front.

 4) Iron the front, starting with the bulk of it hanging away from your body.

5) Iron the body of the shirt, pulling the fabric towards you as you work back around to the front.

6) Finish by ironing the other side of the front (bulk of shirt should be hanging towards you).
Hang on a rack and button top and middle buttons to prevent wrinkling.

As always, make sure to follow heat settings on care tags, and use plenty of steam. Always keep the iron moving over the fabric, and it is a good practice to use spray starch.  Even if you don't care about the extra body or wrinkle-resistance it provides, it actually speeds the process of ironing as it somehow helps the iron to glide more easily over the fabric.

 

A few of a housewife's secret weapons



About liquid starch: 

As a vintage-loving housewife, I love the idea of "starching" things.  I don't know...it just sounds nice and refreshing...(strange; I know. Haha!) But truthfully, you can usually tell when a garment   has been starched; it has a much nicer, cleaner-looking presentation.  I have always used spray starch, but it hasn't been until recently that I have also been using liquid starch (which you add to the rinse cycle of your wash).  Now, unlike many people in the 50s, I'm not going to take it so far as to starch my underwear, and--yes--they really did that!!  It seems that starch has earned a reputation as a slapstick staple in the movies: you know the bit--husband does laundry; husband uses starch...wife's soft, silk stockings end up a rigormortis-like, cardboard cutout.  But contrary to this caricatured depiction, starch can actually be an iron-er's best friend. Not only does it make the actual process of ironing easier, but it also adds body to the fabric, helps repel stains, and helps keep fabric looking fresh all day due it's magic-like, wrinkle-resisting powers. (And did I mention it makes ironing easier and faster...!?) 



In Conclusion: 

If you iron, and you haven't ever used spray starch, try it! You will be really surprised at what a difference it makes! If you already use spray starch, and like it, you might also like the extra benefits of using liquid starch as well.  (By the way: It's not expensive; I got mine at Wal-Mart for less than $3/bottle...and...you can even make your own at home if you are industrious like that!)

If you try it, let me know what you think! Happy homemaking! =)

My! How times have changed!

In my quest to find other blogs/bloggers that have similar interests as me, I've come across a couple of different blogs (i.e. 50s times and It'll Take the Snap Out of Your Garters) which currently have fashion-related posts.  Since fashion is something I am also interested in, it got me to thinking... and, My! How times have changed! Our--shall we say--"dressing standards" have seemingly disappeared over the years...


 

Love this snappy suit!



 How often do you see people (and I hope you're not one!!!! *wince*) at the grocery or at a gas station with pajamas on (specifically, pajama pants)? Having taught high school for three years, I can attest to the common habit of high school girls (whom you would expect to be among the world's most self-absorbed, self-conscious creatures) wearing pajama bottoms to school.  Now, don't get me wrong: I like my pj's, too!  But...that doesn't mean I would wear them to teach school.  This actually sparked a small bit of internal conflict in me a year or so ago.  As a demonstration of school spirit, all students and faculty were asked to wear pajamas to school for "spirit day." (Now, what pj's have to do with school spirit, I'm still trying to figure out...) Some kids did, some didn't; some teachers did, some didn't.  I didn't.  I really thought about it, and took it so far as to have decided on which pair of pajamas I would wear--if I decided to do it.  In the end, I could not picture myself putting on pajamas, hopping in my car, stopping for gas, walking through the school building and expect 180 adolescents to actually take me seriously in my pj's.  I just couldn't picture myself saying to little Johnny, "If you do that again, I'll send you to the principal," while standing in my I Love Lucy jammies. Needless to say, I didn't do it.



OK--I know the skirt is a little much, but I love
the shape of this dress anyway!



If it were 1951 instead of 2011, I hardly think pajama day at school would have ever been suggested, and if it had been, I'm willing to bet that the "suggestor" would have been the scandalous talk of the town. But this just goes to show how much our social standards have changed. To show up at school in 1951 in your pajama bottoms (or in your--more probable--nightgown) would have been lunacy. In 2011, when someone shows up in pajama bottoms, we're just glad they have pants on. 

One thing that attracts me to mid 20th-century fashion is the neatness of it all. People actually took pride in how they looked, and bothered to look in the mirror before they headed out the door.  Don't get me wrong; it's not that I'm superficial, I'm just of the old-fashioned belief that everyone should take some pride in looking their best--within reason--when going out in public. 

 What do you think??

Awesome Vintage Cookbooks!

I guess since I love "all things vintage" it only makes sense that I would love to cook as well (check out my recipe blog if you want). I also love to collect old recipes.  My grandmother, who was one of the best cooks I've ever known, gave me two facsimile editions of 1950s cookbooks, and I absolutely LOVE them!  They are not only informative due to the culinary information they provide, but they are also packed with super-neat vintage tips and advice.  Everything us vintage-loving housewives should want to know about retro cooking is in there.  Granny gave them to me as Christmas presents over the last two holidays before she passed away, and I simply couldn't put them down for days.

The first one she gave me was the facsimile edition of the 1950 Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook

It has a lot of very useful homemaking information in it, and it can be easily used by either a novice or experienced cook.

The last one she gave me was very similar: it was a facsimile of the 1953 edition of Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

It is easily my second favorite cookbook (although, I do have to admit that I'm really just starting to seriously collect vintage cookbooks...)  Either of these books would be great for anyone who is interested in how cooking and meal-planning was done back in the mid-century.

How to Stand in a Doorway

Did you know there is a proper way for a lady to stand in a doorway?  In my never-ending search for vintage housekeeping and retro beauty guides, I came across this informative piece of information which I thought I would share.  After all, standing in a doorway is something that practically everyone does from time-to-time, and I bet--like many other things (i.e. ironing), if you're like me-- you've been doing it incorrectly your entire life! Ask yourself the following questions to find out if you know how to properly stand in a doorway:

When standing in a doorway, do you...

• stand with your left foot forward?
• place your delicately-closed left fist on your hip?
• point the fingers on your right hand upwards toward the ceiling while resting on the door frame?
• place your feet at a 45 degree angle?

If you answered "no" or "I don't know" to any of these questions, then you (like me) will probably benefit from this guide:

I can't wait to practice my "picture pose" in front of my husband to see what he says... Haha!

First Day of Housework Schedule

So, I have decided to officially begin my housekeeping schedule.  Achieving the Leave It To Beaver house is now my official goal.  (Perhaps if I publicly announce it, it will motivate me to actually implement it.)  This may somewhat difficult because my husband and I are still in the process of remodeling, so there is constantly something messed up or out of place...but aside from that, I am determined to be as June Cleaver-like as possible.This is what my Friday schedule looks like as of now:

Friday

Everyday Chores: ·    Do dishes ·    Sweep ·    Vacuum rugs ·    Make bed

·   Mop ·   Clean Bathroom ·    Wash clothes ·    Straighten closets ·    Polish appliances

As you see, normally on Fridays, I have scheduled to clean the bathroom and wash clothes, but as I just cleaned the bathroom yesterday, and only had one load of laundry to wash so my "work" day was cut a little shorter than usual.

I did do everything else though, with the exception of straightening the closets, (which I somehow completely managed to neglect).  So, I guess Monday will start my first full week of implementing my new schedule. I am eager to start, and see how it goes, but am still in search of my vintage housekeeping guide.  So far, no luck... I suppose for now I'll just stick with what I've got and go from there!

Housekeeping Schedule (or my lack thereof...)

Barbara Billingsley as June Cleaver: the mother
of all housewives...

One thing that I have been looking for and am having trouble finding is a housekeeping guide.  Although I have been married for going on 7 years now, and have been the sole "housekeeper" for our home, I have never (ever) had a schedule.  I've always just done things as I saw the need.  The biggest reason for my lack of structured housekeeping was due to my finishing college.  As a full-time student--and later--full-time graduate student, housework was low on my list of priorities.  Even if I had tried to adhere to a schedule, I'm sure it never would have worked because the life of a student is somewhat unpredictable: one has to study when one must--regardless of anything else.  So even if I had made a schedule, it would have probably fallen through on the first day because some other (student-related) task would have taken priority.  And I'm also confident in saying that when I did have the opportunity to simply do whatever I pleased, (i.e. in my "free" time), I'm positive that cleaning the closet or ironing the clothes would definitely NOT have been on the top of my "to do" list.   

This isn't to say that I've never cared about the presentation of my home.  I have actually always been very self-conscious of the--shall we say--state of our living quarters.  I'm the housekeeper who spazzes-out when she finds out that (surprise!) the in-laws have just pulled into the driveway.  I like for things to be as I envision they should, and I suppose my love for all things 50s greatly influences my concept of what a home should look like. (Just picture any interior home scene from Leave It To Beaver, and you are looking at my idea of a perfectly-kept home.)  It hasn't been until recently that realizing and maintaining my Leave It To Beaver housekeeping objective has even become a realistic possibility.  Or is it even realistic??  (After all: June Cleaver-- in actuality--had a bunch of stage hands that did all the housework for her...)

I really have no current excuse for not having an immaculately-kept home as we have no children, and I do not work.  But how does one go about putting together a housekeeping schedule? My thinking is if I want a Leave It To Beaver house, I need to be a real-life June Cleaver and keep house as was done in that time period; thus my search for a retro-housekeeping guide.

I have put together a basic schedule (which I still yet have to implement...) which is as follows:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Everyday Chores: ·         Do dishes ·         Sweep ·         Vacuum rugs ·         Make bed	Everyday Chores: ·         Do dishes ·         Sweep ·         Vacuum rugs ·         Make bed	Everyday Chores: ·         Do dishes ·         Sweep ·         Vacuum rugs ·         Make bed	Everyday Chores: ·         Do dishes ·         Sweep ·         Vacuum rugs ·         Make bed	Everyday Chores: ·         Do dishes ·         Sweep ·         Vacuum rugs ·         Make bed
·         Mop ·         Wash rugs ·         Iron ·         Clean animal areas	·         Change linens ·         Clean bath ·         Wash clothes ·         Vacuum furniture	·         Dust baseboard, ceiling fans & blinds ·         Clean for spider webs ·         Clean windows ·         Clean dishwasher & stove	·         Plan meals ·         Go to store ·         Wet dusting ·         Clean animal areas	·         Mop ·         Clean Bathroom ·         Wash clothes ·         Straighten closets ·         Polish appliances

However, I'm thinking that it would be nice to have some guidance, because achieving my "Leave It To Beaver" house is my new objective.  Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated!