Where I shop

I love to shop- don’t we all? What I hate, though, is to actually do the physical shopping. Especially clothes. Despite loving to have clothes, I hate shopping for them with a passion and I do practically all my shopping, except for food, online. So here are a few of the places I spend my money.

Clothing and shoes
Brandos A Swedish shoe store. They don’t really sell retro shoes, but it’s there I found my reproductions rubber boots from Viking. Last time I looked they had those in two versions. I have also seen some rather 40’s looking sandals.

Casablanca 1942

Do I need to describe the plot of Casablanca in detail? Let’s just quote IMDB; ”Set in unoccupied Africa during the early days of World War II: An American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.”. And I guess you already know it features Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, not to mention such dependable actors as Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, and Peter Lorre. And you can probably quote it, even if you haven’t seen it. Though “Play it again Sam”, was never said, even if it’s probably the most quoted of all. And of course, most people know the tune too.
Dooley Wilson (Sam), sings As Times Goes By


It’s not a big costume movie, but perhaps that makes it even more interesting for those who want to incorporate the 40’s in their ordinary wardrobe. Looking as lovely as Ingrid Bergman isn’t easy, though.

I read blogs

I read What-I-Found, Vintage sewing and fashion ephemera with a few other finds from my travels. It’s a treasure chest, actually. Tina posts pictures, articles and parts of books over a variety of vintage subjects. There are a lot of posts I really like, but as I plan my 40’s bedroom, I found this post on 1943 home decorations particularly interesting.

Flowers and leather

I’m still happily trying my way through my perfume samples. Unhappily, at least for my wallet, I find new perfumes I want to sample too, so my wish list never seems to grow shorter.
Cyprus Musc from Creed, 1948 I don’t know how I managed to buy this one, as it’s a men’s perfume. The Perfumed Court describes it as “green and musky fragrance with notes of English mint and cypress” and I think that describes it very well. It’s not overtly masculine and could easily be worn by a woman. I liked it, but my darling dismissed it as “expensive soap”.

A beautiful smile

Please note that this is advice on dental care from the 1940’s. If you find that they differ from what your dentist tells you, then I think you should listen to your dentist!

The best way to ensure beautiful teeth is to take care of them. Brush your teeth morning and nights with a hard toothbrush of good quality. Make sure that you brush every angle of every tooth that you get to and lightly brush the gums too. Rinse the mouth after every meal with tepid water; possibly add a few drops of refreshing mouth water.

Lord Peter Wimsey

A general feeling of being under the weather evolved into a nasty cold last week. Combine that with me trying to finish an 18th century ball gown until October 22 and you have the reason for the no posting. I’ll try to do better, butI may post a little more sporadically until the gown is done. I hate deadlines and try not to have them, but I have only myself to blame.

I hope you don’t mind if I fall back into a book post today. I’m currently re-reading the books about my favourite sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey. Dorothy L. Sayers wrote a number of novels and short stories about him between 1923-1940 and if you want witty and smart crime novels in an Art Deco setting, then you should read this.

Pretty hair things

My vanity and wish to look nice is in constant battle with my laziness. I can spend a lot of time getting ready for a party, but on an ordinary workday, especially when I get up at 4.30 in the morning, I don’t want to fuzz. For years I kept my hair long and it took me five minutes, at the very most, to fix it in the mornings and I really wasn’t prepared to spend longer time on it when I cut it in a middy. Fortunately I don’t have to, even if I have pin curls to brush out, my morning routines are only marginally longer.