Happy Birthday to Me!!

Well, it was my birthday this past Thursday.  I turned 23.  Yay me!  I was determined to finish this dress, and I did, though it took much longer than expected.

This was the very first vintage pattern I got.  In fact, when I bought it, I didn't even know I would be wearing vintage right now, I just really liked the pattern.  They are very fancy ladies indeed.  I love this dress so much, I decided, if ever I were to make a reproduction dress shop to sell on Etsy, this would be the pattern to use.  It is so classy and detailed and different, I'm sure others would love it too.

I darkened this next picture and cropped off my head because it was a truly disastrous picture that I am embarrassed I ever took, but this way you can see the pleating.  It is like this in the back as well.

I even attempted to do hand sewn button holes...Let me tell you, it took awhile doing 10 of those babies.  Yeah, but it was worth it in the end to keep with the correct sewing techniques of the time period.

So, Saturday night, my dad

and mom

took me out to eat for my birthday.  We went to the Ocean Club at the Easton Shopping Center.

Mmmm... It is definitely my favorite restaurant ever, and we only get to go there once a year because it is so dang expensive, but it's worth it.  It is not one of those places that the food is outrageous, but the quality is mediocre.  Oh no.  This place is expensive, and the food is out of this world.   Plus it has the feel of a 50's nightclub, where you could just imagine Frank Sinatra crooning along on stage. 

And take a look at these beauties:

Aren't those glasses just a scream?  They are 100% fake 60's reproduction, because I don't know if anyone has looked for cat eye sunglasses on ebay or etsy lately, but they go for over $40 per pair.  Yikes.  That's not in my budget.  So for now its fakies for me.  I think they complete the outfit really well, even though my dress is 40's, and the glasses are 60's.  You are allowed to mix and match eras, right?  Well I am:D  I think my glasses made such a stir, though.  I wrote about this on my facebook page, but I am going to rewrite it here.  So, this girl probably a few years older than me was sitting next to us with her mother, and when she sat down she stared at me for the longest time, and then throughout our entire meal, she just kept staring at me and was not even being sneaky about.  She just kept staring almost glaring at me like, how dare I wear what I was wearing.  She made me mad.  Boo hiss on her.

Well, anyways, I ordered lobster and an amaretto sour (which was the most perfect blend of amaretto and sour), because lets be honest, what else am I going to order for my birthday that I can only afford once a year. 

Of course, we got a free dessert.  A chocolate peanut butter mousse pie with oreo crust, chocolate ganache, and real whipping cream.  Why yes, I did enjoy it.  Thanks for asking.

And of course, we had to get a token family picture taken.

So then today we had my family birthday party, but first I had to teach Sunday school, and, I don't think I need to tell you, 4 year olds say the funniest things sometimes.  Here's an example from today.  I was talking about how it was Memorial Day weekend and how there is usually a parade to honor people in the military, and one of the little girls in my class who usually talks nonstop about nonsensical things raised her hand and in all seriousness said, "I saw a parade once.  The statue of liberty was in it.  And when I saw that statue of liberty lady, I said to myself: what the heck is that statue of liberty lady doing in my parade?"  I don't know if it translates very well in writing, but just the way she said it and how serious she was about it, I had to stifle a laugh, because it was too precious!
So anyways, back to my party.  Of course, I planned the menu and we had shredded chicken sandwhiches, baked beans, homemade macaroni and cheese, banana pudding, brownies, and gruyere cheese crackers.  Yep, I finally used the last of the gruyere.  Cheese, it was lovely knowing thee, but I can't afford thee on a regular basis.

I don't think my family appreciates me taking pictures very much, but I don't really care.  I love family photos.

And of course, baby Dexter was out and about, being a sweet perfect little angel.

I'm pretty sure everyone loves him.  I ask you, how could they not?  I mean look at him, he's obviously perfect:D I kid, I kid!  And I promise he is not a demon dog.  He looks rather demonic with the creepy glowing eyes he has going on.  Hmm.  If anyone knows how to correct that with taking pictures please let me know! 
I got the fabulous roses from my cousin and her fiance

And then I got some money from others.  Which is going straight to my camera fund.  I have saved $325 so far, so I figure I am about half way towards a decent camera.  If anyone knows of a fantastic digital camera that takes crisp, clear, true to life pictures, please let me know.  Anyways, I think that is it for now.  I am going to devote a new post to Glee soon, I think, because I have quite a lot to say about this past weeks episode.  Angry things and happy things, and soso things....Oh I almost forgot, I got a part in Godspell that our church is putting on.

Godspell pic credit

We are not sure of roles yet, but everyone who got a role has to re-audition so they can assign parts.  I could not be more eccstatic.  If you know me, you know I live for musicals.  Never been in one, but I am one of those crazies who blasts broadway musicals on my radio instead of rap and roll down the window of my car so every can hear the fabulousness of Broadway.  And, I am trying to convince my mom to go see Wicked again.

 Wicked pic credit
We went to see it the last time it was in Columbus a few years ago, and it was one of the best musicals I have seen, besides Lion King.  I am trying to convince her that people see the same shows more than once.  In fact, if you really like a show you see it multiple times even with the same cast.  I told her just be glad we don't live in New York, because in Columbus we are constrained by the few shows a year that tour to Columbus, but in New York I wouldn't be constrained by that limit since all the shows originate in New York and play at the same time.  You could see a different show once a week if you had a never ending bank account, but sadly one show a year is all I can afford in boring old Columbus, Ohio.  Although, Les Miserable is coming to Columbus next March which, wow! Can we say love?  Is there a word stronger for love...because that would be what I have for Les Mis.  But that is so far away, Wicked will tide me over in the mean time!  If anyone would like to help convince my mother to take me, feel free to comment.  Please.  please:D  Well, until next time,

A Little Dress

Not much to report for this week.  It has been rather slow and uneventful.  I did try out for the musical our church is putting on, last week.  They tried to make it a community show, but I am not sure how many people tried out who don't actually go to our church.  I sang Not While I'm Around, from Sweeney Todd.  I have not seen this live, but absolutely love the bloody movie :D  It went pretty good, except for the fact that my CD didn't play in any of their players, so I had to sing it a Capella.  I did a fairly decent job at staying on key, I think.  Hopefully I will find out something this week....maybe.
Hmmm...what else, what else.  I have been marathoning  the first season of Merlin from BBC.

Merlin Picture 
It is such a charming program, and the main characters are just adorable and cheeky.  And it has Anthony Stewart Head, from Buffy in it.  I try to follow most people who have been lucky enough to be in Joss Whedon's work, so yay!  It just makes me like the show even more.  I can't imagine why I didn't watch it on NBC last year.  All of the actors in it are quite fabulous, even the younger ones. I don't know why American programming cannot find decent younger actors, because there are plenty of them in England.  Every show I've seen from England that has involved younger actors, I have never once said to myself that they can't act, yet I am constantly bashing myself over the head due to amount of horrible acting I witness everyday from younger actors on American programming.  I think I might rant about this later.

And in things I learned from Glee this week:
Matthew Morrison can kick some serious singing butt, as witness by Dream On, but you would never know it since all they ever have him do is rap.  Yuck.
Apparently, according to Jesse St. James, who yall know I love, befriend is synonymous with seduce.  Who knew?
Lea Michele looks so much like Idina Menzel it isn't even funny.
There is a Broadway lovers anonymous group.  And I think I need to join.


And in more vintagey and interesting news, I sewed a 1940's dress.  This was one of those patterns that I had to size up 2 sizes, and it actually turned out quite cute, in my opinion.  And it fits well.  I hate things that are too tight.  However, I must have been on some hardcore drugs when I was cutting this dress out...I kid,  I kid.  But seriously, there were two pieces, the front center and back center skirt pieces that I didn't lay on the fold, yet they were supposed to be there.  However, I did in fact fold the actual pattern pieces in half and laid those on the fold of the fabric.  Yeah, Caitlin.  What were you thinking?  Oh well.  It all worked out in the end.  The skirt didn't get to have any pleats in it like it was supposed to, but I did add a bow to the belt instead to add something else to it.  I finished it in time to wear it to church today which was good since we were having a special one service this week.  However, my hair did not turn out as fabulous.  I took my time and made tiny curls and pinned them up for everlasting staying power just like my new book suggested, and when I unpinned them, it barely look like I had touched them at all with a curling iron.  I was sad, and it made me late for church since we had to be there two hours early for orchestra and choir.  But I did the best with what I had.  And of course red lipstick.  I don't think this outfit would be complete without red lips.  My oboe reed suggested otherwise, but I didn't give in, and instead ended up with a red stained oboe reed.  Yeah, that's not too hot.

(Oh, and that ugly red thing is not some God awful purse or weird contraption.  It's my puppy's leash)

What do you thing?
And here's a close up of how my hair turned out.  Not a good hair day.

At the end of church, since it was a special service this week, we had finger foods to eat and my mom and I were just hung out and talked when this lady came up to me.  I actually knew who she was because her son is my 4 year old Sunday School class, but she introduced herself to me anyway.  Then she went on to say that she just had to stop me and tell me how much she loved the clothes I wear every week.  She said that she sees me walk across the parking lot every Sunday and always admires them.  I thanked her profusely and chatted for a bit because it is always nice to hear when someone actually appreciates your clothes.  It can be hard for girls who wear vintage clothes at times, because for the most part, people your own age don't really understand it or even like it.  When you go out in public, you tend to get a lot of strange looks and questions because of what you wear.  But I have found that people with more ecclectic taste or people who are older appreciate your style.  Girls who wear vintage, am I right?  Is this what you have found, or have people you know been nothing but accepting of how you dress?  I am curious, because I don't know anyone else who dresses like me in my town, but I know in places like LA and Portland, just from the blogs I read, there are plenty of people who wear vintage and girls can find each other pretty easily.  I guess that is it for now.  I am going to make Gruyere cheese crackers tomorrow to use up the rest of the cheese I used in the pear pie I wrote about a while back, so look for that post tomorrow.  Until then,

Vintage Finds

And its back to vintage.  Sorry about the Glee spam posts, but I didn't really have anything to write vintage lifestylewise for the past week, so I decided to share my love for one of my favorite TV shows.  I know I probably think way too hard and deep about Glee as well as other favs, but my philosophy on TV is if you cannot get deeply invested in it and have thoughtful and meaningful conversations/ideas about, then what would be the point of wasting your time watching it.  So I tend to delve deep into my favorite shows, as you can tell.  I will try not to do too many posts like that, unless people like them.  So onto my vintagey things.  As promised, I am finally doing a post about my vintage finds from the Saturday Flea Market Extravaganza.  Wow did I make out in the patterns.  I'm not going to write too much because to be honest I am still very tired.  So the pictures are going to have to speak for themselves for now.  Oh, and I finally got a copy of Lauren Rennell's Vintage Hairstyling that all the other vintage bloggers love...and wow! I have so much love for this book already it isn't even funny.  The pictures are gorgeous, and I am definitely going to have to experiment with those hairstyles soon.  So, until I have something exciting to write, have a look at these beauties!!
So first, get the boring stuff out of the way (especially if you don't sew)...I got some great 1930's-1960's buttons and metal zippers

Here's my luggage set.  It is actually a 3-piece set, but the medium sized suitcase was inside the larger suitcase and I was too lazy to pull it out to get a picture.  And I found another small cosmetic type suitcase that matched in style but is green.

I found this pretty perfume dabber bottle in a cardboard box.  I don't think it is very old, but it was quite stylish and the perfume smells good so I couldn't resist.

I found a fur collar for super cheap, so of course I couldn't pass that up.  I think it might be rabbit, but not sure.

I have no idea what this pretty container is made of or how old it is, but again I liked the way it looked, so I got it:D

Then we come to the fun part in my finds, at least for me.  Look at these lovelies:
1940's Bed Jacket

Hats Galore:

A few hat boxes to store the lovelies:

A purse and some gloves:

And then did I make out on the mother load of all patterns.  And, yay! Most are my size or only a size too small/big:

And last but not least, what outfit is complete without earrings?  Oh, and I found in the one green suitcase a hatpin stuffed in the side.  Yeah!  I was needing one of those.

Well, that's it for now.  I am off to finish my sailor pants.  Until next time