Progress... in various forms

It's been a few days since I've blogged because I've been working on a couple of things and the perfectionist in me wants to complete one thing, then blog about it. So I'm fighting my perfectionist nag, and am simply blogging anyway! (It really a big deal for me to conquer because I'm even strange how I eat my food... I only eat one item until it's gone before I can move on to something else... seriously, I am strange, lol!)

I've been thinking a lot about my project and while I began it thinking that I could simply do 100 days, I wasn't thinking about that freakish perfectionist in me. I forgot that I must PREPARE. Preparing is a big deal for me. Even when I was little and I'd play with my cousin, we'd play school or office but before we could "play" we had to prepare... we had to make forms or worksheets. Once we did that THEN we could play, but not before! I'm sort of tackling this project with the same child-like mindset. Not purposely mind you.... it just seems to be something in me that I must "prepare" to play. I do sort of look at this like playing house. It's much more fun that way. While I'm finding the historical facts I'm learning about to be quite interesting, I really don't think I mind if the image I'm imagining in my head is simply a fairytale. It sort of reminds me of the movie, The Truman Show with Jim Carrey. The plot of this movie is that a gentleman named Truman. He lives unknowingly on a constructed reality show. He believes his daily in's and out's are just that... daily life. Little does he know that behind the scenes there is a "real world", and that what the creators of the show have created is simply an image of a world that he lives in. 

That being said, I'm certainly not trying to escape "the real world", although lately with the more craziness that is on the news, sometimes I think I'd be crazy NOT to want to escape. I like the idea of the 1950's, no doubt. Rather or not June Cleaver was a true role model or not, does it really matter if that is how I'd like to run my house? Would it be so horrible if everything had a place, dinner was eaten at the dining room table, breakfast was piping hot oatmeal before sending the little ones out into the cold for school? I mean what would be so bad if I did a little prepping before my man came home from work? I'm certainly not trying to scare him off with my sweatpants and ponytail, but maybe changing things up with the monotony of life would be rather.... fun?! Imagine that!

So, who cares if I look at this project through eyes of a scientific historical nature, or simply through the eyes of a child who occasionally misses "playing house". There are other things I'd like to get out of this project, and my main goal is to simply find out how the women of the 50's (and previous generations) "just did it". Sure sounds like a simple mantra, but when society no longer has expectations as it did, it's easy to just fall into the hum-drum of the "same 'ol, same 'ol, why put on makeup when I just gotta run into Walmart" feeling. I'm tired of feeling like Walmart... I'm ready to feel like Bloomingdale's. ;) Surely I wouldn't walk into Bloomingdale's with no makeup, bumming it because then I would get a few stares! Basically I simply miss taking the time out for me. I like feeling good about myself. I like when my hair is done and makeup is on. Sure in the 1950's they may have said women did these things to "keep their man", and while it maybe true, it also prevented them from getting into a slump. Being put together, you feel rather "put together". It's still hard for me to find that "just do it" attitude but I'm trying.

As I mentioned before I've been working on a few projects. I recently became the new owner of a very nice 1957 Kirby vacuum. I love it. I'm working on refurbishing it to get it looking new again, and that's been fun. I've got a draft blog post about my progress, but again, the perfectionist in me isn't letting me post it right now.

I've also got a chance to go to the antique shop I love last weekend and I got a few awesome patterns. I've also ordered a couple off ebay and etsy and can't wait to get started making a few of the dresses! I've found I am very attracted to the 1940's slim dresses and then the princess in me loves the 1950's "New Look" tight waist, big poof skirts. Here is one of the patterns I got that I can't wait to get started on:

I love the lines in this dress, so flattering!

I've also been scoping out various makeup techniques and hairstyles. I've always found it really fun to play with makeup and hair, so I'm all about changing things up every now and again. My hair has been growing out and it's at the stage it's too long for my taste now, so it's about time to chop some off. I'm never a big fan of chopping it way off and I blame that on a really bad Hair Cuttery experience in the 7th grade. Ugh... I'll never visit Hair Cuttery again (or any other similar joint!) So I'm thinking getting it cut in a long length middy cut. (Even longer than these spec's) The middy cut was popular in the 1940's. The cut itself is a pretty basic layer cut only instead of it being cut straight across, it's cut in a "U" shape. 

 I'll also get my hair colored with various fun highlights because I want the look to appear fresh and young, not like grandma's hair! I've seen other bloggers with this cut and it's great because it looks like a normal layer cut on days they don't feel like doing vintage styles but when they do, they can easily play with it and it's cut for that as well. Sounds perfect to me!

Another great tidbit I came across is that the Woman's Weekly magazine has been posted online from the 30's-early 80's.

You can view these great Aussie magazine's here.

So, for now, that's my progress. I think I'll keep preparing for my true 100 days and start that on Jan. 1? That is if I can get Ms. Perfectionist to hush long enough! ;)

Smiles,

Angela