Pretty Link Roundup {September 6, 2009}

Sunday greetings, my lovely dears! I hope that the (long) weekend is being especially kind to each of you. On this end summer is holding on for all its worth, sun glittering against an almost pastel blue sky, the fan still very much in operation.

I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has so kindly wished me well this past week. To be honest I’m still quite under the weather – 'tis the nature of contending with chronic illnesses. Yet – and I mean this with the utmost sincerity – each one of your touchingly sweet comments really do lift my spirits. You are all an amazing group of blogging friends, and I am very grateful for the vintage loving camaraderie we share.

A diverse array of sites composes the roundup today, from what may be one of the season’s last posts on the topic of vintage bathing suits to a look at the once highly popular snood, tons of great posts have been popping up on the vintage front recently that I couldn’t wait to share with you all!


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* Gourmet’s Favourite Cookies 1940s: Join the wonderful folks over at Gourmet magazine as they bake their way through popular cookies from the past seven decades, in series of post featuring a different cookie recipe (complete with photos of every cookie featured) from 1940 right through to last year.


* Vintage Fashion Forward: “Oh Julia”: Also on the subject of culinary related vintage topics comes this post from Vintage Indie highlighting pieces that can help you achieve a similar wardrobe style to that of Julia Child.


* Turbans: A headwear mainstay for women during much of the mid-twentieth century, turban style hats and head scarves were both fashionable and often functional for those (such as women working in WW2 era factories) who needed to keep their hair under wraps – literally! Check out the numerous examples of turban styles in Greetz from Tiz’s picture filled post on the subject.


* Make-up guide: how to re-create a forties look: The immensely lovely Amanda Newsum (Jitterbug Doll) teams up with Queens of Vintage in this post, to bring you helpful tips on how to achieve an authentic 1940s make-up look of your own (including recommendations for her favourite products and brands to use).


* Vintage inspiration: Anne Miller: Diana features the immortally beautiful Anne Miller in this post, bustling with photos and video clips, about an actress who continually provides her with vintage inspiration.


* An Interview With Vintage Swimwear Collector Pam Fierro: Collectors Weekly interviews vintage swimwear collector and expert Pam Fierro (of Glamour Surf), who talks passionately about her love of old school bathing suits and the history behind twentieth century swimwear in general.


* Q&A with Vintage Fashion Historian Heather Vaughan: Another must-read interview that I’ve recently come across is this piece from Debutante Clothing. They sat down with a very knowledgeable fashion historian (Heather Vaughn), who discusses not only about her interest in period and vintage clothes but also about what a fashion historian’s job really entails.


* In the booth: If you haven’t chanced upon this site yet, you’re in for a huge treat! Laden with vintage snapshots (of everyday folks – much along the lines as those featured in my weekly Saturday Snapshots post) that are presented in a photo booth inspired style, it is truly worth devoting a few minutes (or hours!) to.


* Only Bad Witches Are Ugly: Being one of the biggest Halloween fans (and thus a fan of almost anything relating to spooky topics) to ever walk the face of the earth, I just about squealed with delight with I read this recent photo filled post from Miss Matilda about the Wicked Witch of the West (from The Wizard of Oz).


* Snoods: If you’ve ever wanted to whip up your own snood – a once commonplace and often very lovely hair accessory – be sure to swing by The Vintage Style Files for instructions on how to crochet one.

* Allee Willis launches kitsch museum: I was recently contacted by someone on behalf of famed kitsch collector, pop culture artist and songwriter Allee Willis, who informed me that if you happen to be the LA area starting on September 14th you can check out exhibits devoted to all manner of retro and kitsch items at the Ghettogloss art gallery on Melrose Avenue. For more information, please follow the link at the start of this entry.

* Who’s the cutest in the animal kingdom?: While the general theme of this weekly post does usually centre around all things vintage, every once in a while a “nonvintage” link comes along that is simply to wonderful for one reason or another not to share with you all. Case in point, this New York Daily News piece crammed full of incredibly, fantastically adorable photos of all manner of baby animals (warning: cute overload!).

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This week I would like to present the Your Blog is an Inspiration award to A Red Lipstick. Insightful, elegant and endearing, there is a gentle, reflective – even sagely - nature to this wonderful blogger that draws me into her beautiful site and holds me captivated.

Thank you ARL, for the personal stories (such as when you spoke of the wardrobe pieces that you had acquired from your grandmother) and streamlined, wonderfully presented vintage fashion posts you share with the world. Your Please accept this award – and feel free to pass it along to whomever you fancy, if you’d like – with my heartfelt thanks for the continual inspiration and serenity your excellent blog provides me with.

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Though the various fashion styles of the 1950s are very familiar to most of us, it’s still fun to see them presented on mainstream TV such as in this CBS video clip from The Early Show with Julie Chen, which highlight outfits for both guys and gals. I particularly like the navy blue polka dot dress that the first model sports, which look is your favourite?

{A Look Back At 1950s Style}



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From somewhere in the neighbourhood, as I type this, I can smell the intoxicating scent of food cooking on a barbeque – a luxury which the stringent (no bbqs on the balcony) rules of my apartment forbid me from being able to take part in, too. However, I don’t mind that much, just being able to enjoy that familiar smell on the long last weekend of the summer makes me smile, and calls to mind so many pleasant memories of childhood summers, barbeques and the bitter-sweetness that came with the very last weekend before a new school year commenced (in general I was a big fan of school, but really who in their right mind doesn’t love summer vacation? ;D).


{From the car’s tailfins to the plaid patterned beverage cooler, everything about this page from a vintage barbecue cookbook is pure fifties goodness, and definitely makes me yearn for a cookout picnic. Image via Eudaemonius on Flick.}


What are you each up on this lovely Sunday? Has autumn rolled into town or are you still feeling the toasty warmth of summer?

However you spend today, I hope that you have a marvelous Sunday – and wish all those who are observing it, a fantastic Labour Day tomorrow!