Happy Thursday readers! I have been a little uninspired on the blogging front lately because I've been wrapped up in job transition stuff. Tuesday (March 13) is my last day and so I've been busy wrapping up loose ends, saying goodbye to folks I've gotten to know and figuring out what in my office is mine (actually, it's quite a lot!)

I've also been thinking about moving - G and I spent Sunday just walking around Edmonton in our favourite neighbourhoods looking for vacancies that weren't posted online and this afternoon we are going to view a few apartments as well. Since I have five days off in between ending my old job and starting my new one, we'll have sometime then to get housing settled and maybe even start packing!

My main goal for packing will be trying to determine what we really want to take with us. We have at least one tote in the basement full of things we weren't using for the last 15 months, so I will start from that. We also will probably look to upgrade our TV and get rid of a single bed that we have but don't really have a use or need for. Everything is in good condition so we'll probably look at giving it to the ReStore (which also picks up stuff - Score if you have a teensy car like me).

Something I'm also been thinking about a lot is MONEY and specifically budgeting. We had a bit of a budget in this place but it kind of went off the rails (I blame the electricity company and their ridiculous fee hike that sent our power bill through the roof) so what better time to get back on track when we're moving to a new home in a new city with a new salary?

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Betty Bee had a great blog the other day about budgeting the old-fashioned way which also gave me a bit of a kick in the butt. It's one thing to know that you should be budgeting, but she broke down the percentages for each area (shelter, food, savings etc) that you should be budgeting for, via the 1930s book "The Book of Hints and Wrinkles". I'm not going to re-iterate her post, you really should go and read it if you haven't. Another vintage book on spending that I have come across is Guiding Family Spending, which can be read for free on Google Books, if you are interested.

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What I am going to rave about however is Mint.com. I know Mint has been around for a while but I stumbled upon it 'eavesdropping' on Twitter last week (I do that a lot). If you've never heard of it either, basically Mint logs into your banking information to track and categorize your spending and it creates budgets from your amounts.

Instead of having to track spending in a little black book, Mint does it all for you online with all your accounts that you add. So if you have a chequings, savings and credit card like me, it will track spending from all of them. It also reminds you when you have a payment coming and will alert you when you're close to going over budget. I love it!  I think you can also add in another account from your spouse, but we haven't done that yet, so I'm just personally tracking my spending.

Did I mention that's it free?!



So with the helpful information from Betty Bee's post, I created my new budget and have already set the parameters on Mint. At first I was a little worried but then I remember that it was just my spending I was tracking - G obviously contributes half of everything as well but I hadn't added that into my budget. I'm very excited to get back into an organized mindset for spending.

Happy weekend all! I hope you are having a great lazy day doing whatever you want to be doing. I'll be spending the day knitting and watching the BBC TV series Land Girls (1 and 2), which I took out from the library. I've had a fairly busy weekend off, so I'm looking forward to laying on the couch doing nothing for a while!

Friday G and I went to Edmonton to celebrate our three-year anniversary. We went to the Telus World of Science Titanic exhibit, something we've been meaning to do for a while now but never got around to. You weren't allowed to take photos, but some are featured on the website. It was a great exhibit (we didn't do the accompanying Imax movie because it wasn't showing for another 90 minutes) but it was rather short. It's amazing how well these artifacts are preserved!

You also get a little card at the beginning that represented a passenger on the Titanic and then you look on the wall to see if you survived. G knew he was a goner right away because he was part of the band. I was a second-class passenger who was coming home to Canada after buying my wedding dress in England (I wish!) and it turns out I survived. No info on the dress, though.

After that, we went to dinner at the Keg because we had gift certificates burning a hole in our pocket. Neither of us had eaten there before but OH MY GOD was it good. Why did I wait 21 years to have fillet mignon?

Saturday we went to #yegmediacamp, which was a short day conference that brought web developers and journalists together. It was great and I learned a lot, but if you follow me on Twitter you probably heard me blather on about it enough already.

After that G went to visit a friend, so I met up with Miss Bee and we went to Sally Beauty. Again, WHY did I wait 21 years to go there? Granted I never cared about hair stuff much before I got into vintage, but my goodness it is amazing. I was not surprised when mt bill came to $95.

I went there with a dual purpose - to find a bun form so I can use it as a rat and to find some things for the Fedora Lounge Beauty Box, which is a box that travelles from lounger to lounger around the world. You take stuff out, put stuff in. I've never participated so I'm excited!

I'm not going to show what I bought for the box because there's no fun in that, but I did buy a few duplicates for myself. I still have a few of my favourite products I want to buy and put in as well.

My goodies for the beauty box

A hair comb, pony tails holder and a straight hair form

end papers, double prong clips, lottabody & bottle, butterfly clips to do waves

An incredibly soft bristle brush and a teasing brush

After shopping and dinner, we went to a Sugar Foot Stomp! I had lots of fun and I think most people assumed I knew how to swing dance because I was all dressed up. I was wearing my new petticoat, which was tons of fun to dance in! The only thing is that I didn't have appropriate footwear because I didn't know that I was going dancing when I came up to Edmonton, so I was just in my stockings.  I didn't get stepped on, but it was harder to do some of the moves because I didn't have any grip on the floor! (I didn't take any photos because I didn't have my camera on me.)

Then we went to Bee's house to watch Swing Kids (which I had never seen but was really good!) and paint our nails. She also spoiled me with gifts, that girl! She's too sweet :D

ALSO - Bee is having a giveaway once she reaches 100 followers. Have you followed her wonderful blog yet?

She found this 1943 Complete Book of Sewing and Complete Book of Crochet at Goodwill for $4. So I have to learn to crochet and sew now!



She also passed on this white trench coat, which will be a great spring jacket for me.



She also gave me her open bottom girdle. See what I said about her being too sweet? (I know this photo is way overblown, but it helps to see the detail).


Now I really need some rest. Ta-ta for now dolls!

XO Laurie

Ever since I started dressing vintage, I'm had the urge to become more crafty. I've already started my foray into knitting, I want to get into sewing and this weekend, I did my first attempt at embroidery.

After a monogram tutorial by Vixen Vintage popped up on Pinterest, I decided to give it a go. I took a t-shirt that I wouldn't mind wrecking if the monogram didn't turn out and decided to embroider my blog logo.








It's not perfect (I should have done the blue first, not the orange!) but it turned out all right, I think.


Except now I have a problem - I want to embroider ALL the things. I should have seen this coming.

In other news, I had a good hair day today. I went to bed without curling my hair, so this morning it was a flat gross mess. I REALLY should buy a snood, but until then, I think this was a good lazy day alternative.

For those of you who know the hairband method for hair curling, you may see what I've done. The hairband method has never worked for curling my hair, but I do like it as a style in itself. Instead of wrapping my hair all the way around a headband that was the same colour, I just did the back and did victory rolls in the front.

Whoops, ignore the loose piece in the back!

voila!

I haven't mastered bobby pinning the hair so it stays in a roll, so I have to be tucking the hair in the back in every once in a while, lest it goes astray, like in the first photo.

And here's my full outfit:

This sweater is pink, not red. My white balance was off...

Hmmm, I think I could totally embroider something on that sweater...

XO Laurie

I am officially no longer on vacation now, but I still managed to get in some cleaning at the tail end of my days off. At the Fairmont, we really only have two closets - a large walk-in in our living room and a linen closet - and so storage space is at a premium (we also have a cold-storage room in the basement, but it's terrifying. Like, dead body stash terrifying). Our linen closet is generally neat and tidy because it's not that big, but the large walk-in closet can become a bit of a disaster area. I also avoided it for a long time because that's where the mouse was living and I kept on having PTSD whenever I went in there.

But! I finally cleaned it out this week. I don't have any before pictures to show you, but believe me, it wasn't pretty. It's not like there was a lot of stuff, it just wasn't properly using the space. With the help of G (who had to clean out what was stuff to keep and stuff to toss) I neatened it up and am now using it as my main crafting storage, as G has completely taken over the office now that he's working from home. I don't mind at all, but I need my space too!

 
We had this organizer that had previously been utilized to hold beer (we drink a lot of craft beer and have a small fridge, but now we have a water dispenser with a built-in mini fridge, so that solved some problems) so I utilized it to hold my growing yarn stash.


I had previously wanted to get an over-the-door shoe organizer for my yarn, but I realized this would be better because A) I already owned it and B) you can get 3 skeins of the big Bernat Roving yarn in there, so I can group my stash by colour/project.


In the rest of the pockets I put in some sewing stuff, an embroidery hoop and floss and other crafty things that didn't really have a good home.


 I also am one of those people who collect pretty jars but don't really have a use for them, so I popped my knitting needles into one and set it on the shelf.


The needles are also held together with elastic bands so they always stayed grouped together. Those plastic things are former ribbon tubes with a binder clip, which works great if your skein is all tangled and you want to re-wrap it (the binder clip simply holds the end in place while you wind.

I really like this system because it doesn't take up extra space and everything that I don't need is now tucked neatly away, out of sight. When you lack storage space it's nice to have organization methods that are easy to access, maintain and that don't take up a lot of room themselves.

Something that I am also keeping in the closet is my new tripod, which I bought yesterday and already love.



G has a similar tripod but it's at his buisness partner's house, and I felt that I needed my own for outfit photos and of course, my own work. The best thing about having a clean closet is that I can keep the tripod set up so I can take my outfit photos quickly. The tripod even comes with a quick release so I can just plunk my camera on and take it off, no screwing around required! As long as I put the tripod in the same spot and then stand in the same spot every time, it will take very little tweaking to get a good photo.

Have I mentioned that we have finally been hit with our cliched Canadian weather? It was -20 today and snowed last night, which was actually a good thing for me, since I had to go out and take photos but had to make photos that haven't been done in a while at our paper - so no skating, sledding or people enjoying the sunshine. Since the weather has been so nice we haven't had cold weather and snow photos in a while, so I got to do that. I knew I would be under my wonderful mustard coat for the most part, so I didn't mind building a neutral outfit. Note the matching beret and tights.

Beret: Joe Fresh | Cardigan: Joe Fresh | Dress: Rickis Belt buckle: Divine Vintage | Tights: ??

I also got to bust out some good cold weather essentials in my outfit. I wear this slip a lot, not just because it's an extra layer but because I don't have a good petticoat and many of my unlined skirts stick to my legs when I walk (especially this one!) The slip is usually knee-length on me, but I tucked it up into my tights so it wouldn't show.

Slip: Imagine Vintage

Between the cardigan, the slip, the woolly tights and my big coat, I was snug as a bug in a rug when I was outside. I'm really excited that it has snowed - I love walking around while the big flakes fall  - but I really wish it didn't bring the cold winds with it! What about you - do you love winter or do you hibernate until spring time?

xo Laurie

Well, it's that time of year again. Every year I tell myself that resolutions are silly, but I still end up doing them. It's fun to make goals for the year ahead, even if I don't stick to them. Maybe if I'm feeling really ambitious I'll design them nicely and stick them up to motivate me!

Blogging resolutions

Take better outfit photos



I am so lazy when it comes to my outfit photos. I have a tripod (and a remote somewhere, I think) but it just seems like so much effort to do the whole tripod-self-timer thing, but really I think the results will be better.

My favourite outfit photos, like the one above, are when G has taken them for me. Taking them in the mirror takes away from the over-all look I'm going for. So coming in 2012 I will be taking the extra effort to do better outfit photos and better outfit posts in general!

More variety in posts

 In 2012 I want to go to more vintage-geared events (especially now that I know of some people who might want to go with) and hope to draw on my journalism to do previews or reviews on events like the Wetaskiwin Air Show or a local music show or feature pieces on vintage/retro geared organizations like Sugar Swing or the Reynolds Museum. I would concentrate on places like Edmonton, Camrose, Wetaskiwin, Red Deer and surrounding area, since those are reasonable places to travel for a blog. Maybe Calgary if it's really good.

I also want to do more reviews (I have a few ideas lined up) and also some knitting posts, since I have a few projects on the go now.

Personal resolutions

Be more social


This may sound like a silly resolution, but I mean it! Sometimes I can be very much a homebody and a loner, but I want to get out more, meet new people and create stronger friendships with the friends I already have. One lesson I've learned, both as a person and a journalist, is to step out of your comfort zone. I really wanted to go to the Alex Pangman show,  even though G didn't come with me. I'm glad that I did, because I got to see Nicole, who I hardly ever spend time with now that I live in a different city AND I met Miss Bee, a great blogger friend and partner in crime. I also stepped out of my comfort zone and asked Alex to sign a CD for my giveaway and we ended up having a great chat!

I'm a very shy person, so it's hard for me to chit-chat with strangers, so it's definitely something to work on this year. There have been a few times when I've been out and about and people have said that they like my style. One cashier at the grocery store mentioned she liked my victory rolls (she actually knew what they were!) and I am kicking myself now for not mentioning my blog. G said he will help me make up Retro Reporter business cards fro the cigarette case he got me, so I think having that little piece of paper will give me a lot more confidence and a bit of a ice breaker.

Spend more time with my family

This is a tough one, simply because I live so far away and it's not always easy to just hop in the car and see my parents and grandparents. But I do have vacation time that I need to take off, and my goal is to go home and visit. I am so so so lucky to have both sets of grandparents still alive and healthy, so I need to take the time to get as much family history down on tape before it's too late!
I've already have done it once with my maternal grandparents, but I still need to get more info on the Callsen side. My Grandpa Callsen has also done a LOT of work on our family tree and has so much knowledge about not only our family, but our hometown.
(On a side note - aren't my grandparents stunning! Now you know why I am so good looking ;p)

Clean ALL the things
A major goal I have for 2012 is to follow this list to keep your house clean in 20 minutes over 30 days. The only problem is that I had the same goal last year... oops. But really, I don't want to waste my days off doing a massive cleaning of the house when I can spread it out over the week. And 20 minutes is nothing!

Be healthy and happy


I always seem like an anomaly because weight loss has never been a goal for me. I feel that I am at a good weight and love the way I look (this is not a dig at anyone who DOES want to lose weight - there is nothing wrong with that. Good on you! I just feel like I don't need to). However, one of my goals is to be more active and eat healthier. I think I actually ate healthier in college because I walked everywhere and rarely went out for food because it was so expensive (that's not to say that I actually ate healthy - I had a lot of tomato soup in J-school).

I do hope to get to the pool more often (that is ALWAYS one of my goals) but it is a hassle because lane swim is only at certain times that don't always work for me. So my new goal is to swim once a week (once I buy a new suit) AND do bike training once a week AND try to get into yoga. Ambitious but I think I hope I make it happen. For January my goal is to do one of those things once a week. Beginner yoga is Tuesday evenings and the best think about bike training is that the gym is open early and late! I used to swim all the time but since I've fallen out of shape, it's harder to get back into. I chose yoga and bike training to help me regain my breathing exercises and leg strength. I love swimming and I feel so good after - it really is stupid that I don't do it more.

I also want to use sustainable and active transportation more often. I've joined a noon knitting group at the library (more on that later) and since it's right around the corner from my office, I can walk. Rotaract is at Augustana, just a few blocks from my place, so I also walk. But I want MORE walking. It's so easy and in Camrose, we have so many urban parks and trails that it's pretty as well as smart.

All of these things make me feel so good during and after. I am literally glowing - so why don't I do it more often? It's because it's easier to sit on the couch and watch documentaries about Kim Jong-il, that's why.

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OK, I think that's all folks, but I may have more to add in the coming months - which is perfect! I should always be making new goals, not just at the beginning of the year, month or week.

What are your resolutions? I'd love to hear them!

xo Laurie

I am not blessed with an expansive vintage wardrobe. I took the vintage leap last spring and as such only have a few retro-inspired garments in my closet, so I've needed to find a way to make these last, lest I be wearing the same four outfits all winter long (and it's a very long winter in Alberta!). Also, of course, it gets terribly cold (I'm not looking forward to -20, no sireebob) and so I have to have at least two layers under my coat, if not more.

Here are some of the ways I plan on stretching my wardrobe into the next seven (!!) months of frigid winds and snow that lies ahead. I highly recommend checking out Charlotte's series on cold weather vintage over at Tuppence Ha'penny. She has some great scans of coats, knitwear and more!

(I was being lazy today and as such did not want to iron or wear a slip so some of these are wrinkly or staticky)



This can get tricky because you have to make sure the skirt on top will be longer than the dress's skirt and is about the same volume (the dress shows more underneath the pencil skirt than the brown skirt. I lean towards using short dresses anyway because that is the number one thing that makes me toss them towards the summer pile anyway (my thighs are very susceptible to frostbite).




 As someone who never likes to show off her shoulders, especially in the work environment, I often wear sweaters or jackets over my dresses or blouses, even if the weather doesn't warrant it. My shoulders and upper arms are particularly ugly or sexy, but I just feel more professional that way. So to stave off the permi-cardigan that I am sure to don as soon as the temperature starts dipping even more, I'm examining the dresses that can go over some of my longer sleeved tops. In this case I chose a low-cut sweater and would tuck/pin it a little better so just the sleeves are showing.

Teal sweater over pink striped dress

Spring 2011

This goes above throwing a cardi on and calling it a day. Of course this works best with tops that have a little give. Wearing a tight blouse on top of a textured dress will look a little strange. This would look better if I had a shorter sweater *hmm*



There is no better way to discreetly layer than with camis and slips. With most of my button up blouses and sweaters I wear a cami or bandeau underneath to cover-up cleavage, but even just tossing an extra layer underneath a collared shirt works to keep you a little bit warmer.

Short floral dress under brown skirt with white cardigan

As seen in NYC when it was blazin' hot out

Of course a combination of any of the tips above works as well. This dress was rather short, very thin (perfect for hot, humid days like we experienced in NYC) and had straps instead of sleeves, so I covered up everything except the floral top.

How do you plan to stretch your summer and spring wardrobe into the colder months?

I went under the knife (scissors) and finally got a middy cut!
This is my terribly grainy before photo. My appointment was in the morning, so I decided to forgo a wash, since the hairdresser was going to do it anyway.

Blargh! The Swamp Thing lives!

I was dressed fairly slobby as well, since I was going to spend the rest of the day cleaning my house in a zillion degree weather (smart cookie, this one). My hairdresser was a bit trepidatious at first when I showed her the diagram, but when I showed her the picture of Retro Chick's middy her mind (and my nerves) were set at ease.

The cut was fast and accurate! She didn't thin as much as I'd have liked, but hairdressers always seem wary of that. Trust me, I got lotsa hair. I'm not gonna miss any if you go too scissor happy. The final result (straightened):



I'm certainly not a fan of my hair straight anymore - it kept on flopping into my eyes! And I can't even keep it back with a few bobby pins. pfffft.

Annd, Pièce de résistance, with a set:





To be honest, I set it like an idiot - it was too wet and wasn't evenly distributed, so some pieces fell out - but I'm still impressed. It wasn't too off from how my hair was cut before, but I'm excited to experiment with it. I'm also going to start setting it every other day instead of everyday (see tips from Retro Chick on how to make a set last one week) and see how that helps my fly-aways.

All in all, I'm very impressed. If you're keen on getting one for yourself, take a photo of the middy styled straight so your hairdresser knows how to cut it. In online conversations with others, the diagrams have proved pretty useless with modern hairdressers and mine personally preferred using the photo.

In other news, I went shopping again. H&M, stop parting me with my money!


The skirt is old (H&M), but the blouse (H&M) and shoes (Spring) are new. The blouse is fashioned in the same way as my favourite dress, but I'm wishing now that I had gone a size up. Curse you bosom! Although the blouse is a little roomy in the shoulders, so had I gone up I probably would have looked like a football player. I got this blouse in two styles (you can't really tell but this is white with pink floral designs, the other is beige) and a brown skirt, which was really exciting as it went well pass my ass all the way to my knees! A rarity for H&M.


PS I wrote this blog post after slamming back an Amber's Kenmount Road Chocolate Stout so if I don't make any sense or am sillier than usual, blame the beer.