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    Showing posts with label show n tell. Show all posts
    Showing posts with label show n tell. Show all posts

  1. Show 'n' Tell: Simons and Sears

    Sunday, January 13, 2013

    I haven't done a shopping haul post in forever! May 2012, in fact. In case you missed those kinds of posts, I'm back with a vengeance.

    My parents were in Edmonton this weekend for an Ukrainian New Years Eve celebration with friends, so before their big shin-dig, mom and I went to West Edmonton Mall for shopping, lunch, a pedicure and more shopping.

    I don't particularly like West Edmonton Mall, mostly because it's so busy, but there are some stores in the mall that are ONLY at WEM. For example, Quebec department store Simons, who opened its first store outside Quebec in Edmonton this fall.

    I scored this cardigan (with detachable fur collar) for $20.


    These socks were $2 from Simons! Aren't they adorable? They'll be so warm under my winter boots too.

    These two pieces are the creme-de-la-resistnece. The faux-fure beret was about $10 from Simons, while the faux-fur stole is the one I previously showcased from Sears. I'm in love! 

    Sears had some crazy deals on when we were there. I got $90 worth of stuff for under $40!

    I was incredibly warm after taking these photos.
    I may have melted a bit.
    Gloves that actually fit me in the fingers - hallelujah! 


    Super cozy house-slipper-boot things ($10+80% off), as well as two pairs of fleece-lined knee-high socks from Winners.


    I also stocked up on some super cute kitsch for next Christmas!

    These were $3 after discounts.....

    While these were $1!

    Daisy, Ian's dog (and my step-dog, I suppose) wasn't quite sure what to make of my funny poses and tripod.


    Gizmo just wanted to trick me into feeding him again. Silly kitty.


    XO Laurie 

    PS - don't forget to like Retro Reporter on Facebook! 

    Posted by Laurie Callsen at 3:27 PM | Labels: , , | 4 comments | |

  2. 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

    Posted by Laurie Callsen at 11:20 AM | Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 comments | |

  3. Show 'n' Tell: All about the accessories

    Saturday, January 28, 2012

    Another month, another shopping trip with Miss Bee. I really got the sweet end of the stick on this one, because not only did Miss Bee make the trip to Camrose with her guy, she also gave me a deep-tissue massage in the middle of my living room. If you are looking for a good masseuse in Edmonton, I highly recommend her. I was in pain for the next few days - but it was a good pain, if you know what I mean.

    Anywhoodle, before that we went shopping. First we stopped in at Bra Necessities downtown, who just re-opened their store in a new location. I got the shock of my life when I found out I was wearing way too big of a band size. I should be wearing a 30 or 32 and I was wearing a 38 that day! I bought a new one at Bra Necessities, and at a hell of a bargain too:  regularly $144 for $38! I saved $106 - talk about being thrifty! Although my new one is an F (instead of my usual D) I actually feel lest chesty because it's not padded. That's fine by me, since I also feel so self-concious about my boobs.

    After that shocking revelation, we went to good ole Imagine Vintage. Although Peggy is no longer sponsoring me, I love her store to bits so I'm still going to show off what I bought.

    I didn't feel like taking photos of the hats, so just take my word for it that I found a white beret (yes, another one!) and a white hat, probably a 70s-does-30s. I'll show it to you eventually.

    Pearl in shell clip-on earings. I may use these as dress clips or a sweater clip!

    A 1950s brooch with plastic pearls
     
    Size 8 Naturalizer shoes

    1940s, 1950s and 1970s earrings, although the last two match!
    I also brought home a dress with a broken zipper for an EXTREMELY low price on the hopes I can take it to the tailor and get it fixed. I loved it and it is by and Edmonton designer so I hope it can be saved (and that it fits me once it's back in shape). But that's another post for another day.

    There were some beauties that got away. I had mentioned that I wanted some overshoes and then BAM, I spotted some - sadly they were size 7 (so if anyone has size 7 feet, there are beautiful black overshoes in Camrose waiting for you!).



    Posted by Laurie Callsen at 10:42 PM | Labels: , , , , , , , , | 3 comments | |

  4. Post 100: A few of my favourite things

    Friday, January 27, 2012

    I can’t believe that this is my 100th post!
    To be honest, I didn’t think I had it in me. I’ve done the blogging thing before but it was never engaging enough to keep me at it, let alone to keep readers coming back. To all those who comment here, follow my blog or who have found me through strange Google search terms, thank you!

    In the spirit of 100, this will be a blog post of my 100 favourite things.  Don’t worry, it’s broken down into sections but this may take a while, so grab some tea or coffee and get cozy.

    My 20 favourite vintage blogs
    This was a hard list to make. Originally I wanted to do 10, but I felt like I was leaving out too many great blogs. I follow 134 vintage blogs (at last count), both “famous” and relatively unknown and love them all to bits!

    100. Retro Chick
    99. Diary of a Vintage Girl
    98. His Girl Friday
    97. The Mariposa Chronicles
    96. Casey’s Elegant Musings
    95. Vixen Vintage
    94. Living in the Past
    93. Alternatively Lovely
    92. Esme and the Laneway
    91. By Gum, By Golly
    90. Land Girl 1980
    89. Mrs. Amber Apple
    88. Spiffing Sporadics of a Vintage Girl 
    87. Sweetheart of the Rodeo
    86. The Freelancer’s Fashion Blog 
    85. The Rockabilly Socialite
    84. Tuppence Ha'penny
    83. Va-Voom Vintage
    82.Of Steel and Lace
    81.Twila Jean - The Mysterious Life of the Metropolitan Housewife


    My 10 most popular posts (by pageviews)
    80. Show 'n' Tell: The Middy // Posted Sept 9, 2011 // 3 comments // 674 Pageviews


    79. New York: Day 4 - Stocks, Sailing and Statues // Posted Aug 24, 2011 // 1 comment // 501 Pageviews


    78. What to Wear: Dinner with Friends // Posted Jun 3, 2011 // 0 comments // 458 Pageviews


    h 77. Style Icon(s): Criminal Minds // Posted Nov 18, 2011 // 1 comment // 353 Pageviews


    76. What to Wear: Help me get dressed for a wedding // Posted Jun 23, 2011 // 12 comments // 280 Pageviews


    75. How-to: Transition summer clothes to winter // Posted Oct 20, 2011 // 0 Comments // 213 Pageviews


    74. Wrapup: Proper football and greyhounds // Posted May 23, 2011 // 1 comment // 205 Pageviews


    73. New York: Day 3 - Around the world in 50 city blocks // Posted Aug 23, 2011 // 2 comments // 156 Pageviews



    72. Finishing School: Fit (and retro swimsuits!) // Jun 21, 2011 // 0 comments // 150 Pageviews


    71. Wrap-up: a dance and a giveaway! // Nov 11, 2011 // 5 comments // 147 Pageviews


    My 10 favourite beauty products


    70. Motions Foaming Wrap
    I haven't done a lot of experimenting with setting lotions, but I can tell a big difference between using Motions and just water. My hair is fine, thick and straight but with Motions my curls last longer (even though I still have to set my hair every night), are bouncier and soft. I was shocked and amazed to find it in my local Superstore in the ethnic section. I may venture to Sally Beauty and find Lottabody when this runs out though, just to do a comparison.

    69. Garnier Fructis Hold and Flex  Hairspray
    As you will see, I use two different types of hairspray. This is my taming fly-aways hairspray. It keeps my hair soft, brushable and crunch-free but still holds my set in place.

    68. TIGI Rockaholic Hairspray
    This is called flexible hairspray, but it falls into the sticky, crunchy category. I wouldn't use it for flyaways, but I do love using it for rolls and pompadours. When I take my bobby pins out of a roll out at the end of the day it is still perfectly in place because of the hairspray. It also smells really good, kind of sickly sweet (which I like).

    67. Schwarzkopf got2B Defiant Pomade
    Ha, according to the got2b website, this is a men's pomade. Which makes sense, since G bought it and then I stole it. No matter, I love it. This is the hair product I found that works the best for me. Waxes separate my curls too much and I hate the texture of gels. This pomade is shiny and smooth without being goopy. When it's in the container, it's bouncy (it even goes 'boing' when you tap it!) and I also love the smell, which is like oranges.

    66. Nivea - Happy Time Cream Shower Bamboo Milk and Orange Blossoms
    This is my go-to body wash. It's creamy, suds up really nicely and doesn't dry my skin out (and I have really dry skin). It leaves my body soft with a orange scent without being too overpowering. I also like it because the scents line up with my orange hair pomade and my tropical body spray - there's nothing more harsh than competing scents.

    65. Mary Kay tinted moisturizer
    I have fairly decent skin, so I find what works best for me is light layering of a few different products  Since this is a moisturizer, sunscreen and foundation it works triple-duty, something else I love

    64. Mary Kay mineral powder foundation
    I use this as my finishing touch after using the tinted moisturizer, then concealer and under-eye concealer. It smooths out my complexion, layers great in places I need extra coverage and doesn't dry my face out or get cakey.


    63. Goody Sponge Rollers
    I love these rollers and I think these are the easiest to find - I got mine at Wal-mart for $10 but I've seen them in lots of other stores too. I've never have a problem sleeping on them, they clip in good and try rather quickly, but I have to half-dry my hair first. I use the green (second-largest size) on my top two layers and then the yellow on the bottom if need be.



    62. Pink and White vinyl shower cap
    I got this shower cap in my Christmas stocking but I wish I knew where it was from because I love it! Unlike most shower caps I've seen, this one has a brim and is made of vinyl instead of plastic - two things that allow for better repelling of water.

    61. Covergirl Lipstick in Hot
    This is my go-to red lipstick, even though I've only ever experimented with one other brand (Joe Fresh). I use it with a Rimmel Nude Lip Liner, and boy, does it last forever! Some days it will last through drinking water all day, eating two meals and washing my face, so I really need to make sure it's all off before I snuggle up in my white sheets.


    My 10 favourite outfits
    60. My turquoise sweater with my cream skirt


    59. White polka dot blouse with peddle pushers


     58. Plaid skirt and cream blouse

     57. Little Valley Jamboree shirt and high-waisted swing trousers (no photo)
     56. Dianne Wrap Dress


    55. Pumpkin pencil skirt and blue-white striped blouse (no photo)
     54. Pale pink dress

     53. grey tee and leopard print skirt

     52. Heartbreaker stripe dress

     51. 50s Peter Pan dress



    My 10 favourite memories
    50. Summers at the Lake

    49. Working at Intercamp

    48. My summer at Universite Ste-Anne

    47. the Oasis and Ryan Adams concert
     46. Canadian University Press conferences
     45. Shaving my head at age 14 for cancer
     44. Moving into the Fairmont
     43. My brother's wedding
     42. My first date with G
     41. Our vacation in New York


    My 10 life goals
    40. Be a good homemaker

    39. Keep on knitting and learn how to sew
    38. Stop biting my nails
    37. Make more friends and be a better friend to the ones I am lucky to have
    36. Read more and learn more
    35. Travel around the world
    34. Have a family
    33. Keep doing what I love doing
    32. Love myself and love others
    31. Be happy!


    My 10 favourite books
    30. The Greatest Show on Earth - Richard Dawkins
    29. Elements of Style - Strunk and White
    28. The Fortunes of Prue - Bessie Marchant (my great-great Aunt)
    27. The Guests of War Trilogy, which contains The Sky is Falling, Looking at the Moon and The Lights Go On Again in one volume - Kit Pearson
    26. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
    25. The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton
    24. Diary of Anne Frank
    23. Vintage Hairstyling - Lauren Rennells
    22. How to Sew A Button -Erin Breid
    21. Harry Potter series (that counts as one, right?) - JK Rowling


    My 10 homemaker tips
    20. Use Borax to keep your tubs looking like new!
    19. Clean the house 20 minutes a day
    18. Clean and organize as you go
    17. Use vinegar and water to disinfect
    16. Make a meal plan
    15. Track your monthly spending using Google Docs spreadsheets
    14. Use rubber gloves and aprons to save your hands and clothes
    13. light candles after cleaning to get rid of any chemical smells
    12. line your garbage bin and where you put the garbage can (like under the sink) with newspaper to make it easier to clean
    11. do a cycle of vinegar every one in the while when washing towels to get rid of the stink

    My 10 favourite things about me
    This probably seems like a very narcacissic thing to have, but it's taken me a long time to realize that self-love is healthy and not selfish! If I can't love, respect and be non-judgemental of myself, then how can I be the same to anyone else? You are your own lifelong companion, so you have to learn to love yourself (even thought I still can't stand myself at times).

    10. I have great support people. If it wasn't for my family, friends and G I think I woul be a very lost soul. I have a growing list of people who are always there for me, even if it's just a tweet to say hello now or then or an ear to let me voice my frustrations. You are all amazing!

    9. I like to drive. Maybe not in rush hour traffic in the city, but I love just going for a drive and taking in all the beautiful scenery and listening to my music while getting lost in my own thoughts. I find it refreshing and it helps me clear my mind.  

    8. I am organized and love to keep things neat and tidy. I've learned to live with some mess because G is a more messy-organized while I am a tidy-organized, but I like it best when everything is in its place. This doesn't mean I wash dishes everytime I dirty a cup, but it does mean I stack all the dirty dishes in one spot instead of letting them clutter up my whole kitchen.

    7. I am good at getting stuff done. Sometimes I will put stuff off, but if I have a deadline I am motivated and can do almost anything I set my mind to, wether it's a work assignment, cleaning the house or even shopping.

    6. I love learning new things. That's why I chose the job I'm in, because I am always learning new things and in turn, teaching others. Sometimes I can get really frustrated when I don't understand something, but once I do get it, I'm actually giddy. I love my thirst for knowledge.

    5. I like to relax. I've never been one for going out to clubs or bungee jumping or even amusement parks. While I'm not a homebody per se, I do tend to err on the side of relaxing (although I'm sure some would say boring). I prefer a pub or someone's living where I can actually have a conversation with my friends over a loud club and prefer to spend my evenings knitting while reading or watching TV.

    4. I think I have pretty good style. I have never felt more beautiful and more me than this past year when I've started dressing vintage. I know I'm not as authentic as some, but I feel like I've finally have come into my own style and I couldn't be more happier than taking this leap. It has changed my life. That seems silly, but it really has. I'm more confident and I love waking up in the morning just to figure out what to wear.

    3. I am damn good at my job. Somedays - mostly the days with angry phonecalls or letters - I don't feel like this, but I am a good journalist. I think I am good at breaking down information and giving it back to people so it's easier for them to understand, or simply more engaging. If I am bored by a story, my readers will be bored, so I always try to find something interesting or new about a story. 

    2. I love how I look naked - something I don't think many people can say with confidence. Sure, I have stretch marks and a lopsided boob and a bit of a belly, but I think I look fantastic.

    1. I am beautiful. I have vibrant eyes (blue/green/gray, who knows?), a cute nose and great hair, 90% of the time. I have flaws - mostly ugly hands because of my bad nail care, scars and stubby fingers - but I've learned to love those too.

    Phew!! That was a lot. Congrats if you made it this far and thanks for sticking with me through this long list and for these last 100 posts. It truly means the world to me that there are people out there who read my ramblings.

    XO Laurie

    Posted by Laurie Callsen at 2:18 PM | Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 comments | |

  5. Show 'n' Tell: three months of knitting

    Thursday, January 12, 2012

    I can't believe it's been three months since I learned to knit. It took me just as long to finish my first project.


    It's so funny to look at this scarf - you can definitely tell which end I started at and which end I finished at! I knitted it very tightly with heavy yarn, so it's very warm (which would be great except it hasn't been cold here).

    But it took me so long because in between I was knitting six beer coozies for stocking stuffers at Christmas.


    It was my first project knitting in the round and I really enjoyed it! I've vowed to try something new with every project I undertake. Now I'm onto my next scarf, which I will be donating to the Special Olympics when they are in St. Albert.



    The something new I added in this scarf is stripes! I am really enjoying knitting this: it's easy enough that I can knit and read my blogs at the same time, or watch TV, but challenging enough that I don't get bored and have to pay attention, lest I knit too many rows (I've done that twice!).

    The only stipulations for this scarf is that it had to be blue and white, 7 inches wide and 6 feet long. I decided to do 10 rows of each colour, and each stripe ended up being ~1.5 inches - meaning I will have to knit 48 stripes to finish! I am on stripe 21 now, so almost 1/3 being done.

    I have been working on this scarf during Knitting at Knoon, which are Thursdays at noon at the library! It is so nice to walk over to the library and sit and chat with Deb and Anjah, who not only love to knit but also love to read - they've even convinced me to try and get on the library board because I have too much spare time (not). If anyone else in the Camrose-area is looking for a knitting getaway during the lunch hour, please come and join us! I know there is a Tuesday evening group at Augustana, but I prefer the daytime one just because I am one of those people who like to stay home once I get home from work.

    (It's also great to be friends with a librarian - I'm going to give Deb a long list of books I think she should consider adding to the catalog, like A Stitch In Time :D)

    In case you're interested, here's what I wore to knit today:

    blouse and skirt: Imagine Vintage

    I tried out bigger rollers on the top section of my hair and I liked the result, I just need to tweak it a bit.

    I already have my next projects lined up, thanks to my family. My sister Dea picked out some Bernat Roving yarn in Bark so I can try to whip up this oversized scarf for her. I have the same yarn in Clover (a light green) so I might whip up another for my sister-in-law Meredith, who loves anything green.


    Again, I don't have a pattern so I will just have to fake it. The new skill I will be trying is ribbing and making a button hole. I need to find a good, big button for it.

    THEN I will be making a beer coozie and matching tablet sleeve for my mom (again, no pattern), who was upset that she didn't get her own beer coozie for Christmas. Instead of camouflage wool I'll be using Red Heart Cherry Cola, which is brown, pink, orange and green. It's not a soft yarn like the satin, so it will (hopefully) be better for things that need a little grip.

    And then if I don't have full-fledged arthritis by then, I may tackle the famous three-hour sweater. By then it will probably June and it won't even matter that it will take me much longer than three hours to knit it. I should probably knit something for G too...

    If you're interested, I am on Raverly - I would love to be your friend, please add me!

    What knitting, crochet, sewing or otherwise crafty projects are you working on?

    xo Laurie

    Posted by Laurie Callsen at 8:33 PM | Labels: , , , , , , | 2 comments | |