Sunday night, I pin-curled my hair using the diagrams from Lisa Freemont Street's 'Laura' hair tutorial. I was quite amazed when, Monday morning, I didn't have my usual mess of curls, but a super cute style! And I lucked out that it was the first day I've had in a long time that was below 98% humidity so it stayed in!
My bangs even cooperated and did cute little curls that (with a bit of hair putty) stayed in all day too! I got lots of complements on it at work, which made me super happy! See the original tutorial for the youtube video and pin-curl diagram.
I have learned that pin-curls work out much better when I use product and follow a diagram. It also takes a lot of practice. This is the first set that I ever felt comfortable wearing down and not pulled back. So, if you, like me, are working on perfecting vintage hair, try try again!
On a side note, Va-Voom Vintage is doing a sew along! Check it out here! If I participate (which I want to), I'll be sure to blog about my experience.
This morning I tried another hairstyle from Lauren Rennells' Vintage Hairstyling! I thought it turned out super for a first go. I was really expecting for it to be a total flop, like most of my first attempts. The style I tried is called Your Unique Pomp. It's really cute with all of the curls around the pompadore.
Here are some pictures I took of my hair this morning. I created this collage in Picasa 3, which I now love! I just got a new computer and was heart-broken to learn that my previous photo editing software (Nikon Picture Project) had been discontinued! So, now I'm learning Picasa. There will be many more collages to come.
I adore this movie! Set in the academic year of 1953/1954, Mona Lisa Smile follows the lives of one west coast art history professor (Katherine Watson) and four students (Betty, Joan, Giselle and Connie) at a conservative east coast college. This film is filled with gorgeous outfits and hair from the creme de la creme of Weselley College. It also has many great messages about being a woman.
Katherine Watson played by Julia Roberts teaching her class.
Check out the fabulous lounge wear!
Here's a great shot of Connie (Ginnifer Goodwin) with her hair in pincurls and covered with a cute little wrap! There's also a great scene of Joan (Julia Stiles) with her hair in pincurls!
I adored all of the hats in this movie! Ahhh!!!
Another fab hat!
Even in the 50's, girls knew how to party. (Yes, more hats!)
I loved the party scenes with the amazing 50's dresses!
There was every style of hair imaginable in this film. (well, maybe not quite every, but loads!)
What every 50's housewife was supposed to do, iron and read Chaucer while wearing pearls and an evening gown in an immaculate house. Too bad this was a photo shoot!
Sweaters, pearls and art! Oh, my!
I have to say that Joan was my favorite character. I felt like I had a lot in common with her, being a college student who really just wants to be married and have a family even though she has the potential to do more. I feel like this enlightenment in the film is often overlooked with all of the feminist go-out-and-be-a-free-independent-woman message.
This part is kind of a spoiler so proceed at your own risk!
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Katherine Watson: There are seven law schools within 45 minutes of Philadelphia. You can study and get dinner on the table by 5:00.
Joan Brandwyn: It's too late.
Katherine Watson: No, some of them accept late admissions! Now, I was upset at first, I can tell you that. When Tommy came to me at the dance and told me he was accepted to Penn, I thought, 'Oh God, her fate is sealed! She's worked so hard, how can she throw it all away?' But then I realized you won't have to! You can bake your cake and eat it too! It's just wonderful!
Joan Brandwyn: We're married. We eloped over the weekend. Turned out he was petrified of a bit ceremony, so we did a sort of spur-of-the-moment thing. Very romantic.
[Katherine is stunned]
Joan Brandwyn: It was my choice, not to go. He would have supported it.
Katherine Watson: But you don't have to choose!
Joan Brandwyn: No, I have to. I want a home, I want a family! That's not something I'll sacrifice.
Katherine Watson: No one's asking you to sacrifice that, Joan. I just want you to understand that you can do both.
Joan Brandwyn: Do you think I'll wake up one morning and regret not being a lawyer?
Katherine Watson: Yes, I'm afraid that you will.
Joan Brandwyn: Not as much as I'd regret not having a family, not being there to raise them. I know exactly what I'm doing and it doesn't make me any less smart. This must seem terrible to you.
Katherine Watson: I didn't say that.
Joan Brandwyn:Sure you did. You always do. You stand in class and tell us to look beyond the image, but you don't. To you a housewife is someone who sold her soul for a center hall colonial. She has no depth, no intellect, no interests. You're the one who said I could do anything I wanted. This is what I want.
I'd rather not turn this into a rant, but I'd love to hear all of your thoughts on modern and vintage ideas about what a woman should be in relation to her career and family.
**End Spoiler**
My favorite thing about this movie is that everyone is changed, is touched. No one is right about everything and everyone is free to be whomever they wish.
I tried out a hair style from Vintage Hairstyling today! It's the Pompadour Twirl!
My hair is quite a bit shorter than the model's and I have bangs but all things considered, it was a great first time! I pin curled my bangs away from my face so they could be merged into the front of this style. I also used a curling iron instead of hot rollers as I didn't have time for hot rollers (my hair takes about an hour in the rollers!) and my hair never cooperates with them. I just curled the front of my hair the same way the book diagrammed the hot rollers and then pinned the curls in place for about 30 mins as I got ready for work.
I was planning on doing a page boy for the back with my curling iron, but I ran out of time! So, the back is anachronistically straight. I made a small side twisty poof to recreate volume on my right side where my hair was too short to follow the directions.
Overall, I did make a lot of changes to adapt the style to my hair, but it worked.
I got my copy of Vintage Hairstyling by Lauren Rennells in the mail today! Woot! This book is fabulous! It has step by step instructions with lots of great pictures. It also shows you lots of techniques you can use to build your own styles. I cannot wait to try all of the styles, though some of them will have to wait for my hair to grow out to do some of them.
Youtube videos are a great resource for hairstyles, but they can be difficult to see exactly what to do due to poor lighting or camera quality. Lauren's pictures are clear and beautiful even on models with really dark hair.
One of my favorite parts of this book is the before and after pictures. It's really great proof that you can have vintage style with any length and cut of hair.
Styles are created using a variety of curling methods, but the basic curl section teaches you enough to be able to adapt any method for any style with some trial and error. This makes me very happy, as hot rollers don't work for me if I need the hair to end up in a curl.
I'm going to try the front of a style for tomorrow (my hair is too short to do the back). I also have Betty bangs and this isn't a bang style. We'll see how it turns out!
See more pics of Lauren's book on the sneak peak section of her website. (These two pictures are from there.)
Ashley of Lisa Freemont Street posted this tutorial for a Briar Rose (that's Sleeping Beauty) hair do. Not only is it super cute, it's the latest installment of her Animated Angels series, in which she presents a complete look (make-up and hair do) inspired by an animated beauty. I tried it out today and I was very pleased with the results. I pincurled my hair the night before. Ashley uses sponge rollers in her tutorial so I was expecting the back part to come out differently. Mostly I focused on working the front part.
Here's the look we were trying to recreate.
I felt super cute today! Wish I'd had a black headband to complete the look!
Here's a close up of the hair. My roll turned out quite good for a first run. I did reroll it several times to get a good look, but such is to be expected even with a style you've done loads of times. My hair is also a bit short for this part too. My roll wasn't quite as big as I would have liked, but you've got to work with what you've got.
Here's the back. It's not very Briar Rose, but then again I have short hair. I think next time I'll do fewer, larger pin curls to get a better match for the back of the hair.
If only I could wear a ball gown and tiara as easily as I could this hairstyle!
Saturday night, the hubby and I went to a wine party with a great view of riverside fireworks! Besides getting to go to a fun event, I received a gorgeous skirt from Bad Girl Vintage in the mail Saturday afternoon! Woot! So, I completely changed my intended outfit so I could wear this skirt!
A 1950's circle skirt that I bought on Etsy. It came with the tag on it! So this was the skirt's first night out.
Outfit: Skirt: vintage Top: Forever 21 Shoes: Liz Clayborn from Macy's Bling: Claire's; won on a cruise ship Purse: Mary Kay
I love the understated, floral pattern of the skirt.
I felt like a movie star!
These are my Dorothy shoes!
A wine party means wine!
There was a fountain show before the fireworks. (No fire works pics though. They are very difficult to photograph.)
I love TCM! So many fabulous old movies! Today I caught "On the Town" (1949) starring Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Betty Garrett, Ann Miller, Jules Munshin and Vera-Ellen. I adore musicals from this era. They're a bit over the top but the stars are great- acting, singing, dancing! Actors today just don't measure up.
So cute!
Get a load of these dresses! I love the pink one!
I drooled over this green number with the plaid trim.
It's also plaid on the inside of the skirt!
You can't help enjoying shows where guys
pick up girls and go out on the town,
rather than diving for the bed.
One of my favorite things about this film was
how patriotic and promilitary (navy in this case)
it was. I wish our boys over there right now
could get this kind of appreciation when
they come home on leave.
