100 question tag.

(Hamburg Oktoberfest with me wearing my dirndil)

I was watching the 100 question tag by Bunny from Graveyard Girl on youtube and  loved it so much I thought I would do it on my blog (my camera has died so no filming or photos can be made until i get some money).

1:Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed? CLOSED!! we had built in closets when I was little and my brother would hide in them and swing out of them to scare me ( i put bells on the knobs so i could hear him clime in) 
2:Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel? no
3:Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out? out
4:Have you ever stolen a street sign before? yes (a few :p)
5:Do you like to use post-it notes? yes and no
6:Do you cut out coupons but then never use them? no
7:Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees? bees as long as they didn't get my face
8:Do you have freckles? yes
9:Do you always smile for pictures? i try to 
10:What is your biggest pet peeve? eating loudly and eating with the mouth open
11:Do you ever count your steps when you walk? no
12:Have you ever peed in the woods? yes, bush walking
13:What about pooped in the woods? yes, ditto
14:Do you ever dance even if there's no music playing? yes, i'm a dancer it's unavoidable
15:Do you chew your pens and pencils? i use to until i worked in a Microbiology lab, yuck
16:How many people have you slept with this week? 1, my boyfriend of 5 years
17:What size is your bed? king
18:What is your Song of the week? The Civil Wars 20 years
19:Is it okay for guys to wear pink? yes
20:Do you still watch cartoons? yes, my faves are Fillmore!, Phineas and Ferb, and Daria
21:Whats your least favorite movie? don't have one
22:Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some? in my grandparents backyard (all the families pets that have passed away are there) 
23:What do you drink with dinner? water, i hate anything fizzy or too sweet
24:What do you dip a chicken nugget in? sweet chili sauce
25:What is your favorite food? my grandmas macaroni and cheese made with shell pasta
26:What movies could you watch over and over and still love? Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window but i always fall a sleep
27:Last person you kissed/kissed you? my boyfriend
28:Were you ever a boy/girl scout? no but i wish i had been
29:Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine? yes
30:When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper? a few weeks ago when sending Christmas cards from Germany to Australia
31:Can you change the oil on a car? no
32:Ever gotten a speeding ticket? no
33:Ever ran out of gas?no
34:Favorite kind of sandwich? tuna salad or egg salad
35:Best thing to eat for breakfast? Vegemite on toast
36:What is your usual bedtime? at the moment anywhere from 3 to 7am
37:Are you lazy? yes but can be very active when determined
38:When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween? not big in Australia
39:What is your Chinese astrological sign? Tiger 
40:How many languages can you speak? 2 but understand 5
41:Do you have any magazine subscriptions? no but love Frankie magazine 
42:Which are better legos or lincoln logs? LEGO
43:Are you stubborn? yes
44:Who is better...Leno or Letterman? ?
45:Ever watch soap operas? yes, use to watch Passions when at high school for a year or two
46:Are you afraid of heights? no but i do get a little vertigo 
47:Do you sing in the car? yes
48:Do you sing in the shower? yes but only when there isn't anybody else at home
49:Do you dance in the car? yes
50:Ever used a gun? yes, kangaroo shooting in the bush
51:Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer? 3yrs ago
52:Do you think musicals are cheesy? no, the best one is seven brides for seven brothers
53:Is Christmas stressful? yes, worked Christmas eve 7 years in a row and never got to leave early
54:Ever eat a pierogi? yes
55:Favorite type of fruit pie? lemon meringue pie
56:Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid? a nurse, a chemist, a forensic scientist
57:Do you believe in ghosts? yes
58:Ever have a Deja-vu feeling? yes, anywhere from a few times a week to a few times a month
59:Take a vitamin daily? no, i use to
60:Wear slippers? no
61:Wear a bath robe? no
62:What do you wear to bed? anything
63:First concert? ?
64:Wal-Mart, Target or Kmart? in Australia there is Big W and i always go in for one thing and come out with a huge bag of crap
65:Nike or Adidas? none
66:Cheetos Or Fritos? none but i love chicken twisties 
67:Peanuts or Sunflower seeds? sunflower seeds
68:Ever hear of the group Tres Bien? yes
69:Ever take dance lessons? yes from the age of 2
70:Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing? no but i seem to attract engineers  
71:Can you curl your tongue? yes
72:Ever won a spelling bee? never, dyslexic
73:Have you ever cried because you were so happy? a few times
74:Own any record albums? not any more but i use to have all my mums old ones
75:Own a record player? no
76:Regularly burn incense? i use to
77:Ever been in love? yes
78:Who would you like to see in concert? i have no idea, i'd rather go to a festival and see lots
79:What was the last concert you saw? ?
80:Hot tea or cold tea? hot tea with milk and no sugar
81:Tea or coffee? both
82:Sugar or snickerdoodles? pfeffernusse but i only eat them at christmas
83:Can you swim well? no
84:Can you hold your breath without holding your nose? yes
85:Are you patient? yes
86:DJ or band, at a wedding? both
87:Ever won a contest? yes, most for dancing
88:Ever have plastic surgery? kind of, i had a mole removed that sat where my bra strap was
89:Which are better black or green olives? green and black when cooked
90:Can you knit or crochet? both and cross stitch, embroidery and sewing
91:Best room for a fireplace? lounge room
92:Do you want to get married? yes and no
93:If married, how long have you been married? -
94:Who was your HS crush? no idea
95:Do you cry and throw a fit until you get your own way? never
96:Do you have kids? no
97:Do you want kids? yes but not at the moment
98:Whats your favorite color? green, except bottle green which was my high school uniform colour 
99:Do you miss anyone right now? my family in Australia but will see them at christmas when i fly back

I hope that wasn't too boring :)

quick tip

Lindy makeup

two of my friends and I at the Hullabaloo ball a few years ago

There is a big difference I have found between the vintage makeup you wear for a normal day and that you wear when dancing. If you consider what would stay on while running on a treadmill with all the sweat running down but still looking perfect you can start to understand what its up against. I am not saying that all lindy hopper follows like to be vintage styled but they still want there makeup to look good. 

1. Base - it ether needs to be very light or very thick.

I am not a fan of foundation in my normal makeup routine but do like to wear it when dancing. I have never re-purchased a foundation so I have had lots of experiences trying to find ones that work for dancing. Unlike foundation for normal activity you may be dancing anywhere from 3-4hrs at a weekly social dance to 10-12hrs at an exchange and unlike a normal workout you will stop/start dancing constantly making you sweat then dry off time after time. Foundation was not made for this type of thing but I have found that this is the best for dancing.  

For a thick foundation I have found a matte liquid foundation or a stick foundation (can be a little hard to find , it has gone out of fashion a bit) works best. The cream manages to stick to the skin so well that when it re-settles after sweating it doesn't migrate too far. For a light foundation a tinted moisturiser that is not too shiny works well but it does come off more easily. If you have good looking skin to beguine with but just want to even it out a bit this is a good solution. One thing not to use is powder or any foundation that leaves a powder residue on the skin. When you sweat the powder clumps and settles into any lines or depressions on your skin so it looks patchy.

    

2. Mascara - waterproof

I have had a few times when I've gone to the bathroom during a dance night to see black marks from mascara under my eyes from all the sweat. Sweat causes mascara to run so waterproof is the only way to go. Its still going to run a little but that's better than a waterfall of mascara running down your cheeks. I use to get my eyelashes permed and tinted so I could get away with using clear mascara over the top. A good trick is to also put a clear coat on first then the normal waterproof to stop fall out. If you are going to also use eyeliner a gel stays better and has less smudging and smearing when sweaty than a liquid liner or pencil.

3. Lipstick - budge proof

For lindy lead most at one point or another has had a follow face plant into there chest while dancing and leaving them with a big lipstick mark on there clean shirt/t shirt making them a little weary of the red lips. One of my friends swears by covergirl outlast lipcolour to keep her lipstick stay on and not rub off and I have also found that a lip stain works well if its a non-matte affect I'm going for. A more detailed post hear.  

After a few dances - glistening with sweat after a few dances with my makeup still looking good

(makeup used: tinted moisturiser, cream blush, waterproof mascara, clear eyebrow gel and lip-stain)   

40's maternity

all patterns available on etsy

I will start this post by saying this I AM NOT PREGNANT! This is not why I am writing this. Last year I went to dinner with 2 of my girlfriends and one of my friends turned up in this beautiful 1940's vintage dress she bought in the US when on holiday. After finishing our starter of lots of good chili con queso and tortilla chips I was saying that I should have worn something with a little more stretch in it my friend said she did and un-did the tie of the dress then un-buttoned the side of the dress then re-tied the the tie and sat back down. I was amazed, I had never seen a vintage dress like it, she then told me that it was a 40's maternity dress that had buttons at the side so you could expand the front as the belly grew. After dinner I went home and jumped on etsy to find more and I was hooked.

BasyaBerkman @ etsy

Sugar bank @ etsy 

Unlike modern maternity wear that is stretchy and tight fitting the 40's maternity clothes where designed to be  grow and shrink with you and be warn through multiple pregnancies and shared with friends or family who needed it (multiple pregnancies in quick secession where common, watch call the midwife to understand). The intricacies of the construction are amazing with all the hooks/buttons/ties to gather the fabric so it can be let out as the baby grows. While looking I also found patterns to pregnancy skirts that are made with a large cut out for the belly and held closed by a tie. A cut out like that must have been a little cold, at least somethings are better now than in the 40's (thank you hormonal contraception and belly bands).

2 amazing blogging vintage pregnancy style mama's

Left - Ulrika Bachér from her blog the freelancer's fashionblog pregnant with her 1st child, son Dag. She not only looks fantastic but also performed burlesque all the way through her pregnancy 
Right - Twila Jean from her blog twila jean  pregnant with her 3rd child, daughter Olive. A mother, a model and etsy store owner who looks amazing and what a hair colour  

red lippy

All images from Vintage Vault @ style sight best example of red colours

I am a big lover of red lips and use to try and wear it every chance I got but I have always found that finding the best colour for me is a pain in the neck and not good for the bank balance ether.
A little anecdote about my red lips one Friday after being at a very late night of dancing at Hullabaloo, not removing my makeup before going to bed and a very early day at work (and avoiding a mirror) I ended up going to work with a full face of 40's makeup and because I worked with men no one told me I had it on until morning tea when I went to the admin building and was asked about it. Was very embarrassed but when I asked the guys why didn't they tell me they replied "we thought you where going for a new look".

If you like a good red lip you will probably be with me and have many colours of red with one never quite rite. Unfortunately I have found there is never just 1 that is universal, its too dark for summer or too light for winter, do you match it to your skin or to your hair, not appropriate for day time or night time. I have pale skin (ivory or porcelain base foundation normally with pink undertones) and have had every colour of hair from black to blond but try to keep to a pink undertone to match my skins.

When purchasing a new colour of red if you are not at a makeup counter swatch the colour on your wrist or inner arm because it is lighter than back of your hand making it a better comparison to your face (the skin on your face is normally lighter than the rest of your body). If you are at a makeup counter ask if they have a mirror with natural light simulator (the colour will look different in fluro light than it does in natural) so you can see the difference.

I have at the moment 4 lipsticks, 3 pencils, 1 lip stain and a lip gloss (it is edited down from what I use to have, that's not to say I am not still adding to it) which i find to be a good range for me. I like to also mix my colours to get the perfect shade for my mood or match it closer to my lip liner to make the blending invisible. If I only want a hint of colour I like to wear them more as stains than full coverage.

 they look very close in colour but until you swatch them you can never tell the correct undertone

as you can see, just because it looks red does not mean that they are the same
from left - lipstick: db Red Hot Red, chanel Rouge Allure, alverde Alpine Rose, mac Russian Red, lip stain: catrice Red & The City, lip gloss: natio Love, lip pencil: manhattan 94T, natio Scarlett, unknown brand

Keeping red lipstick in one place is also hard. There are many different ways of application for red lips but if you want it to stay using the foundation/concealer technique (a stick concealer works the best), powder technique or the liner technique are the best. To keep it on and looking good for hours even through eating (and avoid leaving a red mark on your partner) there are only 2 things not to use, any creamy formulas that make the lips shiny or/and are moisturizing to the lips, they are not made to last and the biggest no no is gloss it just slides off and all your hard work is gone ( if you want to use gloss use a stain then a gloss or a gloss with an in built stain).      

If anyone has any good tips to keep it in place please tell me, I am always looking for new ways

p.s. if you want to go relay vintage match your nail colour to your lip stick

leftover dinner

 Veggie burger (pattie made with yesterdays leftover couscous with fruit and nut and veggie stew with capsicum, onion, tomato, parsnip and mushrooms) spicy tomato sauce, remoulade with pickled gherkins and radishes, gouda cheese in a rye toasted bun with a side salad

Downsides I have found to switching my diet
- eating the same veggies for days or having leftovers and leftover leftovers
Cooking for yourself is not fun when you always end up with lots of leftovers so the next day you have to eat it for dinner (and the next if there is too much the second time) and shopping is not fun because to have a good variety of veggies to use you need to buy enough that you eat the same veggies for 2 weeks straight.  

- wind
Yes I know, it is not a nice thing to talk about, but when you start to eat more pulses and roughage veggies every day your tummy takes a while to get use to it and wind is the result, who knew. Luckily it only takes a few weeks for your tummy to get use to the change.
- if I do eat meat I feel heavy and can only eat a little of it
I have found not only can I eat a few peaces of it I also start to feel like I swallowed rocks and want to just lie down and digest it. My boyfriend says my stomach has shrunk from too many veggies. I also found the smell of cooked meat makes me feel queezy too.

Haircare and Bodycare

1. Everyday shampoo - Bübchen baby shampoo, no phosphates or sulfates in it and saves my hair from feeling greasy (a feeling that other shampoos do) and stops my hair from going brassy between toner treatments. It doesn't lather like normal shampoos do so I have to use more to do my full head and it has no scent, not even that powdery baby smell you get with other baby products

2. Purple toner shampoo - Swiss O Par silver shampoo, I have found that the deeper the purple colour the better the result of removing the brassiness out of my hair. I tone my hair every 3 days and it keeps most of the yellow out of it but I always use my baby shampoo once to get rid of any oil build up before using the toner twice on my hair leaving it for about 2-3min each time before washing it out.

3. Hair oil - Alverde hair oil, mine is an argan/almond oil mix that smells like freshly squeezed lemons. I only put it on the ends of my hair when it damp every few days because my hair is very fine but gets greasy very easily. I also use it on my damp hair before I blow dry it when it is cold weather.

4. Hair cream - Vitapointe between wash conditioner with UV protection, you only need a pea size dollop of cream and goes on absolute dry (no moisture at all) hair and it makes your hair soft and keeps a curl or wave in my hair if i plat or bun my hair after putting it on my ends plus it doesn't change the colour of your hair like some oils can. I bought it in Australia where you can only get it in chemists but 1 tube lasts for ages.

5. Hair dye - Garnier belle colour in number 111 extra light ash blond , at the moment I like a light ashier blond rather than a golden blond that I had been using (it is relay hard to find a ash blond dye at the shops I have only found 3) because it seams to suit my colouring seeing that my hair is naturally a dark ash blond colour but looks more sooty. I am a little disappointed that I can't dye my hair red but that will have to wait till I go back to Australia.

6. Gradual tanner - Balea magic summer gradual tanner in normal, I have never been a big tan kind of person (natural or fake) mainly because I am a naturally pale person who burns easily plus if I do go dark I look ill but I do get a bit experimental just before spring when I will have to start showing my arms and legs again but only very light colour. The problem with tanners is that I go orange very quickly so I only use it for 2 days to start getting the colour and then once a week after that (that is how orange I can get if I use to much).

7. Body lotion - Belea best age cream oil lotion, I am not a big fan of body lotions and normally just use olive oil if my skin feels dry but what I found from earlier this year is that my skin gets itchy with the central heating being on. I normally only need to put it on my elbows and my shins when they start to get dry. It is more of a thing that I use occasionally than every day and I know that I should start to use it more regally but I hate that stickiness you get when it doesn't all sink in.

8. Perfume - Stella by Stella McCartney, my favorite perfume. I love the rose scent with a very woody  notes. I have never been a big perfume person mainly because my skin can turn some perfumes into smelling like fly spray but I have found that that the more oils it has in it the better my skin reacts to it. I have to ration myself in putting it on because the 30mL bottle cost close to $80 in Australia and I only have a quarter of the bottle left. In Australia I have a big bottle of Stella McCartney Sheer that I like to wear in summer because the Stella is more of a winter scent. I love perfumes that smell very fresh/aquatic and I think my next will be one of them when I run out, maybe.

9. Deodorant - Mum dry Active, I am not a big fan of deodorants because they normally smell so overpowering that it makes me gag but this one smells very "sporty floral" if that makes any sense and matches with my perfume well. For such a cheep deodorant it doesn't leave any white marks on clothing and does last all day and can withstand even dancing.