Monday Mischief-Birthday Bash

On Saturday our sweet Tubby turned 13!  I cant believe how time flies.  Of course Tubby got plenty of presents.  Weasley totally photo bombed the present opening, perhaps he was hoping for a repeat of his 2nd birthday  celebrated on March 11.



 

 Tubby got some good gifts this year.  First were two tartan hats inspired by his blog friend Winston Wilbur's excellent personal style.

 

Winston Wilbur rocking a wonderful tartan hat.  What a style inspiration.



 

 Of course you can't just have hats on a birthday you need toys too, and Tubby received a Star Trek Red Shirt Dog Toy.   I love his slightly clueless expression a true red shirt.    

 A teenage boy needs a lot to eat of course, so there was also a bag of Bocce's bakery Big Apple dog biscuits.

Those biscuits let us take this picture of all the pups:

Of course we also had to take pictures of the birthday boy with Mom and Dad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also drove to Brooklyn with Weasley and Tubby where we saw the birthday boys Grand Dad and got some pictures with both boys:

 

 

 When we got home it was time for cake and that's where the mischief came in.  I bought Tubby a giant birthday bone cake and on the way home I dropped the cake and it broke in to a ton of pieces in the bag, before the drop it was truly a beautiful cake.  This is the re-assembled look:

 

 

Tubby didn't seem to mind, and neither did his brothers and sister:

 

Since it was my 36th birthday on Wednesday and I hadn't had my cake yet, I had mine on Saturday too.  A key lime pie from Two Little Red Hens.  Since John brought this one home and he is more careful then I it didn't get dropped and it looked pretty and tasted delicious.

 

Of course the best present is to still have Tubby with me and still in good health.  I know he is quite an old chap now, as are Norbert age 11 and Ping age,  and even Bob at age 7 is no youngster.  I know I need to prepare myself for the inevitable and also to make sure to appreciate and be grateful for every moment,  but I hope and pray every day that we will all have more birthdays together.

 



 

 

Silent Film Sunday-Georges Melies Cindarella

Today's silent film is the 1899 version of Cinderella directed by Georges Melies.  The film highlights Melies superb imagery and early use of special effects.  It is one of the first films to use multiple sets and scenes to aid in telling a narrative story.   The film was very popular with viewers and was shown at fair ground cinemas and music halls in Europe and America.  

Film Strip Friday-The Home Economics Story

March is women's history month and I this clip always makes me laugh.  Its from Mystery Science Theatre Three Thousand:

Disclaimer: I want to add I have complete respect for home make, and I think home economics should be taught, to both sexes, but this video still makes makes  me laugh like crazy.

The Sunshine Award

It was very kind of Terra Toby to give us the Sunshine Award.  If you haven't visited Terra Toby its a wonderful blog devoted to dogs and wild life. Thanks so much Toby!


As part of the world we are supposed to share ten things about ourselves.  Since Tubby will be 13 March 29 I'll let him take the spotlight:

1) Tubby was a wedding present.
2) He was named Butchie when we first picked him out.
3) He was born in Ohio, but we picked him up in Staten Island.
4) He was almost named Tuppy, after Tuppy Glossop, in the Jeeves and Wooster stories, but his dad suggested Tubby was more appropriate.
5) He has slowed down a lot but as a younger pup he was a very active pug loving long walks and trips to the dog park, he still loves a good walk.
6) Perhaps because of number 5 Tubby has no fondest for the dog stroller my other pugs like, he would prefer to walk.
7) Tubby cannot stand confinement.  On his first night in our new home he howled so loudly he was out of the crate in a minute.  He slept like this:

8) Despite number 7 Tubby is really not all that cuddly.  He prefers to be next to mom or dad, not on their lap.
9) His favorite foods are bagels and pizza crust, but wellness core kibble is a close second.
10) He has a wardrobe of at least 20 shirts, several pairs of pajamas, numerous sweaters, and quite a few coats.

We are passing the award on to:

1) Time for Poodles and Friends
2) Through The Eyes of Tweedles
3) My Happy Hodgepodge
4) The Misadventures of Misaki
5) Mollie and Alfie
6) Idaho Pug Ranch
7) A Day in the Life of Pugs
8) The Three Little Pugs
9)Dog is God in Reverse
10) Ruckus The Eskie






Mollie and Alfie

Are You Too Old For Vintage?

I'm basically a vintage clothing newbie.  Though I have long admired vintage clothes and owned and worn a few vintage items, I didn't start really collecting vintage and vintage reproduction clothes, and dressing in period styles on a nearly daily basis until last year, around my thirty fifth birthday. 

One of my first full on vintage outfits made by Time Machine Vintage.  I wore it to the jazz age lawn party last year.

Around that time I decided in the spirit of you only live once that since I love vintage style clothes, I should wear them, every day, even if I'm just walking my dogs.

 I admit however, that initially as most of the vintage bloggers whose sites I  had been lurking on for months where younger then me, I wondered if perhaps I was a bit too old for vintage.  
 I did what any one confronted with a conundrum does these days, I googled it.   I actually didn't find too many articles, but many I did find, such as this one from XO Jane, seemed down on the idea of woman past 30 wearing vintage.  The feeling being that it might look dowdy, matronly, or costumey. 


My opinion people should wear just want they please, be it sweat pants or evening gowns, regardless of age.   Since embracing vintage style I have feel more like me and I find a new pleasure in getting dressed everyday. 







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  Today I turn 36 and I am more in love with vintage style then ever and I plan to keep on wearing it for as long as I'm on this earth.  In that spirit hear is my list of slightly older ladies, both real and fictional, who show that vintage style can look fantastic at any age.


1) Poirot's Miss Lemon

I am so enamored of Poirot's Miss Lemon, I did a whole post on her here, as played by Pauline Moran on the Masterpiece Theatre series that I frequently lose track of the murder plots in the episodes of this show, because I'm too busy drooling over Miss Lemon's outfits.   I consider Miss Lemon the ultimate 1930s style icon, but Poirot is packed with other gorgeous examples of vintage style worn by ladies of all ages.


2) Fashion Journalist Lynn Yaeger

Lynn Yaeger may not wear strictly vintage but this fashion journalist obviously has eccentric retro influenced style and doesn't let age stand in her way of looking unique and fabulous.  Here is an article about her vintage collecting.

3) Katherine Hepburn-

Granted when she was wearing it, it wasn't vintage but Katherine Hepburn had a successful film career in the late 1940s and 1950s when she was in her 40s, making her a rarity at a time when younger actresses where de rigeur.  

4) Lucille Ball-

Again, the same issue as with Katherine Hepburn, but when Lucille Ball was at the height of her TV fame she was in her 40s.   Her cute 50s house dresses would look amazing on a woman of any age today.

5) Agatha Christie's Miss Marple as played by Joan Hickson on the 1984 to 92 series,

 understood that the key to true style is to have a uniform.   With her trademark straw hat, tweed suit, and carpet bag she had an eccentric and charming uniform.  Was it matronly, yes, but it had a lot of charm too.


6) Miss Marple as played by Geraldine McEwan on the 2004-2009 series.

McEwan's Marple is a bit more dressed up then Hickinson's but the essential components of the look: straw hat, carpet bag, and tweed are there.


7) All of the older ladies of advanced style.  These women sport many amazing outfits, from classic to kooky, and vintage is a frequent element.   If you ever get tired of seeing teenage models plastered across magazine covers and advertisements, then this blog is the anecdote.  It is a wonderful celebration of the creativity and style of older people.  The best part is it isn't just superficial style the blog tells the women's, and sometimes men's, stories all of which show that older people can live exciting and full lives.

 

All of the above images are from Advanced Style.

I'm sure there are many other wonderful examples of older people with great style, vintage and otherwise, if you have any additions to my list I'd love to hear them.

Tasty Tuesday Hare of the Dog

 

The expression "Hair of the dog" apparently originated in Scotland where it was believed that applying a few hairs of a dog that bit you to the wound would prevent illness.  

Now of course its meant to recommend that a small drink the day after over indulging in alcohol will lessen a hangover.  I have no idea if this treatment works, but I do know the dogs thoroughly enjoyed these treats:

And that I always enjoy this boozy cake.

The above chocolate cake might not look impressive but it tastes divine.  Its based on a recipe from Mrs. London's bake shop in Saratoga Springs where I grew up.  Apparently they no longer sell this cake, which they served topped with chocolate ganache, but thankfully the New York Times printed the recipe.

Chocolate Whiskey Bundt Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, more for greasing pan

2 cups all-purpose flour, more for dusting pan

5 ounces unsweetened chocolate (use the good stuff)      

1/4 cup instant espresso powder

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup bourbon, rye or other whiskey, more for sprinkling

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

Whipped cream, for serving (optional).

1. Grease and flour a 10-cup-capacity Bundt pan (or two 8- or 9-inch loaf pans). Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In microwave oven or double boiler over simmering water, melt chocolate. Let cool.

2. Put espresso and cocoa powders in a 2-cup (or larger) glass measuring cup. Add enough boiling water to come up to the 1 cup measuring line. Mix until powders dissolve. Add whiskey and salt; let cool.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter until fluffy. Add sugar and beat until well combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract, baking soda and melted chocolate, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.

4. On low speed, beat in a third of the whiskey mixture. When liquid is absorbed, beat in 1 cup flour. Repeat additions, ending with whiskey mixture. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes for Bundt pan (loaf pans will take less time, start checking them after 55 minutes).

5. Transfer cake to a rack. Unmold after 15 minutes and sprinkle warm cake with more whiskey.

 

Serve plain or with softly whipped cream.

 

Very Cool Give Away on Chronically Vintage

Chronically vintage is having another wonderful give away for the charming Etsy shop 4 the Love of Vintage.  Visit chronically vintage for details of the give away and to enter.

A Vintagey Weekend

As an early birthday treat I spent most of the weekend, when I wasn't cuddled up with the pups, emerged in vintage activities.  On Saturday I went to all the thrift shops in Jersey City: Good Will, The Salvation Army, Thriftique and Another Man's Treasure.  Sadly, I didn't find much but I did score my first piece of Bakelite:

Not exactly a bargain but I have been wanting a red Bakelite bangle for awhile.  What was a bargain two Star Trek books for two dollars at Thriftique

 

 

I was further endeared to Thriftique by the fact that they were playing one of my all time favorite movies on one of their old TVs, Galaxy Quest.  Plus when we left we saw this cute van parked outside:

 



 



Thriftique is right next to another vintage destination, the Miss American Diner, a 1942 diner that hasn't changed a bit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'd say the décor beat the food, but it was still good, tasty diner food and I'll definitely be back.

 

On Sunday we headed to another vintage eatery I've long wanted to try, the White Mana Diner, originally built for the 1939s world fair and now a historical land mark.  The burgers where quite tasty, and the prices where 1939 appropriate.

 

 

Another bonus, if you are an XFiles fan you might recognize the 1939 Worlds Fair symbol from the Season 2 Episode Aubrey.   In that episode there is a glimpse of the 1939 World's Fair symbol and its why I first noticed the diner while driving past it a few years ago.

 

After we had lunch we went to see, a somewhat vintage appropriate movie, Muppets Most Wanted.  Since the Muppets have been around since the 50s and going strong since the 70s, I'd say there officially vintage.  The movie was very cute and I was quite impressed with Miss Piggie's hats:

 

 

 

We hope everyone had a fabulous weekend.