Happy Thanksgiving

We have been away from blogging this week so we apologize for not visiting all of our friends' blogs.   We hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We always separate with a marathon of one of our favorite shows MST3K: Mystery Science Theatre 3000.  This show premiered on Thanksgiving in 1988 and aired for 11 years,  and I grew up watching it.   Today there is a Turkey Day MST3K marathon for those who don't like football or want a break from it.  There is also the recently released #31 Turkey Day Box set that I am very excited to watch today,  before our viewing marathon I decided to take some pictures of the pups with the box set.  Norbert wasn't too cooperative about looking:

We hope everyone has a lovely day and here is one of our favorite MST3K riffs:

Miss Marple-Style Icon

Like many vintage afficianados I love the stories of Agatha Christie and the various television adaptations of her work.   I've written before about the lovely Miss Lemon on Poirot.  

The stylish secretary with her picture perfect 1930s looks is my personal style icon.  However, there is another, if perhaps less predictable, Agatha Christie's character, whose style in the television adaptation I greatly admire.   I'm talking about the elderly spinster sleuth Miss Marple:

 

Unlike Miss Lemon, or at least Miss Lemon as portrayed by Pauline Moran, Miss Marple has no overt interest in fashion, she is too busy solving crimes and applying what she has learned in the village of St. Mary's Mead to the wider world of forensic science to give a tuppence for her appearance.  Never the less Miss Marple, particularly as portrayed by the wonderful Joan Hickson, has a distinctive, and I say stylish, look.  

 

 

Many fashion expects declare a uniform is key to personal style and that's certainly a theory Miss. Marple subscribes too.  In the six year  Hickson played Marple, from 1986-1992, the elderly sleuth is never rarely without her beloved tweed suit, paired with simple jewelry, sensible shoes, and a practical hat. If she is without the suit,  you can bet she is wearing a simple dress and cozy cardigan. Miss. Marple also usually carries a large hand bag, perfect for transporting her knitting, and any tools she needs for investigations. The look is comfortable, practical, and perfectly suited to Miss Marple.

 

 

Since Hickson perfected the part there have been two other television Miss Marples, both of whom, at least on the surface, appear more stylish then Hickson's version.  Geraldine McKewan

 

and Julia McKenzie

 

 



both ladies look fantastic in the role, but its Hickson's traditional take I like the best and it left me craving a vintage style tweed suit, so I could have a Marple look of my own.  I found the perfect one at Putting on the Ritz clothing.  

Wearing this suit I feel ready to do some stylish sleuthing of my own.

Outfit Details

Suit Puttin on the Ritz
Vintage Poodle Pin Chronically Vintage's Etsy Shop
1930s Hat Adeline's Attic
Vintage Gloves, Thrifted
Vintage Fur Muff Purse, Thrifted
Shoes, Payless

Thinking of Snow

We are thinking of our friends in the Buffalo area where mom and dad went to college and also where Weasley's breeder, Kelz Pugz, thankfully every one we know is safe, including the new litter of puglets that are in some way related to Weasley, I guess they are second cousins?

 

Anyway all of the snow talk got us thinking of our favorite snow day pictures from years passed, many of these are at least five years old:

 



While we don't want Buffalo levels of snow it would be really nice to have a White Christmas!

Tasty Tuesday-Shane Confectionery in Philadelphia

I've written before about the Franklin Fountain in Philadelphia.  It is one of my favorite places to visit a really picture perfect recreation of a vintage soda fountain.  

Image Source: 1920s Soda Fountain in Washington DC

Image Source: Franklin Fountain Today


The creators of Franklin Fountain weren't content with just an old school soda shop, they have a vintage candy store, Shane's Confectionery right next store, and just like the Fountain its a trip back in time.  We visited two weeks ago and had a good time shopping for the sorts of vintage candies I wasn't sure where made before.  In fact I  had been pretty sure that many of these candies had stopped being manufactured long before I was born.















If you are lover of sweets of vintage and you are in Philadelphia you simply must check out Shane's Confectionery.

Cinema Style Poirot Season 1 Part Two

Cinema Style Poirot Season 1 Part 2

In keeping with my belief that you can never, ever have too much 1930s fashion or too much Agatha Christie here is another post in my series on the fashions on  the Hercules Poirot series:

The first episode of the second half of season 1 of Poirot is a bit of a disappointment fashion-wise.   Perhaps the costumers where exhausted after the  1930s style extravaganza of Triangle at Rhodes but Problem at Sea, while an entertaining episode is fairly blasé style wise, at least by Poirot standards.  The episode finds Poirot once again on vacation, this time on an Egyptian cruise with Captain Hastings tagging along.  A shipboard murder of an obnoxious women lends the mystery.   I think the fashion problem is caused by the fact that most of the characters where whites and pastels which make  them look a bit washed out.  Still it is Poirot and there are some good looks.  I really like this simple white dress suit and hat:


and this nautical style dress is quite lovely.  I really like the striped detailing and the clutch purse.

 

 This brown dress and this autumnal toned floral dress break with the episodes use of pastels and are quite pretty

 

Finally there are some pretty hair flowers worn by the young ladies in the episode that remind me of those in Chatter Blossom's Etsy shop.

The next episode The Incredible Theft more then makes up for any style in the boredom in the previous episode.  Fashion wise it is a tour de force.  The first amazing looks is worn by the beautiful Miss Lemon.  A pretty wine red dress with lace ruffle detail.

 

 

 

Miss Lemon been receiving anonymous phone calls from a women wanting to hire Poirot over a matter of national importance.  Poirot agrees to meet the mystery women at the zoo.  Poirot is all about the details and the scenes at the zoo with the perfectly dressed extras are a perfect example.  Look at this young ladies hat:

 

 

and the scarf and coat on this women walking by.

 

 

When the mystery women arrives she surely does not disappoint.  She is wearing a gorgeous brown dress and coat and the most amazing tilt hat.

 

 

 

 

 

Poirot accepts her assignment to investigate and winds up at a country house party with the most glamorous attired attendees imaginable.  Look at the navy suit on this women, I love the slightly sailor style collar:

 

 

The brash American in the episode wears a backless silver lame evening gown, much to the horror of her English counterparts:

 

 

 

 

and later a glamorous tweed suit and fur stole.

 

 

I don't usually focus on the men's fashions in Poirot, but Hastings looks particularly adorable in this episode.  I love the combo of fair aisle and tweed.

 

 

The next episode King of Clubs involves an actress, black mail, and a murder.  It isn't much fashion wise but I did find two lovely looks that caught my eye.  I'd adore a polka dot dress like this one with its pretty side bow.

 

 

and this cranberry knit suit is the epitome of 1930s knit wear:

 

 

 

The final episode of season 1 The Dream concerns a man who dreams about his own suicide, hires Poirot to investigate and unsurprisingly winds up dead, but is it suicide or murder?   My favorite character, Miss Lemon sport's some ravishing looks in this episode.  She wears her pretty brown dress with the gathers and white neckline again, I love that fashions are recycled on Poirot. 

 

 

 

 

 

and she also has a fabulous green dress with interesting collar detail:

 

My favorite item though, is this red cardigan sweater with the striped bow:

 

 

 

There are some cute hats on other character's in this episode like this fur trimmed number:

 

 

and I was excited to see this black velvet beret, as its very much line one I own:

 

 

The style star of this episode is definitely Miss Lemon though, even the normally reserved Poirot is overwhelmed!

 

To be continued with Poirot Season Two!