Happy Birthday Buster Keaton-Cinema Spot Light on 1921's The Haunted House

Today marks the 130th anniversary of silent film star Buster Keaton

Keaton shaped the film industry like the few other stars have and his early films are cinematic landmarks filled with clever ideas and innovations.  Keaton wrote most of his own films and directed many of them.  
















Unsurprisingly many of the first films ever made where horror films, but Keaton's  The Haunted House is not a typical spook story, Keaton was too clever for anything typical.

Instead Keaton plays a hapless bank teller

 who get's tangled up with bank robbers, winds up on the wrong side of his crooked boss, 

and seeks refuge in a spooky old house

 where a theatre troupe is rehearsing a production of Faust.  

The film was directed by frequent Keaton collaborator Joseph M. Schenck  and costarred Virgina Fox, who appeared in several Keaton films.

The entire film runs only 21 minutes and is a delightful example of early horror comedy.  You can view it in its entirety in the you tube link below.

Fim Strip Friday-Let's Be Good Citizens at School

It's been a long time since I shared a film strip Friday post with an educational film strip, but with it being back to school season this seemed the perfect time.  Here is Let's Be Good Citizens at School from 1953!

Adventures in Vintage Hairstyling-Sometimes Simple is Best

I really love my hair stylist.  She's right in my neighborhood and is the first stylist I've ever been loyal too, before I went to super cuts in the mall, but now I'd never go anywhere else.  Sharon is kind and totally supportive of my vintage hair thing.  She's also  a bit of a miracle worker.  She managed to magic the green  out of my hair this weekend.  Best of all she's a dog lover and her salon, Artistic Hair, is very dog friendly.  Mr. Tuvok accompanied me to my Saturday appointment.

He was very calm sitting in my lap throughout the appointment and like me he was pleased with the results: a brunette bob.

Sometime's I think we don't know whats best for ourselves.  I love short curly vintage styles and dream of 40s victory  rolls, but I think the bob suits me best.  I think I'll keep it, for awhile.

Happy 2nd Birthday Philip J. Fry!

I can't believe that teensy little Fry 

is a grow up man pug!   He turned 2 on Sunday.

We took him and Mr. Tuvok with us to Bay Ridge where my father in law lives.  We went early and took them for a walk through the Narrows Park.

 

On the way back to Jersey we bought him a Happy Meal in lieu of a cake, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

Then we opened presents:

We are so lucky to have Fry who is so much like his dear departed brother Norbert: loving, sweet, and a little bit shy.  

Adventures in Vintage Hair Styling: Fun with Snoods for Snoodtember

There are many wonderful vintage blogs on the web, but one of my favorites is Tanith Rowan's.  Tanith is a brilliant milliner and I adore all of her work.  I interviewed her here, and she made my 1950s coolie hat.  Tanith's blog is devoted to all kinds of vintage head gear, not just her own designs.  There are posts on historical hats and instructional posts for the crafty to make hats of their own, (sadly I am  not among the crafty).  This September Tanith is celebrating the snood:

She has created an instragram hashtag #snoodtember and posted photos of beautiful snoods and tips on how to wear them.   

I'm right alongside Tanith in her love of snoods.   A snood is any sort of net or bag that is designed to hold a woman's hair.  They where particularly popular during the 1940s when women working in factories needed to contain their hair for safety's reasons.

However, snoods where not only for casual wear. They could be dressed up too, like this gorgeous beaded version on Ginger Rogers.

For myself, the appeal of the snood is  the simplicity.  A snood gives you a vintage hair do with basically zero effort, no rollers or pin curls required.   Plenty of vintage fans create elaborate styles to go with their snoods, but as I have zero hair styling talent I just pull my locks into the snood and perhaps curl my bangs.  Easy, peasy, and takes less then two minutes.   I found this post from Vavoom Vintage very helpful when I first started wearing snoods.  

It took me about 30 second to put on this snood

All of my snoods are from Arthelia's Attic, and she makes a beautiful snood.  I am sure you can find them for cheaper but her quality can't be beat and her snoods are beautiful, sturdy, and stay put.  I have four of  them and love them to pieces.   I have gotten plenty of compliments on them, including one lovely lady who told me I brought her right back to her youth in the 1940s.




I love to wear snoods to work since they are so quick to put on:

  But they are great fun for weekends too.   
                                            

Snoods are traditionally more of a 1940s accessory, but I like to pair them with 50s looks too.  Like my Bernie Dexter  kitten print dress:

What do you think of snoods?  Do you have a favorite hair accessory?

Pug on a Bike

A few weekends ago we took Fry on a little bike ride.  

He is a very good cycle passenger sitting quite still in his basket (unlike Tuvok and Weasley who are just aren't suited for cycling).   I used to use a wicker basket to ride with Ping, however since her arthritis worsened rides seem to be uncomfortable.  The metal basket we use with Fry is permanently attached to his dad's bike is even more secure then the wicker one.  Once a cord for the leash is attached and its lined with a dog bed, Fry is safe and comfortable.  

We celebrated his successful ride with a little ice cream treat:

Belated Roald Dahl Day

September 13 was Roald Dahl day.   I've always loved Dahl's creative and clever stories.   Plus, this famous quote pretty much sums up my attitude towards life:

This year my favorite ice cream shop, Ample Hills creamery, came up with an awesome way to celebrate Roald Dahl: ice cream inspired by one of his most beloved characters, the cider loving,  Fantastic Mr. Fox!

Of course I ordered some, Ample Hills ships all over the country, but sadly it didn't arrive until September 14.   

The ice cream is delicious and now I can celebrate Dahl all month!   It seems Spot wants to try some but I may want to keep  it all to myself.