Wishlist Wednesday

This isn't going to become a regular thing, but I’m getting into the swing of things for the year, planning costumes for conventions and outfits for pageants (I've just sent my application in for what might be the first for 2015!) and photoshoots. Part of what comes with that is a shopping list. And, because I’m determined not to have a repeat of the frantic, expensive and excessive shopping trip I had in the lead up to Cooly Rocks On, I’m making lists.

Lists are important because they help me to budget. They also help me not to shop blindly and get dazzled by shiny things (I am possibly part magpie and this happens often) and they help to work out how long you've got to look, which means whether I have time to wait on international shipping, or if I can try and sew something myself.

I've been cleaning out my wardrobe and identifying holes. You know, those holes where you've got an event and you think: “Hmmm, I don’t have a Michael Jackson t-shirt for that tribute show I’m going to this week*” or, “There’s a chance** I might be invited to a black tie event this year, I should really get an evening dress (or four) just in case.”

With that in mind, here are some of the things on my clothing list at the moment:

 

Pinup Girl Clothing dream sequins dress in black

I have loved this dress since I first saw it. I missed out on it in the Black Friday sales (it was all I wanted) so now I’m committing myself to buying it THE SECOND it comes back. (Please, let it come back). I can wear this so many different places!

Pinup Girl Clothing Laura Bynes Gilda Gown in olive velvet

Seriously, was there ever a more perfect evening gown for a red head?

Glamour Bunny Lulu retro nightie in blue

I have plans for this lady. Not the least of which is to bring a little glamour into those Saturday nights I spend on the couch.*** I am holding out on this one for a bit though because I’m convinced I might be able to get a pale blue real vintage nightie for less than $100, which this one will cost to ship from the UK.

Glamour Bunny Jessica dress in blue

Look at the colour! I have a bit of a thing for sequined dresses and this one is beautiful. Another one for all those glam parties I’m being invited to. This one is probably going to stay on the wishlist on account of the fact it’s been out of stock for a while.


And now the shoes. My physio has banned me from my obsession with cheap (but cute) flat shoes. You know the kind I mean? The ones that are always reduced to $5 and start to stink after about four wears and fall apart in a couple of months? The ones that sneakily mean you’re spending more money on shoes than if you’d just forked out for decent ones in the first place?

So I’m moving on to mid-height heels, particularly lace ups and strappy shoes so they’re practical for shopping, walking around on the weekend, etc.

Which brings me to my current major footwear love, B.A.I.T Footwear. Their shoes are so cute, comfy and affordable and they go with my vintage clothes!

Here’s my current B.A.I.T wishlist:

Robbie: in like, all the colours (except for pink. I don’t do pink). They’re 40s style, glittery, buckle-up shoes and I LOVE them. (The link goes to the blue ones, which are my favourites)
Picture from B.A.I.T Footwear’s FB page.

Dennise: in yellow. And also celery (but I they're sold out in my size).
I feel like these would work well as a casual shoe, but they’re also dressy enough that I could wear to work during summer without looking like I’ve come from the beach.

Desi: in, again, all of the colours. For the Aussie girls, Desi is one of the B.A.I.T lines that Kitten D’Amour is now stocking and with the Aussie dollar not really sitting equivalent with the USD any more, they’re cheaper than what you will pay direct from Kitten (that’s where I’ll be getting mine). Kitten D’amour’s shoes can be found by clicking here.


I’m going to finish by saying that this is just my wishlist. Before anyone says something about my shopping habits; I haven’t bought anything off my last list (they’re all still there). But listing them out is a really good way of working out if I really need them. Or waiting until there are sales!!

Happy shopping.

*My actual thought process in the week before the Michael Jackson “Thriller Live” show.
**There’s pretty much .01% of a chance I’ll be invited to a black tie event this year.
***Basically every Saturday night.

Disclaimer: While I do have affiliate links on this blog, I have not been paid for this post and I will not earn commission on any purchases made via links from this post. 

I'm (possibly) in a pinup pageant!

Shamefully, I haven't done much with this blog since I started it. But that doesn't mean I haven't been living a very retro life and doing fabulous things.

One of those fabulous things is entering a pinup pageant — Miss Cooly Rocks On. Entering a pageant is something I've been thinking about doing for a while, but I've either not had the photos required, the time to do it, or, I've talked myself out of it in other ways.

But after having a photo shoot with Brooke Orchard Photography via the Lindy Charm School late last year, I've actually got some really great photos, so I decided to stop saying: "I should do that" and have actually entered. I might not get any further than just having my pictures posted on the Miss Cooly Rocks On Facebook page, but that actually doesn't matter to me. Of course, I'd like to have the chance to compete on stage, put together a bunch of cute outfits and meet some new people who are into the same things that I am. But just entering was a huge step forward for me — someone who has spent a long time being crippled by nerves and lack of self-confidence.

A photo of a less-than-confident, tomboy me in 2006

I'd really appreciate it if you could show your support for me by clicking here, visiting my photos on the Miss Cooly Rocks On Facebook page and simply liking the photos. If you are so inclined, comments are much appreciated too.

I'll keep you updated here and via my Facebook page, Miss Mickey M.

Thanks!

Victory rolls

A little over a year ago, I spent countless hours searching the web for a victory roll tutorial that would make the magic button click inside my head and get my hair and my fingers working together in a way that created magical 40s style hair. I also pretty much used an industrial-sized can of hairspray, teased my hair into oblivion and gave myself wicked arm cramps. I have this Facebook friend who is a model and around the same time as I was trying to conquer the victory roll, it was her favourite going out hairstyle, so I kept leaving annoying comments on her pictures along the lines of: “Heeeeeeeeelp me!”

My friend, all the video and online tutorials all had one thing in common; they all said something along the lines of: “victory rolls are hard at the beginning, but then all of a sudden, they become super easy.” And: “they’ll work sometimes, and other times, you’ll want to tear out your hair in frustration.”

On my last night out in Sydney before I moved to Brisbane in March, the best I could muster was one roll. A victory roll. Singular.

And unfortunately, it was on the side of my head that I now realise I tend to turn away in pictures, so… as far as photographic evidence goes, I don't have one to show you. I tried, tried and tried and that time was the only time it was good enough to wear in public.

Here’s a picture of me in May, just two months later. I had mastered two rolls quite a while before this picture was taken, but this was the first time they stayed pretty much perfect all day. This is an end of the day picture.

So what changed between March and May? Well, the big thing is that my hair went from uber long l to shoulder length. This meant that I wasn’t having to stretch my arms almost to the ceiling to start the roll, which meant that my arms weren’t getting tired before I got halfway through. But, that being said, I had worn my long hair in two rolls before I got it cut (oh how I wished I’d had the foresight to take a picture of it!).

I think all the girls with their advice about it suddenly just clicking into place is actually right. Not one tutorial I watched or read was really better or much different to the others, I just had to get all of the factors working together and get a feel for when to slip my fingers out of the loop or how much to tease and spray before I started.

But there’s one other thing I think might have happened too. I think I got used to seeing myself with big, giant loops of hair that stood up higher than my head. In the past I might have made a successful roll, but thought I had too much hair, that it was too big or looked like horns. And actually, on the night of my going away party in Sydney, someone complimented me on my hair and when I said I’d had trouble with the other side, she said: “Oh well, might have looked like horns if you’d done both sides.”

If you haven’t mastered the victory roll yet, I am now joining the ranks of those who have and will tell you to make sure you’ve got a rat’s tail comb, a huge can of hairspray and bobbie pins and you keep trying, you’ll get there.

But in the meantime, here are some tutorials that I found really helpful:

A Beautiful Mess tutorial - Aside from the fact that Katie from Skunk Boy Blog is gorgeous, this is a nice, less slicked, not at all “horn-like” style that works well with layers. I don’t have a fringe/bangs at the moment and my hair is all one length, but when I copy this style, I just left a section at the front and tuck them back behind my ears to give a similar look (the picture above with the red headband is similar).

A fancy, but lazy girl’s victory roll tutorial by Kristina Uriegas-Reyes, one of my favourite XO Jane writers. I’d already pretty much mastered the rolls by the time this was posted, but it’s super helpful and the step-by-step pictures are great.

Cherry Dollface is my favourite YouTube vintage glamour tutor and I watched this video literally hundreds of times. She’s also done a faux victory rolls tutorial which I found helpful before I mastered the real deal.