I've been hard at work photographing my collection of Vera scarves, and finally (FINALLY!) I'm getting around to posting some photos. It's been so nice to steam them all, and to remember each one of them. Unfortunately, too often, I find a lonely little Vera in a second hand shop, rescue it, and then store it in a stack of her sister scarves. To take the time to make her look fresh, and give her a moment in front of the camera, well, my friends, it's lovely. So please enjoy this little installment of dotty little Veras.
You can have splotchy dots:
You can have two tone dots:
You can have different sizes of dots:
You can have dots inside of a big dot:
You can have dots and waves:
And you can have dots that are actually suns (one of my top ten Veras in my collection!):
I'll let you in on a secret: both Blackbird girls are blind as bats. We also have almost the same prescription (weird, I know), so we could trade glasses if we needed to. But lately, it has been getting clearer (ha!) that we both need new lenses. So I figured--hey, it's February. Valentine's Day is coming up, and the world is seeing red (in a good way). Why not do a little fantasy shopping for vintage red frames?
We've been thinking about New Orleans lately, and since Mardi Gras is right around the corner, we decided to spotlight the best party in the South! Here's our shopping list to bring Mardi Gras to our doorstep (or yours, if you beat us to it):
First, you need a dress fit for a queen. So why not go for a vintage gown actually worn by a Mardi Gras Queen?
The countdown has begun. Only hours remain until Santa lands on your house, and then you'll wake up to a snowy (or, in our case, rainy) Christmas morning! Unless you live in the desert, in which case it'll be a sandy Christmas morning, and good for you! Anyway, after a delicious breakfast, a second cup of coffee, and a quick kiss under the mistletoe, you'll get down to the business of opening presents and celebrating the holiday while looking utterly innocent and cute. Right?
Well, these ladies make it look easy. You might want to take notes.
And once the living room is covered with crumpled paper, shredded tissue, and wrinkled bows (which someone else should have to clean up), you might want to get a little fresh air. Apparently, this is a pants-optional thing.
And when you return to the house with flushed cheeks, tingling hands, and a bright red nose, the best way to warm up is to make use of that mistletoe one more time....
The Blackbird girls love making lists (just like Santa!), and they often result from heated, near-violent (not really) debates about important things, like movies. And with the holiday season well under way, the only movies worth debating are pre-1960 Christmas movies (despite what all of those headlines and Twitter wars are telling you lately). We may still disagree about the exact ranking, but you know how it goes--she who types the blog gets to pick the order! The players, however, were unanimously chosen, which is one of the billion reasons why we get along so well. And if you're expecting It's a Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th Street to be on this list, you might as well stop reading now. Christmas joy is great and all, and we've both shed a tear for a kind-hearted Santa in our day, but the BEST Christmas movies are made of humor, romance, and fashion. So here are the top five holiday movies from the golden age of film (and you get Judy Garland as a prize for making it all the way to the end!):
1. Christmas in Connecticut (1945)--This is a major moment, because until two days ago, I had never even seen this movie. In fact, after seeing it I had planned to rank it third on this list, but after a bit of soul-searching, I had to bump it up to the top slot. Barbara Stanwyck is witty and gorgeous. Dennis Morgan is fine. The plot is the perfect mixture of hilarious mixups and romance. The house is fantastic. And,it's got S.Z. Sakall, who is without a doubt one of the most adorable character actors in the history of Hollywood. (The man's nickname is Cuddles, for Pete's sake. It does not get cuter than that.) And, you know, the clothes, like the GIANT SPARKLY MONOGRAM:
2. White Christmas (1954)--Seriously, it's got Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen, which are four excellent reasons to indulge in some cinnamon cocoa and couch cuddling on a snowy winter night. Plus, the title song is one of the most iconic Christmas songs, and it's guaranteed to make almost everyone feel warm and fuzzy. And, you know, the clothes:
3. Holiday (1938)--Not really a Christmas movie in the traditional sense, but it does take place during the holiday season (with a climactic New Year's Eve engagement party). Cary Grant. Katharine Hepburn. Already, it's a winner. Add to that a wonderful "money can't buy happiness" plot, plus some great witty (and acrobatic!) moments and between two of the greatest actors of all time, and you've got a fabulous movie. Plus, the clothes:
4. Holiday Inn (1942)--It covers all of the major holidays, but it's really a Christmas movie. Bing Crosby wins again, and he's accompanied by Fred Astaire (so you know there's some great dancing!). And, clothes:
5. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)--Judy Garland makes Christmas. Enough said. And, that dress:
I will give an honorable mention to It Happened on Fifth Avenue, which I need to see again because it's been a while. Who knows? It may even displace one of the movies in the top five. I just don't remember enough about it. But I do remember the coat and hat (priorities!):
