Must See TV: Endeavour

April 29, 2014
A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Blog, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Period TV Shows, Endeavour

I sure do appreciate a smart tv series, one that makes you think and better still, one that has you trying to figure out who the murdereer is. Endeavour is show set in the 1960's revolving around the work and life of Inspector Morse before he was the Inspector everyone knew and loved.

Before this show came about there were 33 made for tv films starring the late John Thaw as the brilliant but obviously imperfect detective who worked his way to uncovering the truth of a crime. This particular show is in a way a precursor to the films in which we watch as a younger Detective Constable Morse finding his way to becoming the great detective that we see later on in the films.

It stars Shaun Evans as Endeavour Morse and Roger Allam as Fred Thursday, the Detective Inspector who takes the inexperienced Endeavour under his wings and teaches him what he needs to know to be a better detective.

Netflix has the pilot film available and it runs about an hour and a half. Oh it is sooo brilliant! Even I couldn't figure out who the real murderer was and I loved how Endeavour was able to piece the truth together. It really is a smart series!

Season One is also available on Netflix and I am still devouring that. I really like how all the elements of the truth of the story is show in pieces at the very beginning of an episode but you do not have any idea how they will come together. I get especially surprised because all the pieces at first glance look to have nothing in common with each other. Well, that is when Endeavour steps in and uses his brilliance to pull the pieces together.

A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Blog, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Period TV Shows, Endeavour
A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Blog, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Period TV Shows, Endeavour

Season Two has already aired in the UK and when I finish Season One I will have to dig around for those episodes but I have a suspicion that each episode will be just as fantastic as the previous one.

If you find the beginning of the episode to unfold too slowly, just stick with it because you will not be disappointed on how it all comes together. It is almost like watching a flower bloom.

The Real Philomena Lee

April 29, 2014
A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Nerd, The Real Philomena Lee, Philomena, Real Life People, Classic Movie Blog

I hope you enjoyed my spotlight on the film Philomena and that you are able to watch it one day. As I promised, I wanted to share with you a bit about the life of the real Philomena Lee. Why? Because sometimes it is good to be reminded on how blessed we are in our lives and also to be reminded that at the end of it all we can still rise above it.

Philomena Lee was an average girl of her time who was without the understanding or foreknowledge about relationships, romance, and sex. Before she knew it she was eighteen and pregnant and disowned by her own family. With nowhere to go she entered into the Sean Ross Abbey where Anthony Lee was born 

Anthony Lee spent the first three years of his life at the Abbey with his mother, Philomena. She had to work for the Abbey cleaning laundry for four years to pay for her delivery of Anthony. Life at the Abbey was filled with silence and even more Penance for the nuns declared these girls and young women as "fallen".  She was allowed to see her child for one hour a day and then one day her son was taken away. It was that easy and it happened that quickly. Can you imagine that? The nuns told her he was being placed in a good Catholic family and that is when Philomena's life changed forever.

Anthony was adopted by an American family and his name changed to Michael Hess. It is said that his adoptive mother was kind and loving but that he never felt close to his father. He did receive a wonderful education and became a lawyer. He was quite successful at it and even worked for both President Reagen and President George Bush (Senior).

Philomena's worst fear was that she would never find her son or that he would never be interested in finding her. I am sure a worry many adoptive children and birth parents have. She told her husband whom she married in 1959 but afterwards never spoke of Anthony until about 43 years later when she confessed it to her second child, Jane (she also has a second son named Kevin). It was Jane that helped Philomena begin her quest to find the son that was taken from her. With the help of Jane and Martin Sixsmith, Philomena was able to find her son Anthony and also find closure. Her journey wasn't easy and the nuns repeatedly told her that they had no information. Sadly, they also told Anthony that they had no information on his birth mother other than that she abandoned him. By then Anthony was dying from illnesses related to AIDS.

At the end of her journey Philomena found out that her son was a gay man who had a brilliant career, was loved by many, and had tragically died young at the age of 43 in 1995. His partner was able to gift Philomena with knowledge about her son and that he did search for her. His last wish was to be buried at the Sean Ross Abbey in the hopes that his mother would find him. And find him she did. Philomena's story is bittersweet but at the end of it all she told her story to her family and to the world. And she did the impossible, she forgave the nuns for what they did and for keeping Anthony and Philomena apart by not divulging any information. Her story hits home for me because I have a three year old son. I look at him and I think, what would my life be like without him in it?

Philomena's story should teach us that we should never feel shame for who we are or shame because of the poor choices we make in life. No ONE is perfect. And Philomena's forgiveness for the life altering wrong these religious women bestowed upon her is a testament to rising above the ugly of this world.

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 Philomena before she became pregnant with Anthony

A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Nerd, The Real Philomena Lee, Philomena, Real Life People, Classic Movie Blog
 Anthony Lee before his adoption-Sean Ross Abbey

A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Nerd, The Real Philomena Lee, Philomena, Real Life People, Classic Movie Blog
 Anthony Lee with one of the nuns at the Abbey

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Philomena at her son Anthony's grave

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Philomena with her daughter Jane in 2013


Special Cinema Spotlight: Philomena (2013)

April 28, 2014
A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Nerd, Philomena Movie, Special Cinema Spotlight, Movie Reviews, Classic Movie Blog

From the moment I saw the preview to this film I knew I had to see it. Philomena is film about a woman who gave up her child in the 1950's and then many years later began searching for him. But after watching this film I learned it was so much more than that.

The film is loosely based on a book called The Lost Child of Philomena Lee by Martin Sixsmith. The book focuses more on Philomena and her child but the film includes her special connection and relationship with Martin Sixsmith who is played by Steve Coogan.

The actor Steve Coogan actually purchased the rights to the book and co-wrote the screenplay for the film.

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Philomena Lee was a young and inexperienced girl from Ireland who had a fling with a man in which she fell pregnant. Her family disowned her and she was sent to Sean Ross Abbey, a convent in order to give birth. Afterwards she was forced to work their laundry for four years to pay back her stay. One day she discovers that her son who was named Anthony Lee, was taken away and given up for adoption.

I was nervous about watching those scenes but oh they filmed and edited them so well. They were created to be flashbacks to the elderly Philomena played by the great Dame Judi Dench. They were done so tastefully and not dragged out or over dramatized. 

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Martin Sixsmith (who is a journalist) is going through a shift of his career when he hears about Philomena's story from her daughter. There they both begin a journey that brings them full circle, literally.

Philomena has searched at the convent numerous times searching for her son and Martin helps her continue that search that leads them traveling from Ireland to America.

It is there that we find out the story of Anthony and Philomena has to decided whether or not she should carry the burden of shame, guilt, and anger or learn to forgive herself and possibly the nuns at the convent.

There are a few twists to the tale that I will share more in tomorrow's post when I share with you who the real Philomena Lee is. That post will contain spoilers to this film because I will share with you how her story ends which was included in the film.

After watching this film all I wanted to do is scoop up my three babies and just hold them really tight. Alas, they were already sleeping in their beds when I finished watching it but the next day I sure did hold them tight. Why you may wonder? Because I cannot imagine being pregnant and having my family throw me away, I cannot imagine not having any loving support, and I cannot imagine have my child taken away from me because someone else sees me unfit for whatever reason.

In Philomena's case she was seen as unfit by the nuns at the convent because she had a child out of wedlock and therefore losing her son was seen by them as penance. Yes, you just read that.

Tune in tomorrow if you would like to learn more about Philomena Lee and her story.

Spending The Afternoon at Chiller

April 27, 2014
A Vintage Nerd

Today I spent the rare day out without the kiddies and with my husband, brother, and his partner attending the Chiller Theater Expo. It becoming a yearly tradition for the four of us to get together and attend this fun event. The Chiller Expo is a place where you can meet actors and celebrities of yesteryear and of today. If you are a fan of television and film then this is a must see event.

This Chiller Theater event is my fourth. The first was in 2006 and the second you can read about HERE (in my old blog) and HERE.

What I like about attending this event is that I get a chance to meet tv/film actors from classic tv shows and films that I love and also some from today. I love being able to tell them thank you for what they have done artistically and it is such a pleasure to be able to chat with them.

Before I share with you who I met, I want to share what I wore. I wore a cotton 1950's dress that has little white hearts (they look like dots from afar) all over and a beautiful floral design at the bottom. I paired it up with a cardigan from Old Navy, a 1950's white wicker purse, and a bracelet I purchased in an Antique Mall. I wore my favorite shade of lipstick, Snow Peach (a shade of coral), and painted my nails with OPI's Brazil Collection, a shade called "Where Did Suzi-Man Go?"

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This Chiller I really wanted to meet Bob McGrath who played the character of Bob on Sesame Street. If you don't know by now, I am a huge Sesame Street fan. Hello. aren't you too old for this? I know you must be asking in your head, but really as a child who didn't grow up with a lot of money or with cable or trips to Disney, Sesame Street (thank you PBS!) became that special magical place to go to. Plus I learned a lot.

Now my children are fans and well, I want to thank Bob for bringing such joy into my life. He is getting older so I knew I had to take the chance to meet him. I was giddy and felt like a happy five year old. He was wonderful and everything I imagined. I actually feel blessed to have met him.

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Next on my list was to meet Paul Peterson. You may remember him from The Donna Reed Show but he was also cast as Cary Grant's son in Houseboat. I really wanted to ask him about working with Cary and he was so kind to answer my question. He told me he was friends with him until the end of Cary's life (1986) and that Cary told him one time that he never forgot that he was Archie Leach. That remembering that and not forgetting who he really was kept him grounded. If you didn't know, Cary's real name was Archibald Leach.

A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Nerd, Chiller Theater, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Vintage Fashion Blog
A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Nerd, Chiller Theater, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Vintage Fashion Blog

The last person I took a photo with was Gil Birmingham who is known for playing the role of Billy Black in The Twilight films. Ladies, this man is 60 years old and dare I say dreamy with a capital D. A very handsome man in person.

We met a few others and I almost went to meet Shirley Jones and Priscilla Presley but I didn't feel comfortable with the amount they were charging or the way they presented themselves. We walked around and spoke to a few other folks and my brother got to meet Norman Reedus from The Walking Dead. That line was bonkers and my legs couldn't take it so I did my best and still had a blast.

I have to say I love dressing up when I go to this event. So many of the guests that are there notice and appreciate a lady wearing vintage and I appreciate that as well. I love to show others that a woman can look attractive, beautiful, desirable, and dare I say sexy-without showing everything she has. Grandma raised me well!

If you ever get a chance to attend this event or other events like it, I say do it!

10 Vintage Hair Setting Commandments

April 25, 2014
A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Blog, Vintage Hair Tips, 10 Vintage Hair Setting Commandments, Retro Lifestyle Blog

Yesterday I had the delight to share with you a few pages from my latest beauty find, the Dell Purse Book from 1963. At the end of my post I promised I would share with you today something really neat that contains a lot of helpful hair tips. These tips are to help you do your best hair setting for your vintage hairstyles or any hairstyle. I hope after reading these tips you will feel your best in setting your hair.

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Dell Purse Book from 1963: 75 Hair Styles

April 25, 2014
A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Blog, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Vintage Beauty Book, Dell Purse Book, Vintage Hairstyle Tutorials, How To Set Your Hair, 1960's Hairstyle Inspiration

I'm so glad so many of you enjoyed my second attempt at a 1960's flip. I found a lot of information and inspiration for a little guidebook that I found on ebay. After reading through the book I also discovered that there are many vintage Dell Purse Books available and if you can ever acquire one I hope you do. They are mini books of oodles of information and compact enough to put into your purse, hence the name. So far I have only seen them from the 1960's to the early 1980's but I love them!

This particular book is from 1963 and included 75 amazing hairstyles. The best part is that the book also gave images of each hairstyle and diagrams on how to set your rollers to achieve that style. Now how neat is that??!!

The first eight or so pages tells you how to care for your hair, what tools you need to achieve the looks, and what makes a great hairdo. Its little things like that I find so charming about vintage magazines, just the abundance of guidance. You can almost sense that those who put together the magazines and guidebooks in the past wanted you to look your best and achieve your best look.

A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Blog, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Vintage Beauty Book, Dell Purse Book, Vintage Hairstyle Tutorials, How To Set Your Hair, 1960's Hairstyle Inspiration
A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Blog, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Vintage Beauty Book, Dell Purse Book, Vintage Hairstyle Tutorials, How To Set Your Hair, 1960's Hairstyle Inspiration
A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Blog, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Vintage Beauty Book, Dell Purse Book, Vintage Hairstyle Tutorials, How To Set Your Hair, 1960's Hairstyle Inspiration

The last pages of the book showed how to set you hair and how to put the rollers in your hair. I loved it because it broke it down so simply.

I hope you enjoy some of the pages of my 1963 Dell Purse Book, tomorrow I will share the final and most fantastic tips the book gives. I think you will have a hoot reading through them.

Flipping Out A Little Bit More

April 24, 2014
A Vintage Nerd, 1960s Hairstyles, 1960s Hair Flip, Vintage Hairstyles, Vintage Blog

Getting good with anything takes practice. Hairstyles can be tricky especially if you have curly or wavy hair. I try to practice when I can. This was my first attempt at doing a 1960's hair flip which you can see HERE.  I have been practicing a little bit more recently so here is my latest attempt at a 1960's flip hairstyle. What do you think?

A Vintage Nerd, 1960s Hairstyles, 1960s Hair Flip, Vintage Hairstyles, Vintage Blog

Reading Up On 1960's Hairstyles

April 22, 2014
A Vintage Nerd

Yesterday I mentioned about my casual reading in the park. I was reading through a 1960's Hairstyles magazine from August 1965.

I have never fully mastered my hair but I have been practicing more than ever. I think depending on your type of hair, the quality of your hair, the length, the cut, and the time frame you have-figuring out your hair can become a challenging thing to conquer.

I find hairstyles from any ear to be fascinating. I mean minus the 80s and 90s because I did them all minus coloring my hair but primarily pre-1969. It is just so interesting how women took so much time out of their day to get their hair done in the era specific style that was popular at the time. But I have noticed that after you do figure out your hair challenges and find remedies for them (ie setting lotions, creams, serums, etc) and you put in the practice-even the most complicated hairstyle can be done with ease.

Here is a bit of what was inside this great issue of 1960's hairstyles:

Vintage Ads
1960's Hairstyles
1960's Hairstyles
1960's Hairstyles

The photo above is a sample of how a teen girl could do her hair. Sweet, simple, and cute I think. The photo below is my favorite-it show's how to do a proper brushout after you have taken the rollers out of your hair. I find for any set that you do, the way you brush it out really makes a difference because it is in the brushing out that you mold and create your look.


I really do enjoy vintage magazines. They are just oodles of fun to read through and you just learn so much about day to day living during the decades past.

Do you enjoy vintage magazines? What do you like or dislike about them?

An Old Fashioned Day at the Park

April 21, 2014
A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Blog, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Freddie's of Pinewood Jeans

One of the many wonderful things that happens when spring finally does arrive is the chance to do some activities outdoors. You can take a nice stroll, a long drive around the neighborhood with the windows down, or hang out at the park and get some light reading done.

A few days ago I woke up in a 1940's kind of mood. Who says anyone has to stick to one decade? I love it all and wanted to get back to the decade closest to my heart. I scored this amazing 1960's magazine dedicated to hairstyles and I love it to bits!

Tune into tomorrow when I share the fabulous insides to this magazine and you can see all the inspirational and creative hairstyles up close.

Hippity Hop It's Easter Day

April 21, 2014
A Vintage Nerd, 1950's Vintage Pink Dress, Authentic Vintage Style, Vintage Easter, Retro Lifestyle Blog

Happy Easter and Happy Sunday to you all! I hope you all have rested and enjoyed your weekend. It has been crazy busy at the vintage nerd household. Today was jammed packed with lots of Easter activities. The kiddies had a visit from their grandparents, received Easter baskets and went on our 4th annual egg hunt which takes place inside our home. This year the kids asked if we could do it in their bedroom and our bedroom so mama complied of course. They went bonkers searching for eggs, it was such a whoot hearing them and watching them. 

After all the egg hunting was completed we walked over to our local park/playground and the children enjoyed the slides and being with their grandpa (my dad). We ending our day with my husband's mother's family who live nearby and I held my one month old nephew a bit and the children had a chance to play with their other cousin who is my daughter's age. Let's just say the kids are sleeping very well tonight! 

I wore my 1940's pink dress that I wore for my Revlon Legacy Lipstick post. I paired it with a modern cardigan from Maurices, simple pearl stud earrings, some of my Moonglow bracelets, and a brooch from the 1930's with Mary on it. I thought it would be fitting for the day.

It was a busy day indeed but the fact that we were together and that the children were so happy has made me equally happy. It is the little things that count and you don't have to do anything fancy or expensive to make your day special and fun. Today was proof of that.

Easter Greetings

April 20, 2014
A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Easter, Vintage Easter Card, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Vintage Blog

Today I have been busy as a bee prepping my home, baking, and setting things up for Easter tomorrow. I am sure many of you are busy as well so I just want to send you a short but sweet message and hope that your Easter is grand.

The Beauty of Easter's Past

April 19, 2014
A Vintage Nerd, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Vintage Blog, Vintage Easter Photos


This weekend is Easter weekend, typically a time of reflection and growth. Pre-1970's most families took the season of Easter seriously that the traditions of Easter Sunday dinners were formed and looking their "Easter Sunday Best" began. Women and girls wore their prettiest dresses and matched them with hats/bonnets and paired them with gloves.

I love that families took how they dressed and presented themselves so seriously. I feel like that is something families in modern societies are missing. I was taught to dress up to go to the theater so when I see people going with flip flops and shorts it would make me cringe.

A Vintage Nerd, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Vintage Blog, Vintage Easter Photos
A Vintage Nerd, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Vintage Blog, Vintage Easter Photos
A Vintage Nerd, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Vintage Blog, Vintage Easter Photos

It does take a bit of effort to dress up but it feels fantastic to look at yourself and your family and see them dressed at their best. I just adore it and in my home we dress up for many events. I am trying to teach my children the importance of taking care of themselves and respecting themselves and their appearance is a part of that. I refer to my daughter as a lady and my sons as gentlemen. I know its going against society of today but those were the beautiful little things that people did back then that I admire, enjoy, and relish in.

I don't know if many of you will be celebrating Easter this year but I thought about those in the past and the lovely ensembles they wore and thought you may get a kick out of seeing a few photos. I photos range from the 1940's to the 1960's.

I think it's lovely to take pride in your appearance on Easter or any day. There are days for jeans and yoga pants but there are also days for dresses and hats and yes gloves. Why not?

Do you have your Easter outfit all ready? Why do you think people made such a fuss back then about Easter and how they dressed?

Classic Films of 1967 Edition of What Would You Do?

April 18, 2014
A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Blog, Films of 1967, Classic Film Blog

I have realized I have not done an installment on my What Would You Do? film series in sometime. So today I bring you Classic Films of 1967 Edition of What Would You Do?

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The story of Valley of the Dolls  follows three ambitious career women who are trying to make something of themselves. The three women quickly bond and we watch how each travels along their path in their careers as well as witness their triumphs and failures.

One of the girls is named Neely O'Hara (Patty Duke) who has a talent for singing. Neely is mistreated by the lead of the show named Helen Lawson (Susan Hayward) and is eventually fired because Lawson sees Neely as a threat. When Neely becomes a big star herself she ends up treating other like Lawson did.

What Would You Do?

Would you have done just about anything to further your career? Would you let yourself turn into the very thing that you hated most?

A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Blog, Films of 1967, Classic Film Blog, The Graduate

The Graduate was the top film of 1967. It starred Anne Bancroft who plays Mrs. Robinson who seduces a recent college graduate by the name of Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman). Benjamin has no direction in his life and allows the seduction to happen but what he didn't expect was to fall in love with Mrs. Robinson's daughter, Elaine (Katherine Ross). At the end of the film Ben has broken it off with Mrs. Robinson and Elaine is getting ready to marry someone else. Ben finds the church and escapes with Elaine hand in hand.

What Would You Do?

First off, would you have an affair with one of your parents friends? That is a big question. Then would you have pursued a relationship with the person you had an affair with's child? Would you have continued to pursue them even when they were getting married to someone else? I think Ben needed time to reflect on why he was making such major life mistakes that did eventually alter the lives of so many.

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Bonnie and Clyde was actually considered a landmark film at the time because it included sex and violence in a way that attracted younger audiences. The film is based on the true story of criminals and fugitives, Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker.

Set in the middle of the Great Depression, we following Bonnie as she meets Clyde and decides to leave her job as a waitress and take up a life of crime with him. Eventually their actions catch up to them and eventually they were killed.

What Would You Do?

Would you have left your job as a waitress during the Great Depression in order to run off with some guy you just met? I don't care how cute the guy is, that is borderline nuts! Would you have entered into a life of crime because you were bored? Would you have stayed with that same person knowing they were heading down a path of violence and death?

A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Blog, Films of 1967, Classic Film Blog, Barefoot in the Park

Barefoot in the Park is based on a play written by Neil Simon. It stars Robert Redford as the uptight husband named Paul and Jane Fonda as the fun-loving wife named Corie.

Corie and Paul are two very different people and one day Corie thinks to herself that they are too different to be together. She finds Paul to be cautious and she wants to be carefree. Before she realizes this she asked him to go walk with her barefoot in the park. Paul thinks that is a mad idea and declines. Which leads to after Corie kicks him out of their tiny apartment Paul gets drunk and walks all over the park barefoot. The tables are turned and it is Corie who is cautious and Paul who is carefree. They eventually reconcile.

What Would You Do?

I just ask you this..would you walk barefoot in the park to prove a point to the person you loved?

A Vintage Nerd Book Club: Great World War II Projects

April 17, 2014
A Vintage Nerd, Great World War II Projects Books, 1940's Books, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Vintage Blog

Great World War II Projects combines history and creativity in one book. The book is separated into two parts; Part I-On the Home front and Part II-On the Front Lines. The first four pages of the book contain  simple to follow guide on the history of World War II. The book breaks it up and shares who the important people were, the war timeline, and maps to show who were the allies and the axis powers.

Then comes a lengthy introduction which is about five pages long. It really gives a simple but detailed look at the war and the affects it had throughout the world.The pages following after include all sorts of tidbits of information on the homefront and front lines. The books almost feels like a "WWII for dummies" book but I love it because it would be easy for a pre-teen or teenager to follow.

With all the information and various WWII themed projects I really believe this would be a fantastic book that a young person can do with their parent and they can really learn about WWII in a very hands on manner. Ever wanted to teach your child or a someone you know more about the war in a way that they could easily follow and understand? This book would be fantastic for that.

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A Vintage Nerd, Great World War II Projects Books, 1940's Books, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Vintage Blog
A Vintage Nerd, Great World War II Projects Books, 1940's Books, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Vintage Blog

The projects range from from making planes, to making pins, to making flip books. There are a lot of really neat craft projects in here. I do find though that there is more information than they have projects but I can't complain because the way they share the information is creative and well informational.

I love this book and I will definitely be using it when my children get a bit older because this time in history is close to my heart for many reason. The two biggest being my grandfather was a WWII hero and the other being I want my children to learn from the mistakes of others and see what people are capable of-both good and bad. I think this book would be wonderful for any avid WWII "fan" to own and like I said already, it would be a wonderful tool in helping to teach younger people about that time, the affects of the war, and the affects after the war.

If you would like to purchase this book just go to Amazon and click HERE. Another book I found that sounds interesting and also geared toward teaching children about the history of WWII is a book called World War II for Kids: A History with 21 Activities which you can find HERE.

Time To Say Goodbye To The Old and Hello To New

April 15, 2014
A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Nerd, Lynda Carter, Retro Lifestyle Blog

Ever look in the mirror and say to yourself, "my hair looks so drab, I need a change!". Well ladies and gents, I am officially fed up with all the whites and grays that have been creeping into my hair for years now. I have been putting it off until it got so bad that I would have to start dyeing it only because dyeing your hair is such a huge commitment. I wouldn't be able to do it on my own hair for many reasons so I would have to get it professionally done and then every two weeks go in for touch ups. Plus I would have to start using specialized shampoo/conditioners for treated hair and make sure my hair doesn't get drier than it already is. Like I said, it is a huge step.

But I am so done with it. I cannot believe that at 38 years old the pigment is leaving my hair. My hair used to look closer to black most of my life and now it actually looks dark brown. Its pretty trippy to watch the pigment leave your hair. There isn't anything I can do about it. I find that the darker the hair the sooner one looses their pigment and at that point the only two options a person has is to either go natural or begin dyeing their hair.

Because I am still young I don't want to go all natural just yet. I would be okay with it at 50 and definitely at 60 but I am a woman in her 30s with three small children and I want to look my best which will always help in feeling my best. I think I am ready for that step. But before I show you the shade I would love to have I would like to share my brunette hair inspirations. The four ladies that I looked up to hair-wise as a child and young adult. You don't see very often dark haired women in the spotlight but when you do, boy do they shine.

Brunette Old Hollywood starlets make me remember why I love my dark hair. I have to say that its broken my heart that my hair color is changing because I always loved the contrast between my fair skin and dark hair. I suppose these are the things that come with age. But its time for me to embrace the idea of dyeing my hair. 

I am definitely going to move forward with this change no later than the end of May. The sooner the better I am hoping but I'd love to hear your opinion. Should I embrace my dark tresses or try a new shade?

Finding 1960's Style Inspiration

April 14, 2014
A Vintage Nerd, 1960's Fashion Inspiration, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Vintage Blog

As you know I get a kick out of the 1960's. It was the generation that my parents both became teenagers and adults so I grew up listening to the pop, rock, and folk music. I mean you can give me some Jim Croce any day and I would be happy!

I  realized that I real want to implement some 1960's in my wardrobe without fully dressing vintage.  Here is some 1960's fashion that I find inspirational. What part of these looks would you incorporate into your wardrobe?

A Vintage Nerd, 1960's Fashion Inspiration, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Vintage Blog
A Vintage Nerd, 1960's Fashion Inspiration, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Vintage Blog
A Vintage Nerd, 1960's Fashion Inspiration, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Vintage Blog
A Vintage Nerd, 1960's Fashion Inspiration, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Vintage Blog
A Vintage Nerd, 1960's Fashion Inspiration, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Vintage Blog



Learning By Watching Classic Films

April 14, 2014

A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Blog, Classic Film Blog, Retro Lifestyle Blog, Old Hollywood Blog
I learn so much from watching films, don't you? I either learn what not to do or what I would like to do or sometimes I just learn that its nice to just sit back and watch a good film. Either way, I never walk away from a film and feel as though I didn't gain something watching it. In very rare cases I walk away thinking, "wow that was a really horrible film". But honestly so far I have not walked away from any classic films and thought that. I don't think I ever will.

Have you learned anything from watching a classic film and if so, which film was it?

Classic Cinema Spotlight: Soylent Green (1973)

April 12, 2014
A Vintage Nerd, Soylent Green 1973, Old Hollywood Movies, Classic Film Blog, Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson Soylent Green

I normally don't blog about 1970's films but gee this one is one I think that would blow your minds! It is called Soylent Green and it stars Charlton Heston, Leigh Taylor-Young, and Edward G. Robinson in his final role. Inspired by a book published in 1966 called Make Room! Make Room! about the consequences of unchecked population growth, this film adds a twist ending that will have you screaming in your head for days.

The film is set in the year 2022 and there 40 million people in New York. The cities and the world in general is severely overpopulated. Most of the population survives on rations produced by the Soylent Corporation. The latest product is something called Soylent Green which is said to be made my high energy plankton. Heston is a NYC police detective named Robert Thorn who lives with his friend Sol Roth played by Robinson. He remembers the world the way it used to be and longs for it. Sol helps Thorn with cases using the books he has and their relationship is one of like a grandfather and grandson. It is endearing and a pleasure to watch them on screen together.

As Thorn goes to investigate a murder he meets a woman named Shirl played by Taylor-Young who is a concubine but in that time people like her are referred to as furniture. He befriends her and looks further into the case of her benefactor named Simonson (Joseph Cotten) who is a member of the elite wealthy and also a member of the Board of Soylent. He finds classified Oceanographic Surveys and gives them to Sol to read. Thorn's investigation takes some twists and turns and it begins to look like Simonson was assassinated. The question though is why? Sol on the other hand takes this new survey information to like minded folks and they all agree that the oceans are no longer making plankton and it is from another source from which Soylent Green is made.

Sol cannot bear the knowledge of knowing what Soylent Green is really made of so he decides to seek a peace at a assisted suicide clinic that is referred to as "home". Thorn tries to save Sol but instead Sol tells him about Soylent Green and asks him to expose the truth. In the scene where Sol is dying it is said the tears that Heston sheds are genuine because before they filmed the scene Robinson told him that he was dying and didn't have long to live. A truly powerful and genuine scene. It will give you chills. Robinson was a prolific actor and in his last scene in his last film role you can see why.

Now that Thorn knows the truth he attempts to get in contact with the Lieutenant in his precinct named Hatcher (Brock Peters) but begins to be chased down by the same man who assassinated Simonson. It seems Simonson realized that he didn't want to be a part of the Soylent Green plan and was therefore eliminated. The film ends with the man who killed Simonson named Fielding (Chuck Connors) being murdered by Thorn in self defense inside of a church. Thorn is injured himself when Lieutenant Hatcher shows up and Thorn shouts out with all his strength....

Det. Thorn: Hatcher, get to the Exchange. You gotta tell them they're right.
Hatcher: But let's take care of you first.
Det. Thorn: You don't understand. I've got proof. They need proof, I've seen it. I've seen it happening. They've gotta tell people.
Hatcher: Tell them what?
Det. Thorn: The ocean's dying. Plankton's dying. It's people. Soylent Green is made out of people. They're making our food out of people. Next thing, they'll be breeding us like cattle for food. You've gotta tell them. You've gotta tell them!
Hatcher: I promise. Tiger. I promise. I'll tell the Exchange.
Det. Thorn: You tell everybody. Listen to me. Hatcher. You've gotta tell 'em! SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE! We gotta stop them! Somehow! Listen! Listen to me… PLEASE!!!
A Vintage Nerd, Soylent Green 1973, Old Hollywood Movies, Classic Film Blog, Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson Soylent Green
A Vintage Nerd, Soylent Green 1973, Old Hollywood Movies, Classic Film Blog, Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson Soylent Green
A Vintage Nerd, Soylent Green 1973, Old Hollywood Movies, Classic Film Blog, Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson Soylent Green
A Vintage Nerd, Soylent Green 1973, Old Hollywood Movies, Classic Film Blog, Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson Soylent Green
A Vintage Nerd, Soylent Green 1973, Old Hollywood Movies, Classic Film Blog, Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson Soylent Green
A Vintage Nerd, Soylent Green 1973, Old Hollywood Movies, Classic Film Blog, Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson Soylent Green

 
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