DIY Fun!!

 
Hello Lovelies, 

Yes your DIY diva Cherry is here ready to over haul a dress that you previously saw on our post "A Thrift store Romp!" Often you will find few dresses with fabrics that are interesting but the dress may need few nips here and there. I know, I know its a lot of work and frankly for something you are spending your hard earned chips on you dont want to work that hard on it, well I say that its the nature of the beast when buying vintage and Trust me I am with you and most of the time but sometimes its little things such as sleeve extraction, hem, or taking in the waist. as stated before these things are part of shopping in thrift stores or buying vintage in general, it wouldn't be worth it if it where easy right? Now a little disclaimer, I am not a professional tailor, therefore, the major work or the things that are impossible for me to handle are done by a professional tailor with whom I enlist to help. But that does not mean that I can not do little rehabs on a dresses here and there that needs my attention, that is where my handed down sewing skills come into play.

 For instants, lets put our focus on this dress. This is not the style I would prefer for myself but I fell in love with the print. It must have been made in the late 80's early 90's no doubt someone's mother or grandmother loved this little number, that's the fun with buying any vintage there is alwaus a story to be uncovered these garments have history and I love that aspect of it. I saw some potential in this dress for example, the pleated skirt is just heavenly when it falls around a well positioned petty-coat. There wasn't a whole lot I had to do to make it suitable to my specific needs, I removed the shoulder pads to compliment the dress better. After making this change, I tried the dress on to focus better on what I liked and disliked about the dress.

 I figured if I remove the sleeves and maybe the dress would look better sometimes less is more and in this case, less fabric in the arm region balanced out the dress better.   

The picture on the right indicates how the dress looks like after the alteration.  After the alteration I tried the dress one more time and to my amusement it did the trick and the dress looked so much better that I decided nothing else had to be done. Sometimes, just a simple adjustment can do the magic and the dress may look like its new again. Since I do not like to waste any left over fabric I always try to find a way to recycles these materials that could mean making a hair accessories, perhaps a bow of some sort or maybe I'll send it to my friend at "Rambunctious Creations" to make me something special. I will keep you posted!!! I know! I know! It does not look like much on the hanger but check out the finished products here!  

Hu? Did I tell you or what, a  fabulous dress right? Even though the sleeve area was the only place that needed some major work, the dress holds up don't you think?  I personally feel like I need a bigger pettie coat to make it poof a little more but all and out I think it was a great find and it looks great. Then again I'm bias because I just love the darn thing, now I thought I would do a simple rehab before I do something more challenging with a more tricky problem dress with redeeming features. This is just to show you that not all the dresses are jem's but with a few redeeming features, a little elbow grease, creativity and know how these dresses can be something great again.  

Well that's all for now my Lovelies and as always keep it classy!! 

 

 

A Little Glassware Obsession!

Hello My Lovelies!!

Your friendly Caption Cherry here with a little confession....I Bad Luck Cherry have an obsession with glassware...yes its true every time I am in the thrift store I cant resist the call of home decor and especially the call of something shiny and gracefully shaped...I have amassed quite a collection that I absolutely love and my significant other wishes I would stop bringing home, but I say nay to him and if I have the wampum to do so then I shall cash in my chips and get that bowl or whatever I cant live with out. these are just a few of my favorite pieces and how I have incorporated them into my life.

Now just a brief history, glassware has been around since the 3500 B.C.E in Mesopotamia; the word "glass" was coined in the Roman Empire. In the 19th century many different styles of artistic glassware became extremely popular, especially with the Art Nouveau movements and the wonderful use of glass. There has been many different movements in the world of glass from the French to Louis Comfort Tiffany with his colored glass panels in the famous Tiffany's lamps. Different companies sprang up with industrial improvements and innovations offering their glassware to the masses. The different styles have gone and continue to go in and out of fashion but one thing remains the same their beauty.

Okay now with that said here are my top favorite glassware in my collection, this pieces that I scored at a rummage sale in my town that happens once every other year, this time my bestie Lolita went with me and I found this pretty crystal apple. its a container that I keep my cotton balls in on my vanity, I nearly leaped over someone to nab it so it's got a special place in my heart. 

The next one is actually a sugar dish with a matching lid, I don't know where its from only that I've had it a really long time. I think its from my grandmothers china cabinet and she let me play with it as a kid (Can't understand why) but I always loved it and kept it nice. Nowadays it's life is spent on my vanity holding cotton pads right next to my apple, They add something to the vanity that I really can't explain...a sort of elegance. This is a really pretty Fan dish that I use to keep my nail files on and the nail polish of the moment, I am forever loosing nail flies and the polish I'm using so I put it front and center. 

 

This is my ring holder, this is something else that I have had since I was a little girl. I can't remember if it was my grandmother's or my mother's, I do remember seeing it on my mother's dresser holding her beautiful rings it just enamored me as a young girl. When my mother put it in the cabinet I took my chance and have had it ever sense. The next is well its not something that's on my vanity but it was a gift, its a punch bowl with the matching cups. my friend Linda bought this for me for Christmas and I squealed with joy after getting it. 

The last few aren't something that I got in a thrift store, one was a gift the other few I bought at a really good price on amazon. These are my beloved Egyptian glass perfume bottles where I keep my perfume oils, this needs a little explaining. I do wear regular perfume but from day to day it can get very costly, we are all about being glamorous on a budget so why not economize with out compromising quality! Well that's why for everyday I use perfume oils, they stay on your skin longer and don't wear off till you shower. Still I find the scent lingers a bit but I find the scent of vanilla or jasmine is not so disagreeable to linger about (More on my perfume oils later). 

This one was the gift from my mama Mona, to me its the most special and I love it dearly so I put a sweet smelling oil in it and as you can see I use it the most. I have to say buying them was great but getting glasswere as a gift is even better,

Well that's it for this post my lovelies catch you on the flip side!    

Quick Tips!

Hey there My lovely readers, 

your friendly neighbor hood Swag Queen Cherry here with a fast and easy tip to baby soft skin!!! Yes, you heard me right, baby soft skin in a matter of a week, provided you do this religiously. I know, but what's a little work for something that will have people talking? Anyhoo, here is the helpful tip that I was given the skivvy to by my instructor extraordinar  Ms.Misty.... and according to her, instead of toweling off right away after a shower or bath, lightly pat yourself dry so your not dripping wet, and while still damp start to put on your lotion. Now it will take some doing because your still technically wet but trust me my little chick-a-dee's, it works like a charm! 

Yes, after hearing this little tip-o-la I went home and gave it a go for a week, and I have to say my skin is so soft you wouldn't believe it! My skin not only feels more hydrated, its over all appearance is much better as well. Not only that, my skin stays hydrated longer. Yes, after two weeks of this wonderful new habit I have baby soft skin all over....from my head to my toes, yep, yep!!

Now I know what your thinking, my bathroom routine is already lengthy and time consuming, and this little additive will set you back at least three minutes on top of everything else. But I say to you, what's three minutes when you think of how baby soft and healthy your skin will be as a result! And really, results are all I really ask for and its free....well as far as you dont have to buy anything new, just the lotion you already use....details, details.... catch you lovelies later! 

And as always keep it classy... 

Painted Pin Ups!

Hello my little shipmates!!

Your Captain Cherry here with a lovely segment called ‘Painted Pin Ups', little monthly posts where Lolita and I gush about pinup art work and give a little information about the artists that created them. I would first like to introduce you to Hilda. She is the fun loving red headed full figured gal that I have come to love as of late. I remember a few months ago becoming aware of her through a mutual friends facebook page and found myself enamored with her image. She seemed like so much fun, a girl that I would love to hangout with, I never got that feeling from other Pinup artwork but this lovely lady seemed more like a friend. After learning about this ball of fun and beauty I was naturally interested in the artist that created her, that’s when I found the man behind the voluptuous beauty, Duane Bryers.

Bryers was born in upper Peninsula of Michigan in 1911 on a farm with three brothers and two sisters, he later moved to northern Minnesota and left in 1939. He started drawing cartoons like he saw in the funny pages when he was five and then by the time he was older was never with out a sketch pad and paper. Bryers big break of sorts happened  in 1936 where he painted a mural in a high school in Minnesota which is still considered a historical treasure. This big break paid Bryers way to New York where he studied Art, in 1943-1946 while in the air force Bryer’s realized a childhood dream and created a comic strip called “Corky” (this is where he earned his bread and butter as a commercial artist). Later he began painting the Hilda collection in the mid 1950’s, He got the idea of a plump pinup girl, but worried how to sell it. He then took the idea of the series to the top calendar sellers in the country of the time Brown & Bigelow (now this company worked with nearly eveyr pin up artist of the era!) where the series went on for 36 years. Later in 1959 Bryers moved to Tuscon Arizona and started painting scenes that he considered ‘America’, beautiful renditions of the landscapes he seemed to love.

Hilda to me embodied not only beauty but the corkyness of pinup art that we all love, she is fun loving and really a barrel of laughs. There are many favorite prints to choose from when it comes to her images, my personal favorite is the one of her walking into the water with an umbrella holding a rubber floating doughnut in the other arm with the word ‘flour’ on her derriere. Her images just make you smile and you can't help but think that she is just having a really good time, Lolita said “she looks like she laughs a lot” and I would have to agree with her. She seems like the kind of gal that people gravitate to because of her endless lust for life and fun, the kind of girl you would love to have a few drinks with. Never have I felt this kind of strong happiness or elation to a pinup image, she is not just an ornament to be ogled she is a girl that does things. Hilda is a mover and a shaker, she fishes, sails, reads, dose chores, paints and is just so active. She is a woman that gets things done and doesn’t just sit around looking pretty. If anything as a plump beauty myself she is someone I can look up to in pinup art, a full figured girl with class and just enough cheekiness that makes her memorable for the ages. Please enjoy some this loveable dame's images!

 

Thank you for reading my lovelies

please comment below on a different

 artist you would like us to talk about

and as always keep it classy!

Josie Maran Review

Hello my Lovelies!!

Cherry here and today I am coming at you with a great review about Josie Maran Cosmetics. this was a gift I received during the holidays and really I'd like to thank my in laws for getting it for me, every year its something new and exciting. this year was no exception I recieved a Maran Argan oil bath gift set as shown above. It came with Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter in a vanilla fig,  Whipped Argan Oil Intensive Hand Cream in vanilla fig, Cleansing Oil for Body in vanilla fig scent, Then there was the small bottles of pure Argan oil. one in the sent of vanilla Fig, the other in the sent of jasmine, lavender, rose and the Organic moisturizing oil.

Now for years Argan Oil has been praised for its restorative properties to both skin and hair, I dont have to tell you that you can use it just about anywhere. from your head to your toes Argan oil can restore the luster to you hair moisturize your skin and cuticles!!! I've even found through my own research that there is food grade Argan oil that you can consume in your food to help with digestion and aid in the prevention of over all unhealthy disorgers. In knowing this its safe to say that these products are rather expensive, But if you where going to spend you hard earned cash on something the juice better be worth the squeeze so to speak. 

I have been useing these produces for a few days now and I have to say that it is deffinitly worth the squeeze! the products I use the most is the whipped body butter, the cleanser in the shower and the 100% pure Argan oil moisturizing oil on my scalp after washing my hair. I have to say that my skin looks and feels great! Much better then when I use the body lotions I usually use from bath & body works, I feel that over all my skin looks moisturized and it seems that my skin absorbs the product better then the other products. In saying that I went back to see if after my gift runs out I can keep up this good skin habit and I nearly choked at the price, 45$ seems a bit steep for me but I resolved that its a small price to pay for something that works so well for me. As I stated in my review of Return to beauty Book I have less then perfect skin and because I have allergy prone skin its hard to try new products that dont make my skin wig out! these products did nothing of the sort, they seemed to work with my skin rather then against it. So for the price I think I will be purchasing it again with a shaking finger clicking the confermation button. 

I know that smell is a large issue with some it is for me as well and I have to say the sent is rather sweet but not overwhelming or offensive I rather like the sent to be honest. the scented oils smell exactly the way they are labeled but again the scents are not over powering or overly heavy, I found them light and really nice to apply after getting out of the shower. I found that the over all scented oils work really well as base perfume for when I just get out of the shower and rub a little on my finger tips and then on my Décolletage.

 

 In knowing this I did look for similar products that where a bit more pocket book friendly, but the reviews on the different products didn't seem to stack up to this product so I had to concede I have been ruined because the Josie Maran products are just that worth it! In summation if you are in the market for some Argan products at a reasonable high end price then look no further this company is the one for you! 

Catch you on the flip side, Ta!  

A Thrift store Romp!

Hello Our Lovely Shipmates!!

Happy New year! We are coming to you today with our first of many Thrift store romps! Yes your friendly neighborhood  captains where mosying around town and did a little shopping for your enjoyment. now this first trip we  thought we would show you our favorite place to go for all the flashy budget friendly digs you know us for! that place is Superior Thrift Store! this place is the bees-neez and our go to spot where we never leave empty handed, its by far the best place to go for something amazing. 

We walked in with the flexable rules on our minds,

• We set our budgets

Your Swag Queen Cherry started with a budget of : 6$ 

Your Swag Queen Lolita started   with a budget of: 17$

naturally we where off from there, shopping with in the confined of a budget isn't the easiest thing to do but again it forces you to see the real need in your decor, wardrobe, or what ever you are there for. but we did manage to have fun with it all...there is Lolita striking a pose in the dressing room, believe it or not her doing silly poses between the too small dresses was historical. yes we laughed at how some dresses didn't fit us both and here is the picture of all the fun we where having! Even though countless dresses stroke out or just didn't wow us  there was swag to be had! we came away with a few little treasures that where worth the trip.

This was one of our lighter trips, we thought that we should take it slow this first go around. Though we took it easy this was in no means not a fruitful trip, there was much to be said about the discriminating eye of a girl with tight purse strings.

 In Cherry's Basket of goodies: 

• A Vintage Night gown set complete with gown and robe for 1.99$ 
• A dark red dress, with pleated skirt and long sleeves prime for a little rehab (more on that later!) for 1.99$
• A Wicker handbag for 99 cents  

 In Lolita's Basket of goodies: 

• A Floral sweetheart top for  1.99$
• A white vintage slip & a navy vintage slip for  99 cents a piece.
•  A Hawaiian top for  2.99$
•  A col bolt blue high waist skirt with side pockets for 3.99$

• A Black scarf with stars and crescent moon's (that Lolita said reminded her of sailor moon) for 1.99$

On target and under budget, we where pretty spot on with Lolita being the under budget winner in this trip. There you have it lovely readers our first Thrift store round up, more on the rehab of efforts for some of the garments if needed. Cherry promises to do a rehab tutorial's for clothing and other things we find handy in  thrift store...yay for DIY fun! 

we will catch you later!!!