Hello again!

Yes, I am still alive! I know I have not been around much and I am sorry about that. I have still been working on my photo series project. I am about ready to reveal some details soon. The project will be presented in installments, it is a story with pictures to go along with it. It will have the feel of an old time movie, t.v. series or radio show only in a written format with film noir style pictures. The photo shoots for the whole project from start to finish will probably take about 6 months possibly more, this is part of the reason why it will be coming out in installments plus the installments will give it more of an old time feel. I have had this idea to do this shoot for a couple of years now in the very beginning I was just going to do one photo shoot based on my idea (I will give you a hint regarding what the shoot is about, so I can hopefully perk up everybody's interest) the story is about a female private investigator in the 1950's. What started out to be one simple shoot has evolved into an entire series, it just kept expanding and growing in my head so there was nothing else to do but turn it into an actual story. So far the first couple of photo shoots have been a lot of fun and the photos have turned out super good. Currently the photos are being edited. However the first sets of photos to at least launch the series/story should be ready very soon. I will keep you all posted. Thank you everybody for hanging in there with me!

Cheers!

Brooksie

Just a small update!

I am just checking in to say hi, I know, I know, I have been away for a while! I am in the process of co-ordinating a large photo shoot series project that I and a few others will be modeling in. This series that I am spearheading will be shot in black and white plus it has a film noir theme to it. This has been taking a lot of my time and energy. We will start shooting in a couple of weeks and we will be shooting through the spring and summer. Sorry but I will be a way for a little while, I hope some of you will stick around for when I come back.

xo

Brooksie

Fashion Inspiration From The Movies! Casablanca Style.

Hello my darlings! It is yet again time for a monthly installment of: Fashion Inspiration From The Movies.

This time I am featuring Casablanca a fabulous classic!

Casablanca 1942
Staring: Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman

Set in unoccupied Africa during the early days of World War II: An American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications. 

Now it is time for my ever so exciting commentary regarding the fashions from this classic:

Bogart has on a wonderful fedora, trench coat and tie, if only men looked this good today!  Ingrid is sporting her famous hat (I have a hat like this) and such a classy suit!

Bogart has on a crisp light suit with a dark tie, great for  looking sharp in warm locations such as Morocco. Take a look at the ever so lovely outfit Ingrid has on, what a beautiful and classy head scarf. 

Bogart has done it again! Looking dashing in the hat, tie, understated suit AND do not forget your pocket squares gentlemen. Ingrid has on yet another great hat, LOVE the striped top and cool, light jacket. 

Lovely lady and nice gentlemen! Now we have a chance to take a peak at the outfits from earlier, only now it is a full length view. Wow, am I glad I included this because have a look at Ingrid's outfit plus those wonderful spectator pumps she is has on.

Bogart in yet another cool suit also look at that stunning paisley dress Ingrid has on!

I love this picture of  Ingrid, I want a giant globe such as that. Look at her soft and feminine hairstyle, classic lightweight suit and flower/pin.

Wow, romance is in the air and great outfits are everywhere in this movie!

This concludes our Fashion Inspiration From The Movies for this month.

Here's looking at you kid!


Brooksie

New Outfit Post.

It has been forever since I have done an outfit post, this post goes in conjunction with the Bettie Page Store post I did a few days ago. I am wearing my new Bettie Page blouse. This is what I wore out to dinner for Valentines Day evening.

Clothing Specs:

Hoop earrings: Thrift store
Watch: Thrift store
Blouse: Bettie Page Store of course
Black pencil skirt: Store at the mall
Fish net hosiery: Spartacus
Heels: Pin Up Couture also from Spartacus
Lipstick: Lady Danger by MAC

Cheerio!

Brooksie

Bettie Page Store in Portland Oregon Opens!

This last Sunday I was out for stroll and some shopping in down town Portland with my friend Jen. It was a cool and brisk afternoon. I had caught wind that a Bettie Page store was opening in our fair city so we set out that afternoon to find it. All I knew was it was on Broadway Street but which Broadway Street? We have two in Portland, one was right in the heart of down town, which was right where I happened to be. The other one would not have been possible for us to make it too on that day considering we were on foot and bus.

So we asked around a bit and came up with nothing. We ended up walking up and down Broadway until low and behold there it was not even a block a way from Pioneer Square! We proceeded to go in to have a look see, there were so many beautiful things to look at so many lovely reproduction pieces of clothing from back in Bettie's heyday! Last Sunday was the store's grand opening day.The next thing I know Jen is pulling outfits off of racks and handing them to telling me to try them on, saying this one will be perfect for you and so will this one! I tried on each wonderful piece and they all look they were made for me! The shop was beautiful, laid out so nice and the staff were so perfectly sweet and helpful. Plus the music was divine, I felt like I had taken a time capsule back in time to the 1950's.

I ended up picking out and buying a sweet little sheer, long sleeve blouse, it was an off white with red and black, medium size polka dots. It will go with the two black pencil skirts that I bought last week at the mall, I had been looking for a blouse with some red in it to go with the black pencil skirts but it does not appear that red is an "in" color for spring which is too bad because I love me some red! However red does seem to be a very popular color for the 1950's which is lucky for me because the 50's is one of my favorite era's!

I highly recommend the Bettie Page store for all ladies that are looking for a nicely made and feminine clothing line, whether or not you are a Bettie fan I am sure you will love this store!

Until next time!

Brooksie

No Poo! The Non Shampoo Method To Washing Your Hair!

Most of you who have been following my blog for a while know I am a fan of home remedies. I am here today to mention the no poo, shampoo method. I normally have very oily hair, about half way through the day my hair looks like a grease pit but no more! I was willing to try anything to get some balance to my hair and scalp, I was even willing to go without shampoo! (If there was a chance that it would or could make a difference). Well folks I have been doing the no poo method for about 4 months and I noticed a difference right away. This is an all natural way to clean your hair with none of the additives, stabilizers and synthetic fragrances which are not good for a person anyway.

All it takes is baking soda, water and apple cider vinegar. I keep two plastic water tight containers in the shower (make sure they hold at least a measuring cup amount) one with just baking soda in it and the other with the vinegar and water combo.

Also you may have to work with these proportions a little bit to find out what works best for you, because everybody is different. Since my hair is oily I use a little more baking soda then what is recommended but about the same amount of the vinegar and water combo.

Here are the proportions most recommended:

1. Pour about 1 tablespoon of baking soda into the palm of your hand, and moisten it. Massage it into your hair and your scalp. Wait a minute, then rinse. I usually focus the baking soda mainly on the scalp because that is where it gets oily. Make sure you rinse the baking soda out really well otherwise it will be fizzing on your head and you will turn into a science experiment! 

2. Combine 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar) and 1 cup water in your container. You can do this in advance, so you don’t have to mix it up every time you wash, and you probably won’t need the whole cup for a single washing (I use about a quarter of the container for each time). Give the container a good shake, then pour some of the vinegar mixture onto your scalp. Massage it into your scalp and your hair, wait another minute or two, and rinse thoroughly.

That is all! Try it out, it works great for me and it may just do the same for you.

Cheerio! 

Brooksie

My Beekeeping Friends

I ran across a wonderful article in The Blender which is the Williams-Sonoma blog, the article is about my beekeeping friends Matt and Jill. They are a husband and wife beekeeping team. I first met them before they were married in 2006 when they were a part of the vintage gang that would meet and get together in Portland Oregon. We would get together about once a month and go on many fun vintage excursions. For example we would go have lunch or cocktails at Huber's which is Portland's oldest bar and restaurant (it used to be a speakeasy at one time), or to the Palmer Wirf's Antique show which is the largest in the USA, or to a local tiki bar for food and cool beverage, or to see Christmas lights on a historic lane. Our group all met on The Fedora Lounge online forum for vintage lovers (there is a link on my blog page). On The Fedora Lounge they went by the names of Beaucaillou and Cacklewack. Any who they now make and sell bee hives to people all over the world and they have about 30 hives all around SE Portland. I am very fascinated with bees, I even love them! I have wanted my own bee hives ever since I was a little girl-I grew up in the burbs-my next door neighbor and his wife (they were old enough to be my grandparents) had bee hives.

You can read the article here: williams-sonoma.

Cheers!

Brooksie