Let's talk: Stockings!

Howdy folks! Long time no see, right? Well I’m back! Again! Haha. And in my lengthy absence I've discovered a new love for lingerie. Well, I've always loved lingerie and how it looked on other ladies, but I never thought it would look nice on me. I do wear corsets but those are for more modification purposes as I started waist training. I've never been very comfortable with my body but being a part of the vintage community and seeing women of all shapes and sizes has definitely helped my confidence levels. It’s still a process and there are some days when I feel I look like crap but I work through them. And it usually results in me buying something which is good for me but bad for my wallet haha.

As I mentioned, I've been wearing corsets for about a year now, but other than that it was pretty much a simple bra, panties, and tights, in cooler weather. When I decided that I wanted to incorporate more vintage inspired lingerie into my wardrobe I knew I wanted to start with stockings. I love the look of stocking, especially seamed stockings. I feel it’s so feminine. After following Jasmine from Quirky and Curvy and Elinor from The Nylon Swish on Instagram and seeing their posts of their daily stocking wear, I knew that’s where I wanted to start.

The only thing that worried me was I have pretty big thighs. And when I say big, I mean I have Thunder Thighs haha. It feels like I carry a majority of my weight there. So I was nervous about spending money on stockings that would cut into my thighs. I did a lot of research and felt like I visited hundreds of sites. The first site I found that looked the most promising was Secrets in Lace. They offer a wide variety of stockings and sizes as well as other lingerie items. I decided I would try them out as my first purchase of stockings. I chose the Classic Reinforced Heel and Toe (RHT) stockings. Priced at only $16.99 I felt that was a great deal.

 

(Photo from secretsinlace.com)

Now I just had to choose a size. Their size charts range from Petite to Opera and you pick based on your height and weight. I’m 5’7 so the options for me were Medium, Long, or Opera. Medium was 5’4-5’8 120-150lbs. I fall in the height range but not so much in the weight lol. So that was out. Long was 5’7-5’11 130-165lbs and Opera 5’10-6’2 165-200lbs. I’m nowhere near 5’10 but I decided to go with Opera to hopefully accommodate for my thighs. I placed my order for the stockings (I got a garter belt as well, but more on that in another post) and patiently waited for them to arrive.

When they came I immediate put them on and holy silkiness! I had never worn something so smooth. I can’t tell you how excited I was as I was gliding them up my leg. But then that excitement waned as I got to my thighs. They felt a little too tight. I attached them to my garter and it seemed like they were holding on for dear life. Walking around wasn't too bad, but when I sat down it wasn't very comfortable. Sigh.

Secrets In Lace RHT Stockings 

Feeling kinda bummed, I remembered reading on Georgina’s Fuller Figure Fuller Bust blog about a company based in the UK called The Big Tights Company. They specialize in hosiery for bigger ladies. Their slogan is, “Our sizes start where other peoples stop”, so I knew I was in good hands lol. Their prices are amazing, if you live in the UK lol. I ordered the Magic Stockings for £6.95 and the Magic seamed Stockings for £8.95 which is $10.48 and $13.50. That’s cheaper than the Secrets In Lace stockings. Shipping was £4.55 so in total I paid £20.45 which is $30.85. And honestly it was worth every penny!

 

(Photo from thebigtightscompany.co.uk)

These stockings fit AMAZINGLY! They come up high on my thighs, they don’t dig in, and when I sit I feel just fine. They don’t have the awesome silkiness like the SIL stockings, but that doesn't even matter. They fit!

The Big Tights Company Stockings 

Here I paired them with my Venice garter belt (also from Secrets In Lace), Orchard Corset CS-411 corset and Goddess longline bra. And I’m going to be completely honest with y’all; I have never felt so sexy in my life. And this is just all basic stuff haha. But I think just seeing everything together helps. And lord knows I NEVER would have posted pictures of me wearing this little unless I really liked the way I looked. Also if there are any other ladies (or gents) struggling with the same issues, I hope I've helped some.

Well there we go. I want to continue to do more posts like this as I build my lingerie collection while also gaining more confidence in my body. I mean, it’s the only one I've got and the only one I’m gonna have so I should learn to love it. I'll leave y'all with a song I love, sung by the lovely Ella Fitzgerald and featuring Count Basie, Shiny Stockings. :)

 

MKD

Put On Your War Paint

Today's post is all about makeup! Now admittedly, I haven't been wearing makeup for very long. Yep. I'm 27 years old and I only really began wearing makeup about 3 years ago maybe. In high school I would wear the occasional eye liner and eye shadow. And of course for Prom I would get all dolled up. But normally I didn't wear much because I had no clue what I was doing lol. I'm still no expert(contouring???) but I've found what works for me. I don't know if you would call it "pin up makeup" per se but I do utilize some classic techniques. I do get many compliments on my makeup, mostly about how nice my skin looks. That means sooo much to me because I actually don't have the best skin. I have acne scars mostly along my chin and on my cheeks. I typically only break out when it's that time of the month but it's all along my chin and even when I don't touch them they still leave little dark marks sometimes. To be told that I have "nice skin" means I'm doing something right in the cover up lol. So I'm going to share the products I use with links to where you can purchase them. You'll come to see that I am a Sephora junkie and mostly everything you can get there lol.

I'll start with what I use in the morning and at night. I mentioned before that I have trouble with acne but I also have an oily T-zone and these products help me combat both of those issues. I use the Clean & Clear Morning Burst scrub in the morning(obviously lol) and the Facial Cleanser at night. The scrub has this awesome lemon scent that helps to wake me up and it's also got caffeine in it. I typically only use the moisturizer in the morning as well. And as you can see, all these products are "oil-free". To take off my makeup I really like the Kirkland Towelettes. They get mostly everything off. But I never just rely on the wipes. I always try to make sure I wash my face with the cleanser to make sure I got everything off. And I'm sure you all know where you can purchase these items lol.

 

5. e.l.f. Mineral Face Primer 

6. Stila Perfecting Concealer 

7. Bare Minerals Matte Foundation 

Now on to the actual makeup! After I've moisturized my face I wait about 5 minutes and then apply my primer. I love the e.l.f. Mineral Face Primer(this picture shows the hydrating primer but I use the mineral). It goes on sooo smooth. It feels like silk and makes my face feel even. And I've found that it helps to keep the oil at bay(I do still have to blot every now and then). I have horrible sleep habits and that's resulted in some under eye circles. It really sucks and I'm trying to work on that(as I write this post at midnight haha). So to conceal these circles I use Stila's perfecting concealer in "L". I'll also use it on other areas of my face if my acne scars are looking particularity dark.

For foundation I use Bare Minerals. I've been using it for about 3 years now and I love it! I use the Matte foundation in "Warm Deep". I started with the Original foundation but it made me break out. I quite like the matte because it gives my skin a more natural look. The word "matte" use to make me think dry but that's not the case here at all. I get a smooth even finish with full coverage. The only thing I don't like about Bare Minerals is that it only lasts about 8 hours. I get up for work at 6am so by 2 it's starting to wear off and I typically have at least 3 more hours at work. Although I've started using a setting spray to help combat it. More on that later.

8. Sephora Liquid Liner 

9. Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade 

10. Make Up Forever Smokey Lash Mascara

For the eyes I keep it pretty simple. I like to use Sephora's liquid liner. I usually do a cat eye, its intensity based on where I'm going lol. I've actually gotten more comfortable doing them so it doesn't take too long. Honestly for me, I use whatever mascara I can find or is the cheapest lol. Currently I'm using Make Up For Ever Smokey Lash because I got it for free at Sephora. I use to be the Queen of false lashes but I haven't worn those since college. I have pretty thin eyebrows so I tend to fill them in. I've just started using the Anastasia Beverly Hills dipbrow pomade in "Dark Brown". I like the look it gives and being a pomade it slicks the brows down. It's also water proof and smudge- free. I went for dark brown instead of black to try to make them not seem so harsh or stick out too much.

11. MAC Ruby Woo 

12. Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Outlaw 

13. NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella

And on to the lipstick! I don't typically wear eye shadow or blush so any pop of color on my face is coming from my lips. And that color is always red! I just feel like a red lip is so classy. And with all the different shades you can go from subtle to Va Va Voom! And just like my foundation, I've taken to loving matte lipsticks. Currently my favorite go to is the classic MAC "Ruby Woo". It's such a wonderful shade of red and I just feel so glamorous when I'm wearing it. Another favorite of mine that's a bit brighter than the Ruby Woo is the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in "Outlaw". This lipstick is a velveteen lip stain that applies like a liquid lipstick but dries matte. It's a very bold red which I love. And it dries super quick. This is the first item I've gotten from Kat Von D's makeup line and I'm very impressed. I'm eager to try more products. This last one I actually got as part of a free gift that Sephora gives you for your birthday. It's the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in "Cruella". It goes on smooth and has a nice matte finish. The only thing with this one is you have to make sure you have a pencil sharpener big enough to sharpen it lol. It looks and feels like it made of a hard plastic but it sharpens like a regular pencil. So don't worry, you're not sharpening plastic.

Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray

Lastly I like to finish everything off with the Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray. Like the name says, this helps to set the makeup and it definitely helps in making the foundation last longer. Like I mentioned earlier, I still do have to blot occasionally, mostly in my T-zone and where my glasses sit on my cheeks. But it's nowhere near as much as it was before I started using the spray. I haven't used it during the summer yet so I'm interested to see how it holds up to hot/sticky/humid Georgia weather.

Well that's pretty much it. Like I said, I'm fairly new to this game so I'm still learning and playing around with new products. I know it's not rocket science lol. But I'm having fun. My wallet, not so much haha.

What are some of your favorite makeup products? Got any recommendations?   

MKD

How To: Pin Curls on Naturally Curly Hair

So, this is a post I've wanted to do for a while now and I've finally had the time to sit down and do it. It's a tutorial on how I go from my naturally curly hair to a smooth pin up look.

This has been my go to when I want a full pin up look and I use to do it all the time. It's actually been a few months since I've done this style as it does involve a lot of direct heat and I was beginning to see some slight changes in my hair. Because of that, I've been giving my hair some rest from heat and have been wearing it in its natural state. Now when I say that my hair is "natural" what I mean is that I do not chemically process it to straighten it. I do not have a perm or relaxer. I use to get relaxers all the time but decided to stop about 2 years ago and it was the best decision for me. My hair grew so much more and was much more healthy. And while I love my curls, I do still like having the option to have my hair straight and it makes it much easier to do these kind of styles. Now I know there are a lot of natural girls that are anti any kind of heat, and while I respect that, I'm not one of them. I'm learning how to properly use heat and how to care for my curls pre and post styling.

So now on to the tutorial! But please be warned, many of these pictures are of me without any makeup on. Try not to let that distract you lol.

Here's some of the tools/products I'll be using.

To prep my hair for straightening I like to wash and do a deep condition the night before to help strengthen my hair and add much needed moisture. The products I like to use are Miss Jessie's Super Slip Sudsy Shampoo, Aussie Moist Conditioner, and the Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque w/Sea Kelp and Argan Oil. When I put the treatment masque in I put a plastic cap over my hair and use my heat cap over it for a more deep penetrating treatment.

Here is what my hair looks like freshly washed:

After my hair is thoroughly washed and moisturized I get ready to blow dry it. I like to let my hair air dry about 80%-90% dry so that way I don't have to use the blow dryer for too long. As a heat protectant I like to use Carol's Daughter Chocolat Smoothing Blow Dry Cream. It also helps to smooth the hair and control frizz. And yes, it does smell like chocolate lol. So once I've applied that all over my head I begin to blow dry my hair. I don't do anything special, just a regular blow dry.

And here is what my hair looks like all blown out. You can see from the previous picture how much shrinkage I have when my hair is wet.

And now that my hair is fully dry I can straighten it. I use a regular straighter. The one I have, I've had for so long that I don't even remember the name of it. I keep it on a medium heat and one big rule of thumb I have is to not pass the straightener over my hair more than twice and never hold it in one spot longer than a second or two.

(This is the longest part of the process. Takes me about an hour to straighten my hair)

After I'm done straightening I divide my hair into 4 sections to get ready for the pin curls. It looks silly, but it helps me to keep everything neat and it makes it much faster to do. I have one big section in the back, two on either side of my head, and then one in the middle.

(That's my bunny Chewy there in the background)

At this point the only product I add to my hair after straightening it is the setting lotion. I don't add much as I don't want my hair to revert back to it's curly state. The one I use is Lotta Body.

I usually start in the back since that's the biggest section. Starting from the bottom, I'll part a row of hair horizontally, add my setting lotion, then take about an inch section, and with my curling iron, just curl that piece of hair down until I get to the root. I'll hold it there for about 10 seconds then I'll slide it off the iron. Now I'll take that piece of hair and wrap it around one or two fingers(depending on how large I want the curl) then slide my finger out and pin it to my head. Then I'll repeat until I've done all the hair in that row then I'll make a new row and start the process over again.

Once I've finished the back I'll move on to the sides and the middle section, repeating the same process.

 

When I'm done I'll throw a scarf on and call it a night. I usually sleep on my stomach or side so I don't really have trouble sleeping in pin curls like I know a lot of ladies do.

So, the next day after I have gotten dressed and done my make up I get ready for the take down. I counted once and I think I used around 50 or so clips! Once I have all the clips out I'll separate the curls a little bit with my fingers.

Next comes the brushing. Now I know you guys have heard about how much brushing is involved, and it's no lie. I usually end up brushing for at least 5 minutes if not longer. I use my trusty Denman brush for the brush out. You wanna brush the hair over your hand to help combat frizz and begin to sculpt the hair into the shape you want. To get the "S" curl wave, I'll shape the hair and then add long clips in to hold it in place. If my bang is looking a little limp I'll do a bit of teasing, but not much. After I get everything in place I'll spray my hair spray on and let it set for about 10 minutes before I touch it again to remove the clips.

 

 

For a final touch I'll add a nice flower. Et voila! This is how I do my pin curl hair style. I think because of the combination of using setting lotion plus the curling iron, unless it's raining or humid out(Georgia weather is so fickle you never know what you're gonna get) I can usually get this style to last a couple of days.

I know it seems like a lot of work but I think since I've done it so many times it feels like nothing. And it's the price to pay to get the look I want. I don't really mind it. I'm usually watching something on Netflix while I'm doing this so the time flies. And I don't know if you could tell, but I'm totally sitting on the floor in front of my full length mirror while doing this haha. I desperately need a proper vanity.

Like I mentioned before, I haven't done this style in ages since I'm laying off direct heat for a while, but I'm looking into alternative methods of achieving this style because I do miss it. If I find one I like, I'll do an update. I hope this helped any natural hair ladies(or anyone for that matter) looking to do a pin curl style! :)

MKD

Mid Century Monday: Telephone Table

You guys! It's been nearly 4 months since my last post. Geeze louise. And it was a pretty sad post at that. I let work consume my life and it was no fun. Things have calmed down a little bit(but not much since the holiday season is our busiest at the museum). But I'm back now and better than ever! Well, that might be a slight exaggeration. But I'm back and I've missed blogging and reading other people's blogs. So if there are any mutual followers reading this, don't be surprised if you get tons of comments on your current & old blog posts. I've got a lot of catching up to do!

Anyway, here's a new feature for the blog. Not to be confused with Man Crush Monday, this is a different kind of MCM...it's Mid Century Monday! I love pretty much anything aesthetically mid century. So I'm going to feature some of my favorite finds, starting with the Telephone Table!

(This one is holding a Christmas tree, but you get the picture)

Now if you've never heard of a telephone table, well it's exactly what it sounds like. A table on which a telephone sat and it typically has a seat attached to it. They usually sat in the hallway since most families had only one phone for the household and it was the most convenient spot. It was also known as a "Gossip Bench" which I'm sure you can tell why lol. Here are a few examples that I like of the telephone table.

Now these two look a bit more traditional and include a drawer which could hold a pad and pen for taking messages, or a phone book.  

I would love to have either example in my home. I actually don't even like talking on the phone that much and I don't have a land line but I think it would kind of be worth having one if I could also score a working vintage phone. I'd have to see if I remember how to convey my emotions without the use of Emojis haha.

So, what do you guys think? Could you see yourself chatting away at a telephone table? 

-MKD

It's not your fault.

I wrote this post this morning on my train ride to work but kept it in my drafts and spent the day wondering whether or not I was gonna publish it. It's mostly just rambling with a bit of editing. But very personal rambling. I think I more so needed to get it out of my system. But I've decided to just go ahead and put it up. What's the purpose of having a blog if I can't write what I'm feeling, right? Don't mind me.

My heart is so incredibly heavy. I honestly feel as if I lost a family member. Robin Williams has been such a huge part of my life as he has been for so many. 

But I think what hurts the most is that this is hits so close to home. I've battled with depression as well and it started at a very early age. When I was in elementary school I was lucky enough to have truly caring teachers that noticed something wasn't quite right. After talks with my parents it was decided that I would start seeing a therapist once a week just to talk about how I was feeling. There was nothing that brought it on, I had a good enough childhood and everything, I just wasn't happy. And it was at that point that I was encouraged to fully explore the things that did make me happy and use those things when I felt "sad"(I think they didn't want to tell a child that they were depressed even though looking back that's clearly what it was). From there I dove head first into literature, music, films, and astronomy. I read everything, listened to everything, watched everything and even went to space camp. 

Everything helped in the moment but there was no continuous fix. These are still the things I turn to in times of need and Robin's films were definitely a huge part of that. When I was younger it was Aladdin(of course!), Mrs. Doubtfire, Hook, Flubber, and Jumanji. I remember at one point renting Mrs. Doubtfire from Blockbuster and watching it on repeat(and having a crush on Pierce Brosnan). When I got older, Dead Poets Society made a huge impact on me and was one of the reasons I choose to switch from a journalism major to an English major in college. 

It just hurts that someone that helped me make it through couldn't make it through himself. Depression is a daily struggle. There isn't always a trigger. Sometimes it just happens. I think Stephen Fry described it best,

"If you know someone who's depressed, please resolve never to ask them why. Depression isn't a straightforward response to a bad situation; depression just it, like the weather. Try to understand the blackness, lethargy, hopelessness, and loneliness they're going through. Be there for them when they come through the other side. It's hard to be a friend to someone who's depressed., but it's one of the kindest, noblest, and best things you will ever do."  

I just hope that he has found peace now and that he knows just how much he meant to so many people around the would, how many people he's inspired, and how many people he's helped.

Thanks for everything Robin.

MKD

Music Monday: Imelda May

Today's Music Monday feature is actually an artist I just started listening to today! Haha. So admittedly I don't know much about her except that I'm hooked on her music! Ladies and gents, Imelda May!

I feel like I've heard her name before(I think she's performed at VIVA?) but I had never listened to Imelda until today. I was going through the concert calendar of a local venue and saw that she's coming in October and thought I would check her out. And I've been listening to her all day non stop lol. Imelda hails from Ireland and is a singer-songwriter and producer. Her music is a great mix of rockabilly and blues. She's quite famous in the UK, having albums that have reached number 1. And of course I can't not mention her fabulous style. Definitely another aspect that drew me to her.

Her 3rd studio Album

Well that's all I've got really haha. Like I said, I've literally listened to Imelda for a day now so I'm still discovering her music/discography. You can listen to her here on Spotify. I'm definitely going to see her when she comes to Atlanta in October. I bet she puts on a great show!

Here's a video for one of her singles, Mayhem.

And here's an awesome video for her song It's Good To Be Alive(makes me excited for Halloween!).

 

Happy Listening!

How do you like Imelda May? 

MKD

Music Monday(on Tuesday!): Jack White

So I'm a huge goober and wrote out this post to be published on Monday and completely forgot to actually hit "Publish" haha. I'm still getting back into the swing of things clearly lol. But anywhoo, here's today's Music Monday feature on Tuesday!

So I know everyone knows who Jack White is, so this isn't me trying to introduce y'all to him lol. He's been in a thousand bands(slight exaggeration) worked with tons of artists, been in movies, has his own record label/recording studio, he's even an upholster. The man does it all! And he just released another amazing solo record(I'm still obsessed with his first one, Blunderbuss) called Lazaretto and in addition to it being musically solid and wonderful, the actual vinyl record itself is on a whole other level and unlike any vinyl I've ever seen/heard of.

Lazaretto Album Cover 

Jack White has always been hugely innovative whether it comes to his music, the way he records his music and even his whole aesthetic. So of course he couldn't just release any old vinyl record. And man this one is one for the books! It's called the Ultra LP and here are its features:

• 180 gram vinyl
• 2 vinyl only hidden tracks hidden beneath the center label
• 1 hidden track plays at 78 RPM, one plays at 45 RPM, making it a 3 speed record
• Side A plays from the inside out
• Dual-groove technology: plays an electric or acoustic intro for the song, "Just One Drink" depending on where the needle is dropped. The grooves meet for the body of the song. 
• Matte finish on Side B. giving the appearance of an un-played 78 RPM record. 
• Both sides end with locked grooves
• Vinyl pressed in seldom used flat edge format
• No compression used during recording, mixing, or mastering
• Different running order from the CD/Digital version
• It utilizes some mixes different from those used on the CD & digital versio
• And probably one of the coolest aspects: The dead wax area on Side A contains a hand etched hologram and it is the first of its kind on a vinyl record. 

Talk about innovative! Now some of these things have been done before, but a huge number of them haven't been and I mean really, what artists these days are going to the lengths that Jack has to make a completely unique record that goes beyond just the music itself? One of the many reasons why Jack White is one of my favorite musicians ever. Here's a video of Jack explaining the features of the vinyl.

 

And here's a video of the title track, Lazaretto.

I'm seeing Jack in September and I CAN NOT WAIT! I've never seen him live before and I've been a fan of his since the White Stripes days and he's one of the only musicians that I haven't seen yet that's in my top 5 favorite bands/musicians(well that's still alive or preforming, Led Zeppelin would be number 1).

Happy Listening!

How do you like Jack White? 

MKD