Happy Birthday To My Man

Today is the Mister's 60th birthday! I thought it would be interesting to learn what was taking place in 1953 so I did a little research and this is what I came up with. First, I found a site that told exactly what was happening on the day of his birth:

It was Friday, under the sign of Taurus. The US president was Dwight D. Eisenhower (Republican). In that special week of April people in US were listening to The Doggie in the Window by Patti Page. In UK, I Believe by Frankie Laine was in the top 5 hits. The War of the Worlds, directed by Byron Haskin, was one of the most successful movies released in 1953.

I was still interested in what else happened the year he was born so I looked further and found out that the Chevy Corvette was invented that year.

From Here To Eternity was released that year and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture the following year, with Donna Reed winning Best Supporting Actress and Frank Sinatra winning Best Supporting Actor from the same movie.

Roman Holiday was also released that year and Audrey Hepburn took home the Best Actress Oscar for her role as Princess Ann.

In April 1953, Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel, Casino Royale, was published in the U.K.

On June 2, 1953, the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II took place at Westminster Abbey.

On June 19, 1953, American Communists Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed for conspiracy to commit espionage.

In December 1953, Hugh Hefner published the first issue of Playboy magazine, which featured Marilyn Monroe on the cover.

Wow!  What a year!  So many things that are icons today were just starting then. And best of them all, my husband was born.  Happy Birthday dear!

Nautically Themed - Part Two

When I think of nautical inspired clothing, I think of airy cottons, twill, stripes, anchors, sailboats, rope, and red, white and  navy hues.  In Part One we explored just these things, but in this post I wanted to share some non typical nautical inspired clothing, or at least it doesn't spring to the fore front of my mind when I think nautical, but they all have a nautical theme, none the less.

1)Here  2)Here  3)Here  4)Here

I love how all of these sweet dresses are sporting a turquoise color instead of the typical nautical navy shade of blue, but they all have sailboats calling you to the water.

1)Here  2)Here  3)Here

These two dresses have the typical color scheme, but not the typical graphics.  Here we have fish or sharks on one dress and a very art deco looking swimmer on the other.  Too cute!

1)Here  2)Here

The dress on the left has the typical red, white, and blues but has a very abstract pelican print on it.  The dress on the right has varying shades of teal or turquoise with seashells and stars, or a very under water scene.

1)Here  2)Here  3)Here

Here we have two beautiful dresses with a sailboat and seascape border.  And I have added these yellow wedges for a pop of color.

1)Here  2)Here  3)Here  4)Here  5)Here

And finally, we have what I think is the best set.  These darling silhouette dresses feel very french and subdued to me, but upon closer inspection you can see the nautical theme.  The first one has a print of flamingos, the second has sailboats and lighthouses, and the third has schematic drawings of planes.  What do planes have to do with a nautical theme, you ask?  Well, the Wright Brothers did their experiments at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina - of course!

Well, there you have my favorite nautically inspired fashion.  I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.  I did not purchase any of them for our trip but I do feel several of them calling my name.  Oh, who am I kidding, I want them all!

What do you think, any favorites?

Nautically Themed - Part One

Next week is the Mister's birthday and to celebrate we are going to spend a week on the East Coast.  I had started looking for some new outfits to wear on our trip and was inspired by all of the nautical themed clothing out there.  I thought it would be fun to share some of them with you, but there are so many that I have decided to break it up into a couple posts.

1) Here 2) Here 3) Here 4) Here

I love this cute casual outfit with the cropped pants, just begging to wade out into the ocean waves.

1) Here  2) Here  3) Here  4) Here  5) Here  6) Here

I am crazy about a red, white, and blue color scheme.  Not only are they patriotic colors but they lend themselves perfectly for a nautical theme.

1) Here  2) Here  3) Here  4) Here  5) Here  6) Here

Isn't the print on this bathing suit darling?  Perfect beach wear, and this bag is big enough to throw some beach towels in and go.

1) Here  2) Here  3) Here  4) Here  5) Here  6) Here  7) Here 8) Here

This yellow purse would add just the right splash of color to either of these ensembles, and what about those adorable macrame shoes.

1)Here  2)Here  3)Here  4)Here  5)Here  6)Here  7)Here  8)Here  9)Here

Stripes, stripes, and more stripes.  Perfect for lounging around on the deck of a yacht, dining on lobster or just combing the shore for seashells.

♥ ♥ ♥

Generally, when I think of nautical, I think of a casual setting, but the trend in nautical fashion these days lends itself to a more professional setting, and many of these outfits could be worn to work as well as the beach.  I think that nautical fashion shows a look of sophistication and style that makes it perfect in any situation.  What do you think of this nautically inspired round up?  Which is your favorite?

Stay tuned for part two.

Retro Gran on Instagram

Recently I joined the world of Instagram and have been sharing some of my outfits on there, although I haven't posted too many photos as of yet because I'm still trying to get a feel for it and sometimes I forget to post anything there. -- I am much more prolific at posting on Pinterest.   But, I thought I would show you what I've posted for those of you that aren't on Instagram, or are like me, and forget to go look at my feed.

This skirt, top, and jacket all came from Dress Barn.  It is so comfortable to wear and I love the longer length of the skirt.  The pearls I got years ago at Victoria Secret and I cant remember where the scarf came from but I thought it was a fun option to wear it in my hair.

This skirt is a little shorter than I usually wear or am comfortable with, but it is easy to slip on and matches this pale pink satin jacket so beautifully.  Its hard to see in the picture but the top is lace.  I am wearing the same set of pearls from before but I have used a ribbon enhancer on them.  The shoes are from TJ Maxx.

This outfit was so easy to wear, very light and comfortable.  Our temperatures here have been fluctuating like crazy, one day it is 30 degrees and snowing and the next day it is 60 degrees and the next day it is 90.  I'm not joking, in a matter of days it has jumped that much.  I love these shoes, they are heaven to wear and go with so many things.  Oh, and Im sporting my new glasses.  I love how they have pink on the inside of the frames.

I am all about comfort these days and this outfit absolutely fits that requirement.  This little chiffon top is so light and airy, you hardly can tell you have it on and I love the cheerful yellow flowers that are displayed all over it.   I experimented with my hair here and tried a new method for curling it where you twist it and then clip it to your head until it dries.  It was very easy to do and my whole head only took like 3 minutes to put up, but I don't really like the results that it gave me.  I think it would be great for longer hair though.

Do any of you ladies have Instagram?  If you do, I would love to follow you to see what fun things you share.

Spring Florals

A couple days ago we had a freak snow storm and got another 4 inches of snow.  The very next day it warmed up and melted every bit of it away.  This has been the craziest weather I have seen for some time.  But, I am hopeful that Spring is just around the corner as I have some crocus blooming in my yard.  In honor of those tiny yellow and purple blooms that are causing my heart to pitter patter, I thought I would share some beautiful floral dresses that I have been looking at lately.  They are actual vintage dresses available on Etsy, brimming with beautiful, colorful flowers.

This lovely 1960s vintage chiffon dress has a 26" waist and is in DearGolden's shop

This darling blue 50s vintage party dress has a 27" waist and can be found here.

Look at the waist detail on this beautiful 1950's Ceil Chapman Draped Floral SIlk Cocktail dress. It has a 27" waist and can be found here.

Here's a lovely 50s Tea Party dress with a 26" waist that you can find here.

The draping on this 40s is amazing.  It has a 28" waist and you can find it here.

Here's a cheerful 1930s day dress with a 32" waist that can be found here.

Well, there you have it.  I hope these dresses inspire you and bring thoughts of Spring to your mind, as they have mine.  What have you been looking at lately?

Things In Which To Look Forward

March has finally made it's exit and I, for one, am welcoming April.  Even though there were some special days in March, such as St. Patrick's Day, the first day of Spring, and Easter, the weather has been horrible, at best, and the days seem to drag on and on.  

I am longing for warmer weather, the smell of flowers blooming, and the sun glistening off of the morning dew.  I recently had a huge load of mulch delivered and I am itching to get into my flower beds and get my hands dirty.

April also holds a special celebration for my Mister.  He is having a milestone birthday this year and we have plans to celebrate by taking a trip to the beach.  More sunshine to help cure my winter blues.

I am hoping that as the weather grows nicer, so will my mood.  I have several projects that have gone untouched because I just haven't felt like tackling them.  Plus, my flower beds are in great need of help, my closets are disorganized, and the garage is in shambles.

So here's hoping that a change in the weather and scenery will help snap me out of this funk.