Gift Ideas For Dad

Father's Day is fast approaching so, if you haven't already gotten your gift, I thought I would share some unique ideas to help you out.

Here we have some whiskey stones that you would place in your glass to chill your drink without diluting it.  This is an awesome idea that doesn't have to be used only with alcohol, you can place them in your Coke Zero too.  Get a set of nine for $19.50, here.

For the fishing enthusiast we have a collectors set of playing cards displaying fishing lures from the 1800s to the 1940s.  It also includes a set of 5 dice.  It's currently on sale here for $11.97.

These are a pricey option but would be perfect for a Star Wars fan, each silver-plated, enamel R2-D2 cufflink is also a 2GB USB flash drive.  You can find them here for $199.95

Have you ever tried to work on something and needed an extra hand to hold the flashlight?  Well, this solves that problem.  Find it here for $29.95

For your sportsman, how about a Sigg travel water bottle.   These Swiss made bottles are ecologically sound, reusable and easily recycled.  They come in a wide array of colors and designs as well as sizes.  You can find them here and they run from around $15 to $32.

Hope these help to inspire you when picking out Dad's gift.  Happy shopping!

Spotlight On: Hattie McDaniel

Hattie McDaniel was an American actress and she was the first African American to win an Academy Award which she won for Best Supporting Actress for her role of Mammy in Gone with the Wind.

She was born in Wichita, KS on June 10, 1895. The youngest of 13 children of a Baptist minister, who played the banjo and performed in minstrel shows, and his singer wife - both former slaves.

While still in high school, Hattie started professionally singing, dancing and performing funny skits in minstrel shows. In 1925, she became one of the first African-American women on the radio. In 1934, she landed her on-screen break in Judge Priest. And in 1939, she accepted a role that would mark the highlight of her entertainment career. As Mammy, Scarlett O'Hara's house servant in Gone with the Wind.

Despite the segregation in the world at large, she became a close friend to many of her Hollywood co-stars, among them Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Bette Davis, Henry Fonda, Joan Crawford, Ronald Reagan and Shirley Temple, living and working among them as something like a peer. Unfortunately she drew fire from some blacks for choosing to play second class Americans and attacked by the media for taking parts that perpetuated a negative stereotype of blacks; she was criticized for playing servants and slaves who were seemingly content to retain their role as such - prompting the quick-witted actress to quip "I'd rather play a maid than be one." A motto that she lived by. She asserted her prerogative to accept whatever roles she chose, suggesting that characters like Mammy proved themselves as more than just measuring up to their employers.

Nearly 3000 mourners attended Hattie's funeral service, which included many Hollywood movie stars. After the ceremony, 125 limousines formed the procession line to follow the body to the cemetery. At the time of her death in 1952, she could not be buried in the cemetery of her choice -- Hollywood Memorial Park -- because of racial segregation. Her second choice, Rosedale Cemetery also had a similar policy, but it was waived and the actress became the first African-American buried there. In October 1999, the new owners of the Hollywood Memorial Park, now renamed Hollywood Forever Cemetery, offered to have Hattie interred there, but her family did not want to disturb her remains so they declined.  Instead, the owner unveiled a granite monument in her honor. Its one of Hollywood's most popular tourist attractions.  Hattie was 57 at the time of her death from breast cancer.

Since her death, McDaniel has been posthumously awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Additionally, in 1975, she was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.

Hell Bunny Flamingos

*Outfit Details*

Camisole - Walmart

Cardigan - JCPenney

Skirt - JBR Clothing

Shoes - Shoe Show
Necklace - Given to me by my Mom
Earrings - I can't remember

Here's a few snapshots I took on my phone because I wanted to share this cute skirt with you guys.  It is the Flamingo Skirt by Hell Bunny and I purchased it at JBR Clothing.  This was the first time I have ever ordered anything from JBR's and I must say their shipping is incredibly fast.  I think I actually received the skirt two days after I placed my order.

I ordered according to my measurements but when I received the skirt, I could not even get it buttoned around my waist.  So I exchanged it with no problems except that the next size up was out of stock so I went up even further to the next size and I'm glad I did because it actually fit.  This is my first item of Hell Bunny's so I'm not sure if all of their clothing is miss-sized like this or if it's just this skirt.  As far as quality, it is nicely made of cotton and I adore the flamingo tropical print.

I paired it with a pale pink camisole that is so pale that it hardly even shows in these photos.  I picked it up at Walmart for about $4 and is reversible with a scoop neck on one side and a v-neck on the other.  I thought that was a great option and they had tons of other colors.  I may have to go back and get some more.

Then I threw on this turquoise cardigan that I've had for ages and a pair of turquoise sandals.  The pink beaded necklace is a hand me down from my Mom.

So, have any of you ladies ever bought a Hell Bunny item and if so, how did it fit?  I am thinking that I will eventually order more of their products but I would like to be aware of how they fit before I do.

What To Wear To A Wedding

Since June is the most popular wedding month, I thought many of you, like myself, may be attending such festivities and looking for something to wear.  Its always hard for me to decide what to wear, how formal will it be, should I avoid certain colors such as white, etc.  So I put together a nice selection of vintage or vintage inspired dresses that would be appropriate for a guest to wear.

Among these beauties are some of my favorites, some are true vintage and some are not, but have a vintage feel to them.  I hope you enjoy them and maybe they will inspire your wedding guest wardrobe choices.

This lovely 1950s dress is from Custard Heart Vintage and has a 34" bust 26" waist.

This is a gorgeous 1960s dress from Rococo Vintage.
You will have to be tiny to wear this dress as it has a 32" bust and 24" waist.

I love polka dots and this orange hued beauty captured my heart.
It is from 4 Birds Vintage and has  a 36" bust 26" waist.

I adore the pearls on the shoulders and top of this dress from Modcloth.

This lovely vintage inspired Emily and Fin dress can be found at Modcloth and comes in an array of sizes.

Are you attending a wedding in June?  Or perhaps later in the summer?  I hope these beauties help inspire your wedding attire.

Trashy Diva Trixie Dress

*Outfit Details*

Dress - Trashy Diva

Cardigan - I can't remember

Shoes - Walmart

Bandana - Walmart

This was our second day visiting Brookgreen Gardens, if you missed what I wore on our first trip there, you can see it here.

The Mister is a huge Sci-Fi fan and since it was his birthday that we were celebrating, I chose the adorable rocket print version of the Trashy Diva Trixie dress, but, I believe this print has since sold out on that style.

I ordered the same size in this dress as I did the Annette dress but the fit was entirely different.  I probably could have sized down a size with this dress and I'm guessing that is due to the elastic sides.

The dress itself is very well made of a slightly stretchy cotton material.  It is not lined and the skirt is not as full, more of a true circle skirt with no gathers.  Even though you are not really able to see it in these photographs, the top has a cross-over front and has sort of an inner bra setup to provide support along with the straps that tie behind the neck.

The day before these photos were taken, we spent a couple of hours playing with our grandson on the beach and it just so happened I forgot to apply any sunscreen to myself, the results of which is this terrible sunburn you see here.  Over the last few years I have developed a sun allergy.  Its not to the point where I can't be in the sun at all, but when I am out for any period of time across a couple consecutive days, I will break out in a horrible, itchy rash.  I have found, though, that if I get out a few minutes a day and slowly build up a tan, it doesn't happen as bad.  And, yes, I know the dangers of the sun but I am one of those stubborn women who enjoys sporting a suntan in the summer.  

But, I digress........ Because of the sunburn, I threw on this little butter yellow cardigan to try to shield my already burnt shoulders from acquiring any more sun.  I wore the same, comfortable walking shoes as before and threw a bandana in my hair, which had actually been set into a dry pincurl set the night before, but the humidity pulled the curl right out resulting in, you guessed it, frizz.

Overall I like this dress, but I think if I get this style again, I will size down.