I'm always looking for new blogs to read and love to spread the blog love. If you write a blog that you'd like to share, please drop your link and blog's name so we can check you out!  If you have multiple blogs, feel free to leave all of your links but please submit each link only once.  Leave a comment telling us what you like to blog about. You don't have to have a vintage themed blog to enter and if you submitted to my last Show Us Your Blog post, feel free to submit your link to this one too!


When the submissions end, I will randomly select one blog to feature in a post.

 

I'm just not feeling my Friday Fashionista today so I hope to get her posted tomorrow. Blogs are all about fun and if you're not in the mood for something, it stops being fun if you have to do it anyway. So, on to date night instead :)

Yesterday was so beautiful and warm that I had the windows opened all day. When Pj got home from work, we took the kids outside to romp in the grass.

 Rhys was too little to crawl in the warmer months last year so this was his first time feeling the grass. At first, he didn't like it and kept crawling to me to sit on my skirt but after he saw Olivia run off, he wanted to chase her.


 For date night, I was really in the mood for sushi so we went to Sushi AI for dinner. I always get the honey roll, which is cream cheese, honey, rice wrapped up with tempura flakes on top. It's like sushi dessert! (that's the white/yellowy thing down there)

I also had eel and the spider roll, which is all cooked fish and crab. I'm not wild about the raw fish thing and am kinda picky about fish/shellfish in general so these are all tasty, non-bizarre things. The eel has a unique taste but is smoky and delicious!


 Every time we go, I do try to broaden my horizons and try something strange. This time, it was octopus sushi. It arrived and looked very pretty but I was still scared! (that's the white/purpley thing)

such a chicken

eeeeewwww!

The flavor was good but it was a textural freak-out, as Andrew Zimmern would say. Definitely not a fan, but I'm glad that I was adventurous and tried something new...and glad Pj was there to help me with the other half of it!

 6

Delicious Italian sodas...and Lulu enjoying her OJ

  The food was absolutely delicious, the service was extremely friendly and helpful and the setting was gorgeous. I can't wait to go back!! There is a little shop upstairs, but the kids were feeling unruly so I hope to pop in next time.

Olivia's Apple Dumpling

Pj's Muffaletta

My Club Sandwich

 After brunch, we promised to take Olivia to play at the park on Main Street. Frontier Park is set on the Missouri River front of historic St Charles. Lewis and Clark departed from this site on their expedition of the Louisiana territory.

Getting ready for an expedition of their own

There is an old train station and lots of beautiful buildings. Most of these buildings are gift shops, with the attic space being rented out as apartments and lofts.




 
 We popped into the Knit and Caboodle for some yarn for my next project. I love all of the cute shop signs!

 Main Street is one of my favorite places on the face of the Earth. Pj and I had our first date and were married on Main Street. The hospital where my kids were born overlooks the old buildings and river. I grew up around here and I'm happy to call St. Charles home. If you're ever in the St Louis area, visit historic main street. It's a beautiful place to shop, lunch and explore.

Lingerie aficionados, Anna from A Few Threads Loose and Sarah from Ohhh Lulu team up to bring us the fabulous Ooh la la Pin Up Sew-Along. The sew-along begins with Anna's new pattern for this amazing French Pin-up Corset garter belt and continuing with her French Pin-up Bra Corselet.



 A proper garter belt is a must-have piece for me. It has good tummy support for smoothing out any bumps and holds up your stockings without the discomfort of a full girdle. Finding a nice garter belt that you can wear (and not a Fredericks of Hollywood in-the-bedroom item) is no easy task so I am very excited to be able to sew my own!

 I'm joining in the fun, for sure! Pj worked from 3am to 7am this morning so after he has a good nap and I've sized my patterns, I'm going to the fabric store for some lovely pink satin.  I have almost all of Anna's gorgeous lingerie patterns and have been wanting to begin making my own unmentionables for a very long time. I'm so happy that I get to begin today. She sent me a copy of her 1940's Pretty Pretties booklet, which has a lot of information and how-to's on dainty details that you can do to add special touches to your handmade lingerie.


 Also on my must-sew is her beautiful vintage teddy pattern, which would be lovely to wear to bed on a hot summer night. The Pretty Pretties booklet gives instructions for a shell-edged hem and lace inserts. I think that would be beautiful to do on the legs of the teddy.


You can join in on the Ooh la la Pin Up Sew-Along at A Few Threads Loose and purchase the lovely sew-along kit (patterns for garter belt, bra and Pretty Pretties booklet) in her etsy shop, Mrs. Depew Vintage. Be sure to pop over to A Few Threads Loose for a coupon code for her shop and enter her giveaway to win the patterns for the sew-along!

Happy Valentines Day to everyone! I'm spending the day with all of my sweethearts. I was woken up by my darling kitty, Gypsy. I'm enjoying the day with my sweet kids and when Pj gets home from work, we're enjoying the evening at home, all 4 (5 including Gypsy) together.

 We never go out on V-day. It's just a mess. V-day in St Louis is always freezing cold, often snowy and not worth waiting an hour and sitting in a crowded restaurant to eat. Instead, we stay home, cook or order out and watch romantic comedies while lounging in our snuggly pajamas.

Braised Beef with Tortelloni via The Little Kitchen

  This year, I'm making one of my favorites, Olive Garden's Braised Beef with Tortelloni. The boneless spareribs simmer in the crockpot with marsala cream sauce all day and by the time dinner rolls around, the meat melts in your mouth. It's served with cheese-stuffed tortelloni and is divine! I really think that The Little Kitchen's recipe is even better than the stuff at Olive Garden.

 This afternoon, I'm watching some of my favorite romantic comedies on Netflix while I work on vintage repairs.

 Marilyn, Lauren and Betty. Does it get any better? This one is great for the fashion and romance but so funny that it even made my husband laugh.
Marilyn again but this time with Jane Russell, about 2 gals, one hungry for love and the other hungry for money. Both getting into all sorts of trouble (and gorgeous outfits) while on a cruise ship. Also on Netflix is Gentlemen Marry Brunettes :)
Ball of Fire

I love Barbara's sassy attitude in this laugh-out-loud black and white flick. She's a showgirl running from the mob and Gary Cooper is a professor who needs to hear what street-talk sounds like so he can complete his encyclopedia entry for slang.

I hope that everyone has a lovely Valentines Day and gets to spend a little time with their sweetheart, be it a beau, a fur-baby or dear friend.
 x

I was on facebook this morning when I noticed a sale from one of my sponsors, Sydney's Vintage Clothing. She's having a 48 hour sale so you can save 45% off your order of $65 or more, just use coupon code "48HourSale" at the checkout.




I found Sydney's Vintage Clothing last year when I bought this fantastic 40's dress, which is one of my favorites! I love the print, the rhinestone buttons and all of the little details.



Sydney's arranges their clothes by size and era, making it easier to find exactly what you're looking for. Check out some of my favorite vintage dresses in large and extra large sizes



Sydney's has an excellent selection of clothing, amazing hats, shoes, jewelry, housewares and more. Be sure to follow her on facebook, twitter and check the site regularly for new additions and frequent sales.

Thank you so much to everyone for your comments on my last post. It means the world to me that this little blog is such a big inspiration to so many people. I want you to know that you're an inspiration to me!!

Anyways, last week, I completely lost track of time and forgot to post my Friday Fashionista! So, I'm making up for it this week with an amazingly fashionable and intriguing lady, Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor.



 Wallis Warfield was born in Pennsylvania. As a young woman, she attended a very high class school in Maryland and was described as always being well-dressed. She married and divorced a US Navy pilot and a shipping executive before meeting Edward, Prince of Wales, who was at the time, the heir to the throne.
 an excerpt from the Wallis Simpson biography at thebiographychannel.co.uk: 

"On 20 January 1936, King George V, Edward's father, died, and Edward became King Edward VIII. The Government and the people of Great Britain had high hopes for Edward, but his infatuation with Wallis distracted him from his state duties. He alienated palace courtiers and his unorthodox approach to Government matters caused concern amongst ministers.
Some claimed that Wallis may be a German spy, handing State papers over to the German government. Some historians still consider that she might have had connections there, given Edward's sympathies towards the Nazi regime in the late 1930s.
Marriage to a divorcee was a constitutional impossibilty, so King Edward was faced with three options: give up Wallis, keep Wallis and face the resignation of the entire government, or abdicate. He chose the last option."



Many people hated the Duchess for her entire life. Rumors  spread about her private life, her fidelity and her loyalties to the allies during World War I. Of course, this photo didn't help matters! To this day, many people believe that Wallis was a Nazi sympathizer and was passing information to a high ranking Nazi official. Some say that her divorces had nothing to do with the abdication crisis and that her Nazi relationships were the cause of her exile.
 Maybe it's the romantic in me but I find her story to be fascinating and wonderful. Through scandal,  loss of the crown, and being practically exiled from England, Edward and Wallis stayed together until the day Edward passed away. Wallis remained single until her death in 1986.

“I'm nothing to look at, so the only thing I can do is dress better than anyone else.”- Wallis Simpson

Madonna's film W/E, which chronicles the love story of Wallis and Edward was released in the US last week. It's not in theaters in my area yet but when I finally see it, I'll let you know! Be sure to check out the exquisite costumes in the W/E Vanity Fair spread.

Since Edward gave up the crown to marry her, Wallis felt that she must always be thin and well-dressed for her husband. Likewise, since she gave up her reputation to marry him, Edward wanted nothing more than to shower Wallis with the finest jewels and clothes that money could buy. Her clothes featured sleek lines, outlandish jewels and the most couture and tailored details.

I get a lot of questions about my size, my wardrobe and how to find plus sized vintage clothes. I generally answer the questions as they come but Beth from Beth's Happy Day inspired me to write this post with her comment yesterday. Thank you, Beth!  This is a really long post but I wanted to be sure to answer all of your questions as best as I can. My carnival/car show photos were done by Leah Fauller in September.

this dress was found in an old attic in St Louis

1930's plus size image via Bettes Bargains

Junk in the Trunk! -Photo by Leah Fauller

A: I always tell ladies to ignore the size tag because one brand's size 8 is another brand's size 12. What matters is how you feel. I would rather go up 3 dress sizes and be comfortable than try to sausage my butt into something just because the number on the tag.  I have saggy boobs from breastfeeding two kids, stretch marks from weight changes, scars from surgery, cellulite from too many french fries. I have "fat days" when I feel like a whale and I can't find anything to wear. I think that happens to most women, though.  I could throw on a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt 3 sizes too big and hide under it or I could work with what genetics and my love of food gave me and do what I can to feel pretty. Life is too short to be insecure and unhappy about something as silly as dress sizes. I'm working on getting fit so I can have more fashion options but in the mean time, I try to have fun with what I have and show people that you don't have to be a certain size or shape feel pretty and be noticed. I went to the casino for my husband's birthday a few weeks ago. It was Saturday night. The skirts were tiny, the heels were tall and the tiny waists were abundant. I wore a pretty 40's dress, cute wedges and fixed my hair. I felt like the most elegant girl in the whole place. I got non-stop compliments all night from the gorgeous, skinny cocktail waitresses and smokin' hot girls prancing around in their little dresses. When you're comfortable in your skin and you feel pretty, that's all people see. They don't see a "fat chick" they see an elegant, beautiful woman that loves herself.

enjoying some of life's sweetness

A: Sometimes yes, sometimes they just gawk. I've never had a negative response though. People are just curious. My most frequently asked questions by strangers in public are "Why are you so dressed up?" and "How did you do your hair?" I've prepared myself for comments about my body size but so far, they have always been positive. Usually older gentlemen say nice things about "girls with meat on their bones" or that I look like their mother. A lot of ladies express interest in the style. It can be scary to expose yourself to the world when you're used to hiding your body but at the end of the day, it feels good to be noticed for being an elegant girl instead of blending in with the sea of t-shirts.


It takes a lot of time rooting through racks of clothes to find something that fits but believe me, there's loads of plus sized vintage out there, waiting for someone to find it and bring it home!

If anyone has any other questions about me or about plus sized clothes, you can email me at va_voomvintage@yahoo.com or leave your comment below. Thank you for your questions!!

Oh, how nice! I just saw that I was featured on the Weezi Store's blog yesterday. Thank you, Lisa that made my day!!


The Weezi Blog has excellent tips and how-to's about storing and washing your vintage sweaters and loads of crafty and vintage inspiration. Be sure to visit the Weezi Store on etsy for beautiful handmade vintage-inspired clothing and accessories.