Movember III

The World Is Lazy, But You and Me We're Just Crazy

Holiday Time Fashions - Roughing It Holidays

As it is now school holidays I figured a post on holiday fashions was in order - the following has been adapted from 'Smart Girl' 1964, a Scottish girls' annual. This first installment is about 'Roughing It Holidays'. 

It's the thing now to be as different as you can when it comes to holidays. I know people who've been ski-ing on Scotland, hiking, pot-holing, Youth Hostelling, climbing, ponytrekking and I even ran across a very earnest type who went on an archaeological dig!
Listening to all the wonderful tales about holidays, I realised just how important the right clothes are - you can't scale Ben Nevis, for instance, in a flower-sprigged cotton dress! So let's take it from the top :

Everything must be highly packable; it must squeeze into the smallest knapsack or a single suitcase. Trousers of some sort are absolutely neccessary - blue jeans are ideal. Start off in the jeans, a shirt and serviceable jacket, anorak or windcheater, thick-soled walking shoes; pack or wear a thick sweater.


Take head-scarves and head-bands (the latter will keep you looking pretty in the evenings). Take quick-drying nylon underwear or cotton if you're going to a hot climate, and a pair of fold-up ballerina pumps.



You may need a dress for evenings (anyway, it's nice to be feminine sometimes!) so choose a simple style in one of the man-made fabrics, which will not crease inbearably. Allow for minimum make-up but take a tube of cold cream - nature really does take it out of the skin!



And you'll need stout socks inside those walking shoes. In hot weather you'll find walking in shorts much cooler so squeeze in a pair.

With these essentials you'll be set to enjoy a roughing it holiday!


(click on each picture for source)

Movember II

 An homage to some famous moustaches on the second-to-last day of Movember - the above picture is from here (one of the most rad blogs ever) and the first two below are from a fabulous blog post about none other than the humble moustache over at the selvedge yard (also one of the most rad blogs ever).

Oh and of course -

Growing Glorious Roses

I went the botanic gardens the other day (I love walking around old rose gardens) and it reminded me of how many articles about roses there are in the old girls' annuals I collect  (including June Book, which the above picture is from). I think that says a lot about the times - there are interviews with celebrities and fashion tips, but also craft projects and articles about rose growing. I wish that modern magazines aimed at young girls had things like that, but can you imagine what a 10 year old now would think about growing their own herb garden?! Another thing about old annuals is that they had no ads. Imagine that! Turning a page without having air-brushed consumerism being shoved in your face! I really think we've lost a lot of values in recent times, and I find it quite saddening. Anyway, below is the  outfit I wore around the gardens (under the scarf are my pincurls which were setting for that evening), and also some of the old rose articles - including one about cactus growing!

 

Movember

I'm not sure if they have this in other countries, but in New Zealand november doesn't exist - we have Movember instead, which raises awareness of prostate cancer. Thousands of men across the country are sponsored for embracing the fine art of moustache growing (becoming 'mo bros') and the proceeds go towards prostate cancer funds. I intended to celebrate Movember with a moustache post each week, however exams then proceeded to eat my life and here we are with malls already putting up christmas decorations. So, for the last few days of Movember I shall be displaying my large collection of '70s knitting patterns modelled by moustache clad gents in daily blog posts. Because nothing is more amusing than a quality '70s moustache. Happy Movember!

It takes a special kind of man to model matching knitwear.