Out with the old..

I am boycotting New Years Eve this year.

I will see the new year in most probably but it will be with my family, playing a board game, which thinking about it is very fifties. I have baked up a storm, Banoffi pie and prepared the special maggi onion soup dip.

I have been suprisingly morose today, and even my mum noticed..commenting that I havent curled my hair today. Im not sure why, I feel a bit disconnected and unable to live in the moment, concerned about the coming year and what it may have in store. You know when you have been looking forward to your holidays and then you are too scared to enjoy them, worrying about when they are going to end? Thats where I’m at today.

My mum and I pulled out all the stuff I have had stored under her house for the past 22 years and went through it all, deciding what to keep and what to cast away into the mists of time.This was a great thing to do at the end of a decade.
These are my musings..

What happened to the lost art of letterwriting? Well, I know what happened, emails. I found shopping bags full of letters from various friends at various times in my life. I remembered how special and wanted you felt when a letter found its way into your letterbox. I know lots of people have commented on this loss so I say LETS BRING BACK LETTERWRITING. Imagine people can keep forever your thoughts and feelings. Just like I have kept my friends thoughts on how hot jason Donovan is and how they passed Geography and failed French.
Best of all though were the love letters. I even recieved a very odd and disturbing picture of a graveyard with my name on a gravestone from a prospective beau. This does give an indication of the kind of boys my teenage self courted.

I also discovered old photos, some from my errant teenage years. They were a pointed reminder of how lucky i will be if my son comes through his teen years unscathed. I have created so much apalling karma in regards to keeping my mother up worrying all night.

I did manage to find a couple of treasures which I will take back to Wellington with me.

So after reviewing the various phases of my life I feel a sense of expectation about the next decade. I know the mistakes I have made and the successes I have, and I know a little more about what brings me happiness. I will make my new years resolutions well equipped.
Happy new Year everyone xx

New Years eve eve..
I thought I would reflect today on my project as my month is almost up.

I have discovered a number of things about myself, some good, some questionable.
Firstly – I have become acutely aware of how I look at any given point in time. I could tell you right now how much lipstick i have on and how much hair is out of place.

Secondly I have learnt how to pose for the camera – I have felt some affinty for Posh with her “one foot forward and look daggers at the camera” pose. However I’m sure Posh hasnt had to perfect the art whilst taking her own photo. Believe me its slightly more difficult.
Thirdly I actually really like taking care of my appearance. I feel much more confident and attractive and I am not afraid of being caught out by a stray handsome man if one should materialise.

I am a shameless exhibitionist. I always suspected I was, but there is nothing like writing a blog to realise just how much one loves the sound of ones own voice.

I have made a number of suprising discoverys:

• A girl cannot have enough gloves – I cant believe I never knew this before. Its not enough to have a nice little white pair. Therefore I was immensely pleased to find this stash in my local hospice shop.
• I have begun to say things like “immensely pleased”
• If you dress like a lady you begin to act like a lady. My posture has improved and I smile sweetly at men, old ladies and small children. I also have insane urges to demonstrate the wonders of refridgerators.
• The hair of golden era women was not naturally curly. This one discovery has changed my entire life. I am not exagerating. Never again will I be shackled by the hair of my birth.
• I have become more interested and respectful of my Nana’s generation. I am planning to interview a couple of older women, which I am really looking forward to.

Things I want to improve on:

I want to be less concerned about the look itself and get to the point where I AM the look, where I dont even think about it, it just comes as naturally as breathing.

I want to get back to thinking about other people, instead of thinking about myself all the time. I need to get back on track in this regard.

I want to explore the rules that fifities women lived by, the etiquette and the lifestyle. In fact I think this may be the next stage of my blog project. I would love to get my hands on Amy Vanderbilt’s “Guide to Gracious Living” book. If anyone knows where I can get one please let me know.

So to summarise… This has been a fantastic month, I have felt crazy and eccentric at times but have discovered a well of attractiveness that I didnt know I had and that I didnt know could be tapped into so easily.
So if you guys will have me i think I will continue with the project for a little longer. Is that ok??

The Bedroom Commandos

My family live next door to a disused cement works.
Its all ruined and atmospheric and has a lake alongside it which used to be the quarry.
(photo thanks to someone called sids1 on flickr)

Growing up us local teens told each other lots of stories about the quarry and how there are all kinds of things buried there, ghost stories the lot.
However the other day at the tea party I discovered there was an element of truth to some of the tales.

The quarry was in use until the day they hit a spring. It quickly flooded the place – so quick that they were unable to retrieve the trucks. The works themselves became ruined when the american army, here for training, used them for target and bombing practice.
Apparently forces were stationed around Warkworth and some local girls married soldiers. This reminded me of a story I read in the book “Wellington Telling tales” by Chris Maclean.

In 1943 a Maori soldier picked up an American soldiers plate of steak and flung it in his face. This started the “Battle of Manners Street” which was an out and out brawl between NZ troops and American Marines on the streets of Wellington.
The cause of this unrest appears to be the “invasion” by the Americans, coming over here (15-45000 of them!) and being given preference in shops and restaurants, and preference by the local ladies.

Yes these yanks were a cut above the average kiwi bloke. Chris Maclean writes “NZ women were often attracted by the Americans courtesy and sophistication, qualities they sometimes found lacking in local men”. They knew how to charm, and what a lady really wants – namely chocolates, cigarettes and nylon stockings.

I can imagine that in those days kiwi blokes would have probably been a bit lacking in the charm department, they would have been mostly farmers and not really that au fait with the latest fashions. So they lucked out with the ladies for this period in history. They grumpily referred to the Americans as the “bedroom commandos” and apparently the catch phrase of the time was “the yanks are overpaid, oversexed and over here”.

Nzhistory.net.nz describes the dances which were organised at the camps themselves or at the services clubs. “Here there was no liquor, and only ‘nice girls’ were invited. The YMCA in Auckland also organised Saturday night dances at its Downtown Club, with evening dresses and plenty of chaperones.
If you wanted a rather less restrained atmosphere you went to a cabaret or a nightclub. In Wellington the Majestic Cabaret became famous. Here, to an excellent swing band, marines and their New Zealand partners would foxtrot or jitterbug or jive home to the ‘Chattanooga Choo-choo’. In Auckland you might go to the El Rey nightclub for liquor and steaks accompanied by a band playing Glenn Miller hits. With women in long dresses and the Americans in their handsome uniforms, it was all very glamorous; and it was hardly surprising that at such places New Zealand women said yes to more than the obligatory one dance expected of ‘polite girls’.”

Oh to be a girl in those times, It sounds all very exciting. No wonder the poor kiwis were so cross. I think possibly in the long run it made kiwi boys pick up their game a bit. Nowadays we certainly arent expected to pitch in in the miking sheds and some men are (allegedly) quite proficient at present shopping.

Here is my pic for today, on the beach again with my sister in law.

Party Etiquette

Welcome one and all to the party season.

As all of us will I’m sure be attending a variety of parties I thought I would suggest a few helpful tips. These will ensure you make a good impression and do not offend the hosts and your companions.

I myself attended a small party this afternoon. Just a small gathering but a social occasion just the same.

Of course appropriate attire is neccessary.
“The place to wear your long dress and handsome shoes is at a formal tea; then you also get out your freshly cleaned white gloves and your new hat. For informal tea you would wear no such outfit, but instead, a dressy street length dress. Spotless white gloves, dress shoes, silk hose, and your best hat are appropriate accessories.”

As I was dressed in my day clothes…

I changed into what I imagined a “dressy street length dress” may be. It was another hot day and my white gloves are far from spotless so i passed on those, however I did wear dress shoes. This meant that i had to hobble over a dirt road.

I had invited a male companion, who was oblivious to my blog project. He was concerned that he had under dressed – so I knew I was on the right track.
The party was small, just the hostess, us and a couple.

“Introductions can be fun if you have the four basic rules at your finger- tips:
1. Present a gentleman to a lady.
2. Present a young lady to an older one.
3. Present a single woman to a married one.
4. Present a lesser individual to one of reknown.”

I dont think any of us is particularly reknown, and certainly none of us would consider ourself a “lesser individual”. But nevertheless all men and women were duly introduced.

My companion was sorely lacking in the following:

1. “Gentleman seats lady nearest him, and she takes her place slowly enough so he has a chance to pull out her chair. She is seated from the left and rises from the right.”

2. “Take your napkin as soon as you are seated, and arrange gloves or handbag in your lap so they won’t fall on the floor. Never put them on the table.

What about the floor?

3. Hostess always gives the signal to start eating — by starting to eat.”

I especially like the next rule, I am definitely a girl who likes to have the last word.

“As usual, the woman has the last word. In parting, it is the man’s place to say “I am glad to have met you,” to which the lady replies, “Thank you,” and any additional cordial remark. But remember girls, let the man express his joy first.”

I hope everyone has had a wonderful christmas.

I hope that you have all spent time with family and friends, eaten lots and given and recieved great presents.

I have done all of the above and now feel fat and happy!

I have been thinking about all the people who have been less fortunate than myself this christmas and I hope that some of my good fortune will be able to ripen upon them somehow.

We spent another day at the beach and it was blissful, hot sun, warm sand and clear blue water. I will not bore you all with more photos of me prancing round the place ,apart from this one of me playing with my son, but instead thought i would post some lovely beach pin up pics of Betty Page.

Betty I must say has been a bit of an inspiration to me. I think her life story was pretty amazing and I especially like the interview she gave just a few years ago when she said that she sometimes pretended the camera was her boyfriend, but never thought the photos were sexual. Isnt that so cute!

Let me know how your christmas has gone xx

Merry New Zealand Christmas

Today was the perfect christmas eve.

A dash of window shopping at my favourite local shop – Red letter – check out the El Casco desk accessories.

Followed by sunbathing and swimming with my family.
Now.. I have discovered that its all well and good being perfectly made up and well groomed at all times, but what about when you get hot and want to go for a swim?
To begin with I did as a proper lady would have, dog paddling with my head above water, makeup and sunglasses intact, but that was an impossibility with a teenage son.
So this is how I ended up..
Lucky I had the hindsight to remove the lippy or I would have looked like something from a horror movie.
I ended today by wrapping presents and baking mince pies.
Have a wonderful christmas. I hope it is full of peace, love and happiness. xx

NO MORE PRESENTS

MORE christmas shopping.
Will it ever end?

How much money have you all spent this xmas? Please make me feel better about the wanton use of my credit card!

Half the trouble is this little guy. My new nephew,my first and only nephew thus far.
I have rediscovered toy shops and their delights. I am quite suprised that you can buy toy coffee perculators, laptops and of course a zillion different versions of cell phones.
Ciarann and I checked out the slide with attached circus mirror…
I have requested from Santa an array of project related presents. It would be great if they had gift cards for Salvation army shops or auction houses. That would be me sorted. My mum refuses to buy me anything preowned. I haven’t told her about my retro knicker find, I think she may commit me.
Maybe next year I will buy all my presents from auctions, that may be a whole different blog. Peoples reactions to their second hand presents.. now that would make good reading.

The King and I

The Antiques Roadshow was on television tonight, The whole family loves this program. I remember watching it as a little girl while eating crumpets, after going for a Sunday walk.
Tonight there was a brooch given to someone by a king. Which reminded me of our family connection to royalty. Granted it is a somewhat tenous connection but I am going to share it all the same.
My Nana worked before the war as a housemaid. She worked in a number of illustrious houses but the most impressive was 16 Cumberland terrace, Regents Park.
This was the home of Mrs Wallis Simpson.
Of course Im sure you all know the story of Wallis Simpson and her spectacular seduction of the King of England. Wallis and her husband moved to England from America in 1929. She was from the South and had been divorced previously.

Wallis was introduced to Prince Edward in 1931 and her and Ernest became part of the Royal social circle. Over the next six years she became more and more indispensible to the Prince and he fell in love with her. The Prince then became the King of England.
Eventually it all became too much for poor Ernest and he had an affair of his own. This prompted Wallis to ask for a divorce and she moved into 16 Cumberland terrace.

My Mum remembers Nana telling her that the King dined at Mrs Simpsons house often and my Nana served at their table. She once upended a bowl of prunes into the King of England’s lap.

Apparently the King did all he could to stifle news of the Simpsons divorce but soon the newspapers were full of the fact that the King was in love with a recent american divorcee. He then made the decision to abdicate the throne to marry her.

My Nana (most inconveniently) became unwell and was away from work when the news broke. Wallis immediatly left London and the house was closed.
A detective visited Nana and warned her about not speaking of the events and she recieved a letter from Ernest Simpson offering her a reference. Here is a letter from the housekeeper speaking of “the terrible affair”.

So that was my Nana’s involvement in “The love story of the century”. I hope she didn’t do too much damage with those prunes.

presents from the past

Every year I swear I’m not going to spend a fortune on presents, every year I fail.

But talking to my mum and reading other peoples blogs have made me think that maybe things weren’t so different even back in the fifties.

Nana had 3 kids and from what mum says they all got plenty of presents.

So what presents were de rigour in the fifties?

You couldnt go past the latest annual – either for a boy or girl, Rupert or Bunty.

I found an excerpt from the 1958 Bunty annual.

The Four Marys – “Fun at a boarding school with a frolicsome foursome”

My mum used to ask for a doll or a toy sweet shop

She also got sugar mice in her stocking and maybe a skipping rope. Thats not so different from the lynx deodorant and alarm clock that Im getting for my son this christmas. I think I should add an orange and some nuts for authenticity.

I do have Nana to blame for starting the family tradition 60 years ago of filling a pillow case with presents. It takes an awful lot of presents to fill an pillowcase.

I was pleased that my hair stayed in place throughout the whole stressful mall experience.

Family Fun

I thought today I would take the opportunity to introduce my family.

I am staying with them in Warkworth, North of Auckland where it is sunny and warm.

My poor mothers reaction to my 24/7 vintage dressing was initially that of “what will the neighbours think” but she is coming around fast. See..I even got her to do a pin up pose with me! She has no idea why i would be so obbsessed with the 50’s, she still remembers with horror her mother putting curlers in her hair.

My dad is more concerned about my computer use. He thinks I should be “In the real world”. Mind you he has a great mistrust of technology. He doesnt own a cellphone and has only just learnt how to work an ATM.

Ciarann – my son, has a friend up to stay for a few days and points out at every opportunity that I am not cool. But I know he secretly likes my style!! He is getting sick of me pointing a camera in his face all the time though and works hard to perfect his stroppy thirteen year old look.

We live by beautiful beaches which gives me ample opportunity to pose with lovely background scenery in my awesome new reproduction swimsuit by Ginger Lover, check them out on www.ginger-lover.com .Gosh..when did I turn into such a diva!