My Week According to Instagram

Another week has passed and I only leave you with yet another Instagram post.  I pinky promise I'm going to try to get back into the swing of things and give you all more than just my weekly posts.  I kept in the tradition of spending Sundays with my mum.  We had a relaxing day playing card and board games and then eating a yummy dinner along with some very tasty homemade banana bread.

1. Yogurt with fresh strawberries and granola.

2-4. Sunglasses for sale. All pairs $5 + shipping. Comment if interested.

 5. Also $5 + shipping. Comment if interested.

6. Nicholas Hoult on the Graham Norton Show!

7. Excited to hear about Austenland getting picked up at Sundance.

8. Woohoo for Doctor Who! About two months to go.

9. Yummy chicken and veggie stir fry.

10. A gorgeous group of 1920s ladies on my lock screen.

11. The handsome Nicholas Hoult on Live with Kelly and Michael.

12. Amazing vintage Salvatore Ferragamo's I thrifted.

13. Glitzy nails to cheer me up through cold weather.

14. Oh Captain Hook...

15. Colin O'Donoghue as Captain Hook on Once Upon a Time.

16. The outfit I wore this morning.

I am so excited for the Screen Actors Guild Awards!  Are you you watching?  I've only just started the Live from the Red Carpet E! special because I only got home shortly ago.  Which unfortunately means I won't get to the main event until tomorrow.  I love award season so much.  I am most thrilled to see the fashion-men and women's.  Though the women's fashion is definitely more fabulous.  There's only so much one can do with a tux or a suit.  Though from the photos I've seen on Instagram, the men certainly did fill them out well.  Special shoutout to Eddie Redmayne who looked chocolatey delicious in his brown velvet number.  I will most likely try to do a post tomorrow with all my favourite looks from the SAGs so be sure to keep a look out!

My (Past Two) Week(s) According to Instagram

Sorry sorry sorry!  I've been MIA for over two weeks.  Life caught up with me and I neglected you as a result.  But I'm back a day late and a dollar short.  I also apologize for the spacing issue.  I tried to remedy it, but it's still acting up.

This past weekend my brother and sister-in-law drove down from Boston for a visit.  It was so lovely to see them.  They're both doctors so they work crazy hours and don't have much time off so I'm lucky if I see them once a year.

Saturday night my dad's side of the family all went out to eat at Viva.  Sunday my brother and his wife (plus my adorable niece, Daisy, the golden retriever) came over for brunch.  My mum made an amazing spread and I chipped in with apple struesel muffins and another red velvet cake.  My sister-in-law really wanted to try it after I posted photos of it on Facebook.  It was really special because I used my grandmother's recipe and it was even in her hand writing.

 

1. Sharing this post via Instagram.

2. The 1980's hot rollers I use to curl my hair.

3-4. Photo shoot for a future post; rocking my vintage fur hat.

 

5. The bridge at location with the sun hitting it just so.

6. Stone ruins I passed on a walk.  I wonder what it once looked like.

7. The handsome and well dressed Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

8. Knowlton Drugs and Seeds- could it be an old relation?

 

9. Creamy tomato pasta dinner.

10. Geeked out over Nicholas Hoult being a clue on Jeopardy.

11. A pearl bracelet I made.  It's for sale per request.

12. Longing for warmer weather.

 

13. Smudger keeping my lap warm during a nap.

14. An inspirational quote from the late great Audrey Hepburn.

15. Titanic cross-stitch in progress.

16. A gorgeous 1930's fur trim coat a neighbor gave to me.

 

17. A lovely 1930's dress my neighbor gave me.

18. And an Asian inspired vintage dress I was also given.

19. A plethora of vintage knitting, crocheting, cross-stitching, and fashion catalog magazines I got for free from my library.

20. A few of my favorite.

 

21-22. I love Emily Marie Palmer's style.  No idea who she is but she's in Catching Fire.

23. The stone ruins on a foggy day.

24. Showing off my gams in black thigh high back seam stockings and a garter belt.

 

25. Mixing patterns for a future blog post.

26-27. Red velvet cake using my late grandmother's famous recipe.

28. The gorgeous and recently single Nicholas Hoult.  If only you were mine.

 

29. Throwback photo from when I wore side-swept fringe.

30. Made Irish soda bread.

31. A very Irish dinner: corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread, and taters.

32. Dessert: apple dumplings.

 

33. My first attempt at fingerwaves since beauty school 4 years ago.

34. I used vintage clips designed for the wave.

35. Wearing my 1920's hat with my fingerwaves.

36. Still longing for warm weather in my grandmother's 1940's swimsuit.

 

37. One sexy zombie: Nicholas Hoult as R in Warm Bodies.

38. Craziness! Over 400 followers and counting!

39. What I wore out to dinner with my family.

40. Just finished reading this series (I know, a little late) and am in love.

 

41. I devoured this book in a day.  The film version won't come soon enough.

42. Warm Bodies looks so good. Nicholas Hoult is even beautiful as the undead.

My neighbor was sweet enough to drop off three vintage pieces that she couldn't sell at her thrift shop.  I was so thankful since I've been tight for money and haven't been able to buy anything for myself in a couple of months.  It's difficult to see everyone's swell thrift finds on Instagram, and not be able to revel in it yourself.  I know I am very blessed and have a wonderful closet full of items.  But that doesn't curb the urge at all.  It's not like a proper shop where the items will still be there weeks from now.  Once that piece is gone, it's out of your life forever.  That's part of the charm about thrifting though.  It's like a treasure hunt.  I know I will get to go shopping again in the future.  My drought won't last forever.  I'll just have to live vicariously through others and make due until that time comes.

I've been on a book reading bender lately.  I read four books in just a week or so.  I couldn't put down the Hunger Games series and Warm Bodies was read in a day.  There's something bittersweet about finishing a book you love so much.  You don't want to let it go yet at the same time you greedily want to consume the last few pages like it's the air I breathe.  Now I'm left wanting more.

Do you have any suggestions of books or a series I should read?

Follow me on Instagram at _vintage_vixen_

My Week According to Instagram

So Christmastide is almost upon us!  I'm trying to maintain a positive attitude though my life is still in somewhat of a shamble.  It's been hard to stay upbeat, but my roller-coaster of emotions is back on a peak, instead of a plummet like earlier today.

There's a forecast of a dusting of snow for tomorrow which I'm excited about.  I hope there's a slight accumulation since we haven't had a white Christmas in awhile.  It's always been raining.  Unfortunately, they are also calling for freezing rain in my parts.  But I hope it heads way for the snow.

1. Dear Santa...

2. Letting Instagram followers know about this post.

3. Breakfast one morning.

4. My poor curls after a windy day.

5. Gorgeous shoes from eBay.

6. Stupid computer giving me problems.

7. Nostalgia kicking in.

8. That didn't take long.

9. Here's hoping for a white Christmas.

10-11. I couldn't resist a few jabs.

12. Vanilla orchid sachets.

13. Balsam Fir sachets added to the pile.

14. I had to post this again on the 22nd.

15. Baking chocolate chip cookies to take to my brother's house tomorrow.

As tradition dictates, I'll be spending the evening of Christmas Eve at my brother's house with his wife and my nephew.  It's always enjoyable to see him open and enjoy all of his gifts.  I'm making my famous Sloppy Joes and deviled eggs to take over, along with an assortment of homemade cookies.  After my brother's, I'll go back to my mum's where we will open one gift each and then watch a Christmas film.  And just in case you were wondering, yes I will be leaving milk and cookies out for Santa and carrots for the reindeer...

What are your plans and traditions on Christmas Eve?

Happy Christmas in advance!

My Week According to Instagram

This week was pretty good, though it didn't end on such a positive note.  I came home from work last night after midnight and it was quite cold in my flat.  I looked at the thermostat and it read around 60 degrees Fahrenheit.  I turned the hot tap on and it just ran cold.  It was a miserable night's sleep.  Smudger and I were all bundled up in bed and still couldn't sleep well.  When I woke up this morning it cooled down to about 50 degrees (which is quite cold when the wind is howling)!  It was too much to bear.  Poor Smudgie was shaking like a leaf so we packed a few things up and went to my mum's house until the landlord refueled at our flat.

Thanksgiving ended up being quite nice, although a bit hectic.  Mum and I spent all day cooking and baking (me being the genius that I am, did it in high heeled booties).  It was really fun.  I enjoy cooking and baking but don't do it that often myself since I live alone and also work second shift.  It was just three of us for dinner but then my brother, his wife, and my nephew stopped by for desert.  After they left Mum and I watched a bit of a film called Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade.  I've seen it already and it's a really cute movie.

1. Adorable vintage looking hand mirror from the Dollar Tree.

2. Handmade Christmas gift tags available here.

3. Gone With the Wind marathon on AMC.

4. Mummy holding me when I was a wee lass.

5. Thanksgiving day outfit; soaking up the sunlight.

6. Five homemade pies: 2 pumpkin, 1 lemon meringue, 1 apple, and 1 cran-apple.

7. The apple pie I made.  I love the lattice work.

8. Lemon meringue pie.

9. Misty waking up from her nap.

10. Thanksgiving before the feast begins.

11. Thanksgiving outfit again, including the jumper and handbag.

12. My partner in crime, my mummy.

I'm so excited for my next day off on Tuesday.  I'm going to be spending the day decorating my flat for Christmas.  I love decorating for the different holidays or just in general.  There's a house a few minutes away that is selling boughs from their pine trees so I'm going to get some, put a red ribbon on them, and hang them under each window.  I also got a great CD yesterday full of old Christmas music from artists such as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, and others.

When do you normally decorate for Christmas?