It has been very quiet on the blog lately, and in the near future the blog will be down for some work.
It will be back though, check back soon!
Under Construction!
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Eyebrows frames the eyes and gives the face shape is what's generally been said about them. And it's true, I have aaalways been a huge fan of eyebrows and it is one of the first things I notice in someones appearance! There are so many styles and so much that you can do, or not do with them and there is no one perfect formula for everyone. Lately I have been tired of my eyebrows so I decided I would finally take the plunge and reshape them. It is seriously a teadering task as it takes ages for them to grow out and I have to look like a cave man If you have seen any of my older posts you can se that my brows was much thicker before, and around last summer I reshaped them a bit thinner with a higher arch. And now it's time for a new change!
In search for a photo of the kind of eyebrows I had got in my head that I wanted I turned to Pinterest and other sources to look at vintage and vintage inspired eyebrows to show to my beautician friend who is going to help me. And golly, there are so many different brows out there!
When I think of Elisabeth Taylor, I think about eyebrows. Hers are classic, dark, not too thin, elegant and arched. This is the kind of brow I have been going for the last year. Classic, not to strange but still well thought out. I think these are the brows that would suit most girls and they are gorgeous, but I'm up for a change!
The glamorous Dorothy Lamour sports the brows that were in fashion a bit earlier in time. High, curved and thin. These are quite dramatic and I wish I could pull them of, but I tend to find that you have to live a life in black and white to make them work and not to read like 90's over plucked teenage brows. One modern vintage lady who despite this definitely makes them work fabulously is fellow vintage blogger Riikka who also wears inspiring finger waves and beautiful vintage fashion.
Here we come a bit closer to what I'm looking for right now. I want my brows to be a bit thicker in the arch and thinner in the front if you know what I mean. With her big beautiful eyes Lucille Balls eyebrows gives her an open and clear eyed look. One modern lady who rocks something similar is vintage gal Emma Sundh. She has those high brows, a bit rounded and thicker in the arch and it suits her lovely blonde looks just perfectly. For me they are however a bit too small and thin to work though.
Ok, so everybody knows about Frida Kahlos eyebrows, or her unibrow of you want.
This photo is from 1939 and I just love it. Together with the fawn she looks like a fairytale character. She is a big inspiration for me with her flowers, patterns and colours especially since she makes me aware of the possibilities to showcase my latin heritage in a vintage way.
Since the eyebrows are so typical and famous for Kahlo I pick her up in this blog post to showcase
how important brows can be in a look. A few hairs in the middle of the eyebrows on a woman and "Tadaa" you've got something weird and spectacular. (In the last sentence I'm being ironic if you could not tell.) I think she is beautiful and that her eyebrows does what eyebrows should, they compliment her face, her style and gives her an edge.
Another pair of dramatic and stylish brows belongs to the classic model Dovima. I could actually go for something like this and I love the final upwards motion of them. It's not what I'm looking for right now but there might come a time when I change things up this way. These brows make me think of Marina, hair stylist and Instagrammer with a vintage flair. Hers does not have that upwards twist at the end but they are full, dark and stylish.
In this photo from ca 1945 Gene Tierney wears a flawless makeup paired with some perfect eyebrows. These are just perfect and I so wish they would suit me. But, since my face shape is a bit more elongated than Tierneys this might give me a too surprised look and also my brows does not grow in a way that makes it possible to satisfactorily get this shape.
That's another thing you have to be aware of when you are reshaping your brows, what is possible with what you've got? If you do not want to use a lot of makeup to make your brows work your choices gets a little slimmer, depending on what you have.
Finally, of course Marilyn Monroes eyebrows. This photo from the 60s, although a bit fuzzy, shows quite clearly what I am looking for right now. Smaller at the front, thicker in the arch and not too thin. Now I just have to wait until my eye brows has grown out, big sigh..
Psst! I apologize but some of the sources might be bad in this post, I've found all photos through Pinterest and sometimes it can be a real challenge to find a good source there.
Psst! I apologize but some of the sources might be bad in this post, I've found all photos through Pinterest and sometimes it can be a real challenge to find a good source there.
Friday, March 7, 2014
It's Friday and I just had to try and recreate a more 20's styled wedding photo!
Recently I helped my best friend with her hair and make up on her wedding day and the outcome was a 20s inspired look. I took some photos of the lovely couple before they went to get hitched which I edited in a more modern fashion but I just could not resist to try a 20s version too.
Today I will stay home and watch tv series all day with Bengta resting quietly on my lap because this weekend is all devoted to work. I hope that you have much more fun plans and that you will enjoy the pleasures of some time off!
And, to sooth my workload I would love to hear what you will do/have been up to?
A fun vintage thingamajig!
As my collection of vintage clothes, furniture and items slowly grows I find myself creating smaller collections of items that fits under one specific theme. For some time I get some sort of a tunnel view and I focus in on one particular era, occasion or body part. And my guess is that this is a phenomenon many vintage lovers can relate to!
A while ago I was all in to vintage hair tools, and collected an array of books, hairpins, tools, wave clips and decorations. All of which I still have to use at some point, all though the books have been a wonderful source of inspiration!
One of the more odd things that I found was this little pin curler. I have always had a soft spot for old mechanical thingamajigs and this one is just darling, so when I saw it I just had to pick it up!
Used together with a hair pin it's supposed to help you create the perfect pin curl and I got it along with some instructions on how to use it.
I have yet to put this little curler to use but every time I see it in my drawer of hair tools, I smile.
There is something both adorable and a little funny over an old time aid that was made to solve "problems" now long gone (for the more modern lady, we vintage gals may still some days struggle with our pin curl coiffures). I can just imagine it being advertised as the perfect solution to a bad hair day!
Sunday, March 2, 2014
I have bought a "new" old hat. I found it at the evening I went to the opening evening at A. Marchesan and Tidens melodis (loosely translated to the tune of the times) pop up shop! I was graciously invited by the owner Ann who usually resides in Karlstad but for a short while moved her shop to Stockholm and A. Marchesan. When all lovely vintage gals where searching through the offerings I found myself to be a bit shy. Suddenly I saw this hat on one of the shelfs and it was love at first sight. Simple, elegant, with a lovely shimmer and a pearly, sparkly detail, simply adorable.
Since then I've realized that I'm probably wearing it backwards with the bow in the front instead of the back, but who cares? Isn't it pretty this way?
If you're ever close by Karlstad you really have to swing by Tidens Melodi. Ann's selection of vintage clothes, hats, shoes and accessories is impeccable and very well priced! You can also buy yourself a cup of ecological java and/or a homemade pastry while your shopping!
(I also bought some other beautiful treasures at her pop up shop which I will share with you in time.)
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
The frozen sea and the trees at the beach.
I'm back from my short trip up to Haparanda, the north of Sweden. It was both good and a bit hard for me to go. My family on my mothers side stems from this region and it was a couple of years since I'd been there. The places and fragrances brought back so many happy memories that due to the nature of my trip became a bit frayed in the edges by sorrow. But the cold air, muted sounds, the scent of my grandmothers house and the soft snow did it's best to surround me with love and beauty.
It is always interesting to return to your roots as something inside you awakens. And even if it's just a small sensation deep down in the pit of your stomach, it is important for every one of us.
To feel our history, our belongingness in a continuance of space and time.
On Saturday we went out to the archipelago and to the gem of a cabin at Santasaari that another side of the family owns. I have never been there in winter and all my memories surrounding this place are connected to summer. Bathing in the sauna, swimming in the sea, staying up late and watch the midnight sun, read comic books, get itching mosquito bites and the scent of Finnish sausages roasting on a stick over the fire.
It was still the same lovely place but now embraced by a soft layer of snow and it suited my mood so very well. To see it in summer for the first time after being away for so many years, and after everything that has happened in my family, would have been to hard to bare.
The cold and magical airiness of snow and the feeling of everything sleeping under the covers of winter, just waiting to burst out for another summer, was refreshing instead of sad. It held within itself a promise, a promise of summers to come and of new happy memories to be made. And, that time and space continues even though it feels like the world has stopped turning for a while. It was like conditioner for the soul and a breath of air after keeping my mouth closed tight for a long time.
A place to heat the water.
The fireplace indoors.
The heart, the cabin.
I hope these photos show even a glimpse of what I felt when I was there and also I am happy to show you a little taste of my cabin clothes! Fully dressed against the cold with three cardigans, a shawl and comfortable shoes but still (of course) with a bit of flair in form of a liner and a red lip!
Finally, thank you to to all and everyone who was there, I am so very grateful to have you all in my life!
(And, on another note. My last post was my 100th! Yay!)
(And, on another note. My last post was my 100th! Yay!)
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
So my friends, I will be flying up to the north, north of Sweden tomorrow! My mother comes from the small town Haparanda which is beautifully placed just by the Torne älv (Torne river) and the Swedish/Finnish border, so you can literally walk over to Finland if you want. I will be going there, sadly, due to a funeral but I have a lot of planning and fixing left to do before I am ready to leave.
This is the first time I'm going to fly with Bengta and also I want to pack some crochet projects and other bits and bobs so that I can keep myself busy until Monday. I have a hard time dealing with grief (something I might write about later) so I need things to work on with my hands. I find that it helps.
I might not be able to post anything on the blog due to bad internet but you are always welcome to follow me on Instagram (where my name is simonastreet) where I try and post more regularly.
Til' later, lot's of love and hold your dear ones close.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Yesterday my best friend and amazing lady Jonna got married to her big love since many years back, Mattias! They had decided to hold a small wedding where only the parents where invited to the ceremony and knowing Jonna who doesn't like to make a big fuss over these kinds of things, it suited them just perfectly!
But what kind of friend would I be if I didn't find a way to be a part of their special day? So I had to find myself a job! Knowing that Jonna's adorable and talented sister where going to make her a lovely 20s inspired dress I "graciously" volunteered to make the hair and make up for the day.
So I spent the night at the soon to be newly weds apartment making pin curls and nails the day before the big day. While drinking non-alcoholic sparkling wine and eating chocolate we laughed, watched the olympic figure skating and talked late into the evening. When the morning came I was so tired that I overslept a little bit and the cute couple didn't wake me because they thought I needed my sleep. I have been working very early mornings all week and have been sleeping very bad so a little extra rest was very welcome event though I had planned to get up earlier and prepare breakfast.
Then it was time to take out the pin curls we had done the day before and Jonna looked like a little fairytale princess with the cork screw curls we ended up with. While it was cute this was not the look we where going for so of course I had to whip out my trusted boar bristle brush and start to brush, brush, brush and brush a little more.
After a while a shape started to form and we went from fairytale cork screws to smooth forties locks. This was actually the first time that I pinned curled Jonna's hair so I was not absolutely sure on how it would turn out. So for being the first time I thought it came out completely fine, Jonna's hair is very thick with fine hair strands and I had to do a lot of brushing to make the whole head come out smooth.
This was the final result! A loose 20s inspired up do with a wave in the front and some curls on the sides! We kept the makeup quite simple with a light foundation, some warm brown and gold eyeshadows, a winged eyeliner and peachy/coral cheeks and lips. I also worked with some different shades of concealer to bring out the shapes of her face. This is a good tip and something to keep in mind if you are going to be photographed a lot, sometimes the angles of the face gets faded out due to changing and different light conditions.
I think it all turned out great and she was absolutely beautiful!
Mattias were handsome in a navy blue suit, white shirt and a dotted bow tie. They looked so adorable together and when they shared a glance they were completely radiant!
A high heeled pair of light brown Swedish hasbeens adored the bride's feet and suited the breezy simplicity of the dress well.
Jonna's talented sister Janelle who had made the beautiful dress also photographed the couple. They started outside but due to bad weather they returned back home to take a few indoors. I did not complain because that made it possible for me to also snap some shots!
Though the wedding was a small affair many people came together to give the couple a wonderful day. Another family member had personally arranged a beautiful bouquet of flowers as a gift and without even seeing the dress (except a little colour swatch) she had made an amazing job! We were all surprised at how perfect it matched everything and suited Jonna's taste to a T. It also contained my absolute favorite flower ranunculus, aren't they simply divine?
Then the couple left the building and went of to get married! I stayed at the apartment, cleaned up a little bit and fixed some snacks for when they got back. And I will not lie, I did it all with a little tear in my eye. I'm a complete sucker for weddings and I always cry a little because it is all so wonderful. To have a day where you celebrate the special love between two people in the manner that they want is nothing less than romantic! (And I never use that word!)
Monday, February 10, 2014
Vintage outfit styled by me
Photography by the lovely Åsa Edling
So, I think I will start blogging again. I stopped due to lack of inspiration but lately I have been thinking about picking this up again. I just think that I will have to stop being so over critical on myself. It's never good enough, and could always be better. But it is what it is, my vintage diary. For those of you who still hang around here from time to time, thank you! And for any new readers, you are marvelously welcome!
