Birthdays, Dad & Craftsmanship

Today would have been my dad’s 93rd birthday. Wow, is that right? Yes, it is. Not really sure what I want to say that hasn’t been said here before – I think about him every day and will always be grateful for the impact he had on the person I’ve become. The crinkly pix here is from an article that ran in the community newspaper in May 1982. Not sure how it came to be, but a reporter visited and interviewed him about his guitar playing and making. Yes, my dad built guitars, as a hobby for many years; and, yes, I have talked about that fact several times here on the blog; but to me it’s impressive, so I can’t help myself!

Throwback Thursday: 1960, Santa Barbara, & Style

I took a selfie the other day and there it was…my style…my unique spin on things. While I know I certainly won’t end up gracing the pages of any fashion tome, magazine or blog other than mine these days, I am quite comfortable with my personal style. Strolling through my life via a bunch of old pix that have been in hiding for years further solidifies the fact that my basic style hasn’t really changed much. I wonder…is everyone like that or have I just been stuck in a rut all these years?

Harry Potter Called – He Wants His Glasses Back!

It’s true…I have a thing for eyeglasses. I started wearing them when I was eighteen and it was at that time I decided that if I had to wear them they might as well be fun! It’s been that way ever since. A few years after I got my first pair of glasses, I made a new friend who just happened to be an optometrist who, of course, had an optician and lab onsite. Steven carried every cool manufacturer that was in the vision wear arena and so it was fun to shop once a month and see what was new. Since I was such great advertising for his practice, Steve gave me a “family” discount! So you can imagine just how big my collection was over the years. I guess it would be fair to say that this relationship, friendship aside, was similar to the blogger/influencer/collab relationships we see so prevalent today in social media.

1963: Red, Wrap Skirts & Lloyd Thaxton's Hop

The year was 1963 – the event was Lloyd Thaxton’s Hop (a Los Angeles afternoon program with a format similar to American Bandstand). Kids from local high schools were invited to dance live on the soundstage to recorded popular music. The show was fun – we danced our hearts out to surf bands (think Beach Boys and Beach Boys wannabes) – fast and slow with our boy(s) du jour.  Basically, we were a bunch of silly friends having fun, listening to great music and dancing. Sounds kind of corny these days…but it was a lot of fun.

1956: Aunties, Style & Battles

I am so happy that I uncovered a few pix from my past over the last several months. These two are dated February 1956 and are pretty good examples of the polar opposites in my style choices as a seven year old -- plaid and Levi’s and fluffy organza. The top pix is me with my all time favorite, Auntie Opal. You may remember me talking about her in previous entries – she was the poster gal for girlie-girl in those days; and I loved that about her. I would feign illness just so I could go to Auntie Opal’s instead of school while my mom worked! She’s the one that taught me about nail polish, hair scarves, tabbies and jewelry! Tons of jewelry -- all costume. In my mind, she was the epitome of mid-50s style, even on a family day trip to the Mojave Desert! I loved that woman.

Christmas 1976 -- The Way it Was!

In keeping with the weekly Throwback Thursday blog trend I seem to have fallen into these days, here are some snaps from Christmas 1976. Yes…just in case you didn’t remember, I am that old! Recently I uncovered a few pix that I thought had been lost forever. I can’t tell you how happy I was to find them. Proof that it is the little things in life! Fair warning -- I’m sure I will be sharing more of my lost treasure found as the new year unfolds; so stay tuned. For me, it’s fun to look back in time and trigger old memories. These three pix were taken on Christmas Day 1976 in my kitchen/dining/family room.

Ponytails, Teachers and Tomboys

Me c.1955

It’s coming on birthdays – mine to be exact! Yes, as I celebrate yet another year of life I am looking back at a few people who were instrumental in helping to mold me into the person I am today. One of those was Miss Poppert, a second grade teacher. While she wasn’t my second grade teacher, for some reason I took a fancy to her and she to me during that year. I remember that she was a very stylish gal. Tall, very pretty, fabulous clothes and big jewelry; and she seemed to “get me” in some way that few other adults understood.

Throwback Thursday, 1956 & Pleated Skirts

A wee bit of a throwback – January 1956 – my brother and I posing for a quick snap, most likely taken with the family Brownie. It’s always fun for me to look back at the few old pix I have. It gives me a peek into my fashion sense – how it started and how the past influences my personal style today. Judging by my brother’s outfit, my guess is that we were going somewhere other than school on this particular day; although my outfit would have been the same had it been a school day. A little side note – notice the neighbor’s car. Yes, that was a big black Cadillac!

Fashion, Trend & a bit of a Throwback Thursday

“Trends are in and out in a flash; fashion comes and goes; but style always stays.” Not quite sure where I heard that and I know I have probably really made a mash of it – even so, it is a good and true comment, at least for me. With all the energy around New York Fashion Week it’s hard to avoid the buzz.