Sparkle, Tara, Sparkle!! My First Whirling Turban!

(Image courtesy of Whirling Turban.com)

For the longest time, I have pined for my very own Whirling Turban dress.  After spending several months browsing the website and then seeing a few of the dresses in person at this year's Viva, my obsession was firmly cemented.  I HAD to have one. A few weeks ago, I decided to 'take the plunge' and finally buy my first dress.  Yes, I said "first."  Anyone who has the honor and privilege of owning a Whirling Turban usually gets another.  Like Lays' brand potato chips, "you just can't have one."

The dress I purchased is a two-piece sarong dress with a detachable strap.  The fabric is a gorgeous blue silver metallic lurex type material that just sparkles and shines.  I have NEVER seen anything like it.  Moreover, the fabric has a lovely weight to it.  It is not too heavy or too thin.  The details are stunning and the measurements are perfect for my body shape.

As soon as the dress arrived, I immediately tried it on.  The fit was incredible.  Even though the dress was expensive, let me tell you, it is SO SO SO worth it!  Talk about an investment!  I can see myself wearing this dress for years and years to come!

I bought the dress for my company's annual holiday party.  The party took place on Saturday, the 7th of December at the Hyatt Regency in Reston, Virginia.  Big Daddy, aka el hub, wore a vintage-style black tuxedo.  I, of course, wore my Whirling Turban dress!  I paired it with vintage rhinestone jewelry, my silver Pollys, and one of my lucite bags.

Here is Big Daddy (isn't he just dreamy?!):

And here is my look:

I had a great time at the party (even though my entree, grilled salmon, was not good)!  I had a couple of vodka tonics and a glass of wine. (Party time!)  Everyone was complimenting my dress!  I felt so amazing!  When the night was over, I was sad to take the dress off and change into my pjs.  Nevertheless, we have a 10-day family cruise coming up over Christmas and I am going to wear my dress again for sure!!

So, for anyone contemplating whether or not to buy a Whirling Turban, all I can say is, do it!!  You will not regret it!  Now, if you decide to buy a dress of your own, please take some advice from me: when selecting your dress, please go on your measurements!  Do not guess!  These dresses are made to fit your body and hug your curves!  If you have any questions regarding fit, please ask!  The people at Whirling Turban are very helpful when it comes to answering questions!  They are quick to answer e-mail and very friendly to do business with.  My overall Whirling Turban experience was above and beyond any expectations! 

I am so happy with my dress, I went ahead and ordered another last night!

Now, I will have two Whirling Turban dresses for my cruise!  Because this cruise is 10 days long, there are four formal nights and you know a girl has to look her best! ;)

Again, if you are considering buying a Whirling Turban,  you must!   The quality, the detailing, the materials, and the customer service are simply wonderful!

Vintage Christmas Gifts! Bakelite, Blue Heaven, and a Radio!

This past Christmas I really lucked out when it came to vintage goodies! I was so pleased with what family gave me! It makes me wonder what I did to deserve what I got!

My mother-in-law gave me two beautiful bakelite bangles! One is a red swirled piece and the other is a carved butterscotch beauty!

My mother-in-law also got me a Blue Heaven serving bowl to match the four cereal bowls I bought last summer:

Then to my complete surprise and amazement, my brother-in-law bought me a late 1940s vintage Olympic bakelite AM radio! Apparently, the previous owner replaced the backing, replaced all the tubes, and repaired a few components inside. I have it in my kitchen!

Here is an upclose view of the dial:

Since the radio is AM, I can only get a few stations. Most AM is either foreign language stations, talk radio, church music, and NOAA weather broadcasts. I keep the radio on the NOAA station so I can hear the weather for the day as I make breakfast in the morning. Even if the radio did not work, I would still love it just for display! But the fact it works as beautiful as it looks is just too cool!

So, gals, do you get any vintage lovelies this year? Please share!

Holiday Eye Look Using MAC Glitter!

First and foremost, I want to apologize for being off-radar! I have been busy trying to finish buying gifts for family and friends and work has been crazy too. I am also hosting Christmas Day dinner and the next day (the 26th), the family and I are taking the Amtrak to New York City. We are going to spend a couple of days there. Let me tell you, I love the holidays but this season has been especially hectic. Therefore, this New Year's Eve, the man and I are staying home and partying with the cats.

Anyway, I thought I would share my holiday makeup with you girls. Last Friday night, my office held its annual holiday party and this was the look I did. I did my hair in rolls and put the rest in a black snood.

I added a poinsettia flower barrette since it was a holiday party.

I wore a 1950s black velvet dress (which was almost a disaster) for the occasion but in these pictures I am still in my work/day outfit.

Here is an upclose look at my eyes:

And another view:

I started by applying Nars' Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Primer from lashline to browbone. I then applied MAC's Paint Pot in Pharaoh to the lids. I put on MAC's Sweet and Punchy eyeshadow on top. On my crease, I applied MAC's matte shadow in Copperplate and then I put on MAC Vanilla shadow on my browbone.

Then, I combined a tiny dot of MAC Pro's eyeliner mixing gel with a small amount of MAC Pro Glitter in Chartreuse. Using a small flat brush, I applied a thin coat of the glitter mixture and used a hair dryer to dry and set the gel. To complete the look, I applied MAC's liquid liner in Point Black for a cat-eye liner effect and on my lower lash line, I applied Make Up For Ever's Aqua Eyes liner in 9L (a soft pale shimmery gold shade).

I think the look came out well but working with glitter can be annoying since it likes to scatter! The gel is a must-have when wearing glitter on the eyes. It keeps it safely in place and without it, you risk eye irritation and major fall-out! There is nothing worse than having glitter on your face instead of your eyelids! If glitter "escapes" and ends up on your cheeks, simply use a make-up wipe or a powder brush coated with loose powder.

So, are you girls going to any holiday-themed events/parties? If so, do you do any special makeup looks? Please share!

It's An Atomic Christmas!

It's Holiday time! I love this time of year because of family getting together, the cold weather, food, parties, making cookies, and decorating!

In the past year, I have been transforming my house into an atomic, 50s abode. I have been having fun slowly collecting vintage housewares and textiles. So, when I pulled out my holiday decorations from my storage area in the basement, I realized I also needed to vintage-ize my Christmas wares! I started with the tree, as seen above.

Now, most of the decorations on my tree are very traditional. Meaning, they have that retro look already. My decorations include jewel-colored glass balls and painted glass in shapes of houses, mushrooms, and nutcrackers. I have found a few retro-inspired decorations at Michaels Crafts over the years since the husband and I got our first tree in 1996. 

A couple of weeks ago, I found this lovely, 50s-esque tree star at Michaels for under 15.00 USD!:

I love it! I reminds of the decorations from my parents' first tree in the mid-60s! 

I also bought a few vintage decorations on Esty for real cheap! I got three red plastic starbursts and a set of four ornaments that are made with clear plastic and have plastic flowers inside!:

Here is another one:

This is one the red starbursts! I love the way they capture the light:

Here is a 50s vintage red plastic and silver tinsel light decoration! I have a set of about 8 that were given to me by my mother-in-law. They used on her childhood tree! The set includes colors in blue, pink, yellow, and green!

The silver tinsel on my tree has the thinner look and feel of vintage tree garland/tinsel. Most modern tinsel/garland is very full, thick, and bushy. I bought two packages of silver garland at my local dollar store for a buck each! Can't beat that!

The above photo shows the holiday table runner my mother-in-law gave me about five years ago. It is paired with my vintage pink and gold starburst tray that sits on my living room coffee table!

And even though the DC area only got a mere dusting of snow last night, I really felt the holiday spirit when I looked out my back patio window this morning!  Even though I am disappointed at the amount and the fact it was melted before noon, I still enjoyed the look of the snow. I think "white Christmases" are magical! I hope the DC area gets snow for the holidays!

 

 So, will your area get a white Christmas? And more importantly, how do you decorate for the holidays? 

 

Thanksgiving in Boca! Part (Final) III (Lots of Pics)

This is the last post regarding my Thanksgiving trip to Boca! I promise! In the last couple days of our visit, the man and I simply enjoyed the warm temperatures and relaxing atmosphere. On our last full day, the family and I went to the pool at my in-laws' condo. The above photo shows some pretty blue flowers that lined the pool fence.

This is me and my fat thighs lounging pool side. I guess all that good eating is evident for sure now! The pool water was actually heated. The condo apparently keeps the water heated in the fall and winter months. Even though it was sunny and 83 degrees, the 88 degree water (there was a thermometer in the pool) felt so refreshing. There was bit of a breeze coming off the nearby ocean so the heated water was really a plus.

Here is the man taking a dip.

Me enjoying the sun after a swim. Again, thank goodness for high SPF sunblock!

This gecko was on one of the legs of my sun lounger. Geckos are everywhere in South Florida! I think they are cute. I asked him if he could save me money on my car insurance but he didn't say anything back. (I know, bad joke!)

The next day, it was time to leave. This is one last look outside my mother-in-law's patio.

Here I am trying to take it all in one last time before going back to cold and rainy D.C.

The man and I then got our luggage, packed up the car, and drove to the airport.

Here we are, Fort Lauderdale International Airport. Bye, bye, South Florida! I know me and the man will be back again soon!

Thanksgiving in Boca! Part II (Lots of Pics)

Yesterday, I posted a little bit about my recent Thanksgiving trip to Boca Raton, Florida along with several photos! Well, today I am posting a continuance of my previous post. I also noticed that I lost a follower. I hope I wasn't too boring!

Anyway, after the family and I celebrated Thanksgiving Day with a great meal, we visited the beach the next day! When we first arrived with our cooler and chairs, the sky looked very cloudy and it seemed like our day out was going to be a wash-out. Nevertheless, the sun came out and we had an awesome, relaxing day.

The temperature was around 81-82 degrees. The ocean was chilly but the man and I braved the cool water anyway.

Here is a view showing a couple of condos. The building on the far left is actually a house. It was huuuge! The man's cousin who lived a few blocks away told us that the house is the residence of a local doctor. Oh, what a dream it would be to live on the beach!

Here is our little spot on the beach. It looks cloudy but like I said, it cleared up. Left to right: the father-in-law, mother-in-law, and the man.

Here I am, 'trying' to look chic in my Esther Williams one piece sheath bathing suit. The condos in the background are apparently one million a pop. If you look carefully, you can see that a lot of condos' shutters are pulled down. Many of the residents live there only part-time.

Finally! The sun came out and the clouds went away! Look at that water! Love it!

It felt so nice to get my toes in the warm sand!

Basking in the afternoon sun. Thank goodness for SFP 30!

After our beach visit, me and the family went over to Deerfield Beach's boardwalk and dined at the Patio Bar. I had a crab cake sandwich with fries and a big 'ol margarita! The food was delish and the drink was a perfect way to end an afternoon playing in the sun and sand.

At the end of our meal at the Patio Bar, the family and I went back to the cousin's house and relaxed. I ventured out into the garden again to enjoy the flowers and take pictures. Here is my favorite flower again, the hibiscus! The red hisbiscus is my absolute favorite color/variety!

Another view of the red hibiscus!

Yawner the cat joined me in the garden.

Here I am, checking out the pink hibiscus bush. I am still in my bathing suit from the beach. I was waiting for my turn to shower off.

We spent the rest of the day at the cousin's house. We relaxed, played board games, and had Thanksgiving leftovers on the patio for dinner.

The next few days were spent hanging with family and enjoying the weather.

More pictures to come in Part III!

Thanksgiving in Boca! Part I (Lots of Pics)

I just got back from spending a week in Boca Raton, Florida! (My in-laws live there). The husband and I went there to celebrate Thanksgiving with the family and it was such a great week!

We flew to Fort Lauderdale from Washington Dulles on the afternoon of Tuesday the 23rd. Before we boarded our flight, we had to go through TSA security where I was promptly given a 'lovely' pat down! Take it from me, wearing a 1950s long line bullet bra infused with metal is not a good idea for travel. The two ladies who performed my search were very nice so the experience was not too bad. The only thing that sucked was the gawking and staring from my fellow travellers!

After enduring the pat down, the man and I had a quick lunch in our terminal and boarded our plane. We were in the air for about 2.5 hours.

Here is the view outside my window. Fort Lauderdale International Airport.

Here is the man, trying to look tough! lol

After getting a bite to eat with family, the man and I went home to his mom's condo. We unpacked, settled in, and I changed into my new 1950s unworn pajamas! The picture above is me the next morning. The temperature was about 77 degrees (it was 82 in the afternoon and the average temperature for most of the week) and the sun was shining.

This is the view from my mother-in-law's screened in patio. The condo overlooks a canal that leads into the Atlantic.

Here I am, finally dressed (I was being so lazy that morning!) and ready to go to lunch. The view in the distance is the other side of the patio. Love those palm trees!

Here is one of the oyster platters at lunch at the Whale's Rib in Deerfield Beach. The Whale's Rib has an amazing raw bar, wonderful seafood, sandwiches galore, and pitcher beer. I do not eat oysters. The man and the rest of the family loves them though. I had a tuna sandwich and it was good!

After having lunch, the man and his dad went shooting while the mother-in-law and I started the prep work for next day's Thanksgiving dinner. We had our Thanksgiving at the man's cousin's house in Boca. The above picture shows her screened in patio. The entire pooldeck is screened in so no bugs or palm fronds can get in or fall into the pool.

Here I am hanging out on the pool deck after spending most of the morning chopping celery and onions and making pies. I wore a lot of snoods this trip! The humidity was wreaking havoc on my hair! Also, snoods make styling quick and easier to do.

This is me and one of the cousin's cats, Sophia. We are chillin' pool side as we work on our tans.

Pretty flowers on the pool deck.

An orchid on the patio.

I have no idea what these flowers are but they are gorgeous!

Another one of the cousin's cats, Yawner. There are three cats total: one mama (Sophia) and her two big baby cats, Patches and Yawner. I am going outside the patio to the backyard to admire the tropical flowers. The shoes I am wearing are my brand new Re-Mix wedges in the Veranda style.

The left side of the backyard.

My favorite flower of all time! The hibiscus! This lovely girl was just too pretty! The cousin has several varieties of hibiscus on her lot! I was in total floral heaven!

The Thanksgiving table on the patio! Even though the sun had gone down, the temperatures were in the 70s! A gentle breeze could also be felt coming off the nearby ocean (it was three blocks away!)

Dinner time! The meal included stuffing, cranberry chutney, mashed potatoes, turkey, veggie protein (for me), cornbread stuffing, sauteed green beans, sweet potatoes, squash, gravy, and rolls!

Here is my plate! Instead of turkey, I had a veggie patty and the mother-in-law made me my own batch of sausage-free cornbread stuffing made with chestnuts! After dinner, we all had apple or pumpkin pie. Everything was so good! I felt "fat-n-happy" after dinner and reflected on how I was truly thankful for being so lucky to be with family on this day.

Here is the man hanging out apres-dinner with Sophia and Yawner. After dinner, me, the man, and the in-laws went back home to sleep off all that good food.

I will post more pictures soon in another post! This one is long enough as it is!

I hope all of you gals had a fabo Holiday!