Some songs just make me smile

And this is one of them.

Full version

Jeeves and Wooster version :D

5 Old Fashioned Hobbies

Everyone needs a hobby. Hobbies are especially good things to have when you are stuck at school, away from friends and family, and really don't feel like studying for your upcoming midterm. It's nice to have something to do that lets you relax and take your mind off your troubles. With that said, here is my list of my top 5 old-fashioned hobbies that you can do alone.

1) Knitting

Knitting has officially become cool again. Which makes me like it slightly less. But it is still a lovely way to relax and be productive all at the same time. There are lots of tutorials on YouTube on how to knit but I suggest getting someone to actually show you, as it is a lot easier to learn that way. Soon you will be knitting scarves for your friends and their stuffed polar bears.

Aren't they cute? :)

2) Crosswords

In true 1920's style, curling up with a good crossword is a wonderful way to while away the afternoon. The trick is to find puzzles that are challenging but, at the same time, not impossible. The paper is a good place to start but they get progressively harder later in the week. Another option is one of the many crossword puzzle books available. These are good but tend to reuse the same clues a lot.

3) Baking

The favourite pastime of many 1950's housewife's. Baking provides a good way to let off steam (whisking and kneading dough are great tension relievers) and you get a tasty treat at the end. What could be better?

4) Embroidery

Embroidery is surprisingly easy to learn (Threadbangers has some good tutorials on YouTube) and is a great way to customize your clothes, bags, linen, etc. I am working on a pillow at the moment while I am stitching on examples of fashions from the 1920s and 30s. (There will be pictures posted when I am finished).

5) Reading

This is likely one of the easiest and oldest hobbies. For authenticity I recommend reading Agatha Christie or PG Wodehouse. Or if you prefer to go farther back in time try reading North and South or Jane Eyre for some Victorian romance.

6) Old radio shows

Ok I lied, there's six hobbies I wanted to list but this last one involves cheating a bit. I am a huuuuuugge fan of old radio shows. The only thing is that you need a computer or a DVD player in order to listen to them. Not very authentic but it works. I buy mine from http://www.otrcat.com/ but they also have a lot of shows you can hear for free on their website. Philip Marlowe is my favourite show, with Bob Hope a close second. The next one I think I will buy next is "I was a communist for the FBI". They tend to be a little cheesy but that is what makes them so endearing. Perfect to listen to while you are knitting or embroidering.

Here's a few pictures from their website (in order, for the shows I mentioned):

Now go, unwind, relax and spend some quality "me" time. After a long day of studying, work or whatever, you deserve a nice break :)

Dressed for Dinner

Yesterday's Outfit:


Sweater: Rickis
Dress: I honestly can't remember its name but the store isn't there any longer so I guess it doesn't matter...
Shoes: Bigleys http://www.bigleyshoes.com/
Crinoline: Hey Viv (see previous post for details)
Earrings: By me :)

So yesterday, my mother and I decided to go out for dinner together (since my dad was away at a car show for the day). We tried this cute little vegetarian restaurant. It is called The Jasmine Garden http://thejasminegarden.ca/ and although I found the decor a little underwhelming the food was amazing. I had their Chunky Tofu which doesn't sound all that appetising but it was absolutely scrumptious.

It was a lovely evening and I enjoyed getting dressed up. Nobody "dresses for dinner" anymore but I think they should. It's quite a lot of fun.

Valentines Day Tea Party

Here's some photos from my Valentines Day Tea party. :)

Notice how I am the only one who got dressed up?

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The Menu:

-Lemon Strawberry Squares (from scratch)

-Vanilla Cupcakes (almost from scratch)

-Strawberries

-Chocolates

-Mini Biscotti (not from scratch but still tasty)

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The Tea:

-Vanilla Strawberry Rose tea

-Sugar Cubes (including some hand decorated ones I got as a Christmas gift)

-Milk (instead of cream since with all the other goodies I figured we should try and be a little healthy)

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The Table Setting:

-An antique lace table cloth over top of a pale rose pink table cloth

-My moms Royal Doulton teacups, saucers and plates (with a paper doily between the saucer and place)

-My white teapot and creamer

-Pink flowers from the farmers market ($10 for all of them including the pink roses!) in decorated jars (actually spaghetti sauce jars that I revamped)

-Biscotti wrapped with a paper doily and with a pink gift tag (with the guests name on it) attached with pink embroidery floss

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The Decorations:

-Silhouettes I made with my face on them

-Some red heart shaped balloons my Grandma bought for me

-A book on roses

-The pink cards are actually Victorian Parlor games I wrote out in case we got bored http://oldfashionedliving.com/parlour-games.html

-More paper doilies!

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The Outfit:

-Dress from Smart Set

-Crinoline from Hey Viv (see previous post)

-Black pantyhose from Giant Tiger

-Necklace made by me (go figure!)

My hair was done with hot rollers :)

My First Crinoline!!!!

Upon arriving home from class today, I opened my door to find a small package between the doors. At first I thought it was the book I had ordered since it looked a little small, but after a closer inspection I realized it was the crinoline I had bought online last week.


I was disappointed since the package looked so small and I figured that it must be a lot smaller than it looked on the website. When I opened the package I was pleasantly surprised (not to mention amazed at how something so poofy fit into such a tiny package...). After trying it on under some of my skirts and dresses I can now officially say I'm in love. It makes everything look so much more fun. See what a difference it makes? (Sorry for the bad photo but my camera doesn't auto-focus and my web-cam hates me).


I bought it from Hey Viv Vintage https://secure11.actionhosting.ca/heyviv-com/shop/item.asp?itemid=960 and they come in 4 different colours. I kinda wanted the red one for Valentines day but I went with black since it will work with more of my clothing.

Now I just have to buy some more 1950's style dresses to wear it under...