My Farewell to Dame Elizabeth Taylor

I didn't plan to write a post on Dame Elizabeth Taylor, but I couldn't get her off my mind. Seeing some of her interviews over the past two days, I was so touched by her openness concerning her life and her loves. We can't thank her enough for taking up the AIDS cause, thus opening up small minds, allowing the whole world to benefit. She shared her bout with alcoholism and drug addiction with us, and by doing so helped so many; her actions saying, "I'm human," sending a message to others needing help that it was OK to seek it. In addition, her humor, sincerity, and many humanitarian causes, as well as her wonderful acting rolls, will never be forgotten.

As I looked through the many beautiful images of Elizabeth at Movie Maidens, I remembered what my aunt always told me as a teenager and a young woman: "Youth has its beauty." In others words, regarding makeup (for me), a young woman is naturally beautiful and needs very little if any makeup (remember that things were different back then, at least in my world).  I actually delayed serious makeup until my late 20s, if not my early 30s, because of these words.  And maybe, just maybe subconsciously, I didn't choose a more youthful photograph of Elizabeth, because as a young woman, she was naturally stunning, even as a child.  I chose a photo of her in her most beautiful seasoned years (again, to me), just as beautiful as the younger Elizabeth.  From as far back as I can remember until her death, Elizabeth Taylor has always been beautiful--her physical features--but the more I think back on her life and her contributions to our society, the more beautiful she became (from the inside out).

On a lighter note, I've learned that I had two things in common with Elizabeth.  First, I'm always late.  My coworkers always teased me about being late to my job interview, and despite this fact I was hired.  My manager would later joke that he hired me for my personality.  Second, I've always said that I would be late to my own funeral.  I recently learned that Dame Elizabeth made a similar statement.  Both of us have/had a sense of humor, at least I would like to think so on my part. 

There is even more.  In the early 1970s I worked for an insurance company in a specialized department, and every time Elizabeth was hired for a new movie, the movie studio would purchase insurance on her.  This is not unusual, but in the case of Dame Elizabeth, an extra step was taken.  I  would pull her file and accompany my supervisor upstairs a few floors above us where we would secure additional insurance on her from Lloyds of London through another insurance agent--umbrella insurance.  So Dame Elizabeth I know you've had a a long journey, not all roses, but you weathered the storm with strength, grace, and class.  Farewell to an all-around strong, beautiful woman.

Hatstruck is Now Struck on Her New Granddaughter

She's not even a week old, and we just can't stop looking at this little miracle girl.  Little Ms. E is what I call her; she is my first grandchild.  She constantly smiles, while awake and at sleep, except when hungry or she has soiled her diaper.  She is as beautiful as her mother, with the angelic disposition of both her mother and father.  Ms. E is doing great, mother has a long way to recovery.  All said, God has blessed me once again.

In the first image, Ms. E is about five minutes old, and about eight minutes old in the second image.  I took both images in the delivery room.  I pray that God carry her and bless her every moment, and that she has a long and happy life.

Vintage Millinery, Vintage Clothing: The Feel-Good Factor

I never thought I would be a Facebook or Twitter fan; I've been a fan of YouTube forever. Well, I'm still not into Twitter, but I'll get there. I don't keep up with my close friends and family on Facebook because my daughter has that covered. Twitter, well, when I'm in an antique, thrift, or millinery shop, or at my favorite bookstore sipping on over-sweetened coffee and eating sinful pastries, I'm in a meditative state--Tweets just don't factor in, but I'll get there. At my age, I have to keep up with what's going on around me. Never mind that my body is well seasoned and a little stiff, I have to keep my mind young and flexible. People, books, television,YouTube, Facebook, whatever it takes, I'm willing to try it.


So, now intrigued with Facebook's creative community and its friends and friends of friends, I found myself searching for the most creative, the best--la crème de la crème.  On one such occasion I found the Anita Mc'Enzy site--not even hat related--a friend of a friend.  I just fell in love with this site.  Here were vintage-style dresses reminiscent of those from my childhood; they made me feel so good.  So, I skipped over to YouTube, another one of my feel-good places, to find a Pearl Bailey video.  Ms. Bailey resembled one of my  grandmothers...oh my grandmother's smell, her food....  I found the perfect video, Ms. Bailey in a beautiful hat and suite, circa 50s/60s!  (Notice her handwriting on the blackboard.  It looks similar to my handwriting!  OMG, they were beating students across the knuckles with a thick yardstick if they didn't get their cursive letters correct back when she was going to school also!  Maybe we had the same fifth grade teacher!  OK, not everything felt good from that era.)   

Maybe I'll Tweet this?  Enjoy.   
Update:  I Tweeted!

Anita Mc'Enzy Web Site (coming soon), Facebook, Email

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays

Toyo Braid Hats Sewn on a Straw Braid Sewing Machine

Happy Thanksgiving World!

It Does Not Matter Where You Are....

Wishing All a Wonderful Thanksgiving Day

Happy Mother's Day...Everyday!

How to Make Your Own Millinery Flower Stamens

Every once in a while I'm disappointed about my ability to secure millinery-related items.  Usually I can't find a material I once used because it's not being made anymore; if I find it, it's over priced just because it's a "millinery" item (millinery is really hot now); or it's "vintage", etc.  This time I was disappointed because I purchased several separate packages of stamens from a seller on my favorite auction site; you know the one.  I emailed the seller to ask for a discount on postage, since the stamens could all be mailed in the same envelope.  I should have known better when the seller didn't email me back.  Well! I received the stamens in one package of nasty brown paper bag torn and taped together.  I would have appreciated the stamens costing more and the postage being what it should have been.  This act led me to experiment with making my own stamens.

 After experimenting with a number of things, I found that the things shown in the image to your left gave me the best results.  These included glazed hand quilting thread, acrylic paint, and fabric stiffener.  First, I rolled my flower petals and set them aside. I cut the thread into strands approximately 24 inches long, dipped them into the fabric stiffener, and then I hung them across a clothing rack to dry (do not let strands touch). The drying only takes a few minutes.  After drying, I rapped the thread around a 2 1/2- inch piece of cardboard that I used as a cutting gauge.  Next, I cut each end of the thread.  Finally, I dipped each end into the acrylic paint.

After I dipped the stamen tips, I set them aside to dry.  I used a gridded aluminum pan, but just about anything that would  allow the stamen tips to hang over without touching each other would do.

Finally, the stamens are finished.  One group of stamens on the tray below is commercially prepared; can you tell which one?  They are the stamens on the extreme left.  To the right of these are stamens that I double dipped, first in yellow paint and then in purple paint to obtain the same effect as the first group of stamens (click on the image to enlarge it.).  I used the non-gloss paint for the second dip because it is not as thick as the glossy paint.

Tips:  For a larger stamen tip, dip stamen ends several times.  The glossy paint yields a larger stamen tip because it is thicker.  Also, setting the paint aside for approximately 15 minutes before dipping will also yield a larger tip because the paint thickens the longer it is exposed to the air.

I know this is not for everyone, but for those of us that just like to make things, this will work.  Enjoy!

Simply Beautiful--The Omo People Adorned

I first saw this slideshow on milliner Jan Wutkowski's blog.  By the end of the show I was totally relaxed and at peace.  Also, I could not get the music and images out of my head.  If you have not seen these slides, I hope that you enjoy them as much as I did.  I'm inspired to do three things:  live a simpler life; add more color to my life; and lastly, add more color to my millinery.  So turn up the sound on your computer and enjoy.