Hi, everyone! I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas-- mine was busy and full of socializing with family, which was very enjoyable but also exhausting. One thing that I look forward to most about the Christmas season is being able to put together holiday outfits. As you all have probably gathered, I love any excuse to dress up. My first outfit is from December 23rd, when I went to eat with my dad's family at my grandmother's house. This one was probably my most "Christmassy" outfit as it featured a bright red sweater and plush gingerbread man pin: The sweater, which has a few rows of faux pearls around the collar came from Talbots, one of my favorite stores. Some of their clothing items are rather plain, but I am always able to find tops and accessories that are elegant and timeless. The skirt is from a shop in New Orleans called Trashy Diva. Whenever I go to New Orleans, I *have* to visit their clothing, shoe, and lingerie shops. It is a vintage lover's dream! Their clothing designs and fabric choices are reminiscent of the 1930s to the 1960s, and although they tend to be pricey and their sizes run small, I always feel right at home when shopping in their stores. One issue I have with the skirt, though, is that I hate the fabric. It wrinkles easier than anything else in my closet (I put it on, sat down, and when I got up it was terribly wrinkled in the back), and it seems to be pretty delicate as I already have a run in it after only wearing it once before. For shoes I went with a black, heeled mary jane in leather, and I finished off my look with a black and red rose hair clip and adorable gingerbread man pin that I picked up at Cracker Barrel some years ago. My purse came from H&M about 6 years ago and is a giant patent leather heart with ruffles around the edge. Unfortunately I didn't get a good picture of my Christmas Eve outfit, but my dress was from the brand Hell Bunny and has old fashioned bicycles (penny farthings) all over it. The cut is more 1930s, but I decided to put a petticoat under it anyway and I think it looked pretty good! Of course I had to wear pearls, and my shoes were black leather t-strap heels. My outfit for Christmas Day was not exactly what I had wanted to wear, but it reached 80 degrees farenheit that day so I had to do my best to choose a decently festive outfit that I would not burn up in. So, I went with a burgundy dress from Modcloth with small white polka dots. Again, too much was going on for me to get a very good picture of it but here I am with my sweetheart at his house: The New Year is right around the corner, though I doubt I will put together a special outfit for it. I don't think I'm going anywhere in particular so my outfit will probably be some sort of lounge wear so me and Stephen can stay in and watch movies.
Thanks for reading; as always I appreciate your time <3
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Hello everyone! It has been over a month since I've updated, but I was very busy with the end of the semester of my class and unable to find time to make any posts. But here I am, and I am on my holiday break until mid-January. So now that I have the time, one hobby that I am planning to focus on is baking. It's a very appropriate hobby for someone who is as interested in the vintage lifestyle as I am, so I figured a post about my first baking adventure of the season would fit in just fine here on my blog! Christmas cookies are a holiday staple, so I couldn't let the month slip by without making some of my own. This baking session took place last week, and I ended up taking the cookies to work where they were enjoyed by my co-workers. Now, I am very prideful when it comes to baking. I don't use boxed mix, and more times than not I prefer to make my own frosting/icing. This time I used a sugar cookie recipe I found on Pinterest-- I settled on this particular one because it claimed that the dough would come out perfect every time without the need to chill in the refrigerator before rolling it out. I must confess, I am a little impatient so I avoid having to let anything "sit" before I bake it. I have always had trouble with sugar cookie recipes because somehow the dough always turned out sticky and hard to roll out (even after adding extra flour to try and fix this). However, to my surpise this recipe worked pretty much exactly how it was supposed to! The dough was the perfect consistency and was not too sticky or too dry so rolling it out and using my cookie cutters did not cause me any frustration. Here is a picture of what they looked like when they came out of the oven: They aren't bakery worthy but I was more than satisfied with how they turned out, and they tasted good so that's all could really ask for. And just as a side note, if you like baking cookies I would highly suggest investing in a silicone baking sheet. They are invaluable and cookies slide right off once they're cool. After making sure they were completely cool, I started on the icing. I used a recipe that had a corn syrup base so that it would harden and I could pack them up without worrying about a mess. The icing turned out well-- not too sweet and it hardened like it was supposed to. However, the colors didn't come out quite as vibrant as I had hoped but I'm sure I could do better next time. Here they are when they were finished: Again, not bakery worthy but I was proud of them and everyone seemed to really like them (I'm always paranoid that no one actually likes what I make and are just trying to be polite. But I only had one left over so they must have been edible at least!). If anyone wants the recipes, just leave a comment and I will post a link.
Expect another post soon, as today I am planning on trying a shortbread recipe for tea time! Well, hello there! I has been over a month since my last update and a lot has happened over the course of these last few weeks! As most of you know (as I don't think I have any readers that I don't know personally), I had to undergo surgery to remove my gallbladder-- it wasn't functioning correctly and probably hadn't been my entire life. For the last year and a half or so I had been suffering from a serious loss of appetite, and when I was able to force myself to eat something I ended up with horrible nausea. I'm not quite to the point where I can honestly say "I feel so much better!" but I am holding out hope. I mean, how can I not eventually feel better now that the offending organ has been evicted, right? Also, my class started in September and has been keeping me far more busy than I would prefer. But anyways, down to business. Today's tea is a blend called Boston Harbor which was one of three different blends that I picked up in Boston. What really caused me to buy this tea and not a blend in a cute little wooden tea chest (they were made to look like mini versions of the chests thrown over during the Boston Tea Party) was the fact that it is by Davison Newman and Company; the very brand of tea that was tossed into Boston Harbor in December 1773. Davison Newman and Company are apparently Britain's oldest tea merchant (the tin claims it was established in 1650), and I do love tea companies with a long and interesting history. The tin that the loose leaf tea comes in is definitely display quality, and the quote on the lid which reads "The Three Sugar Loaves and Crown" is a reference to a book published in 1938 by Owen Rutter called "At the Three Sugar Loaves and Crown." The book details the history of Davison Newman and Company, and since I aim to learn as much as about tea and its history as possible I will probably try and find a copy. The tea itself is a blend of Darjeeling (the tin misspells it "Dajeeling" which almost made me weep) and other black teas from India and Sri Lanka. In the 1700s, tea was exclusively from China so this blend is not an authentic one like the kinds that would have been around at the time of the Tea Party.
I always try and be honest when reviewing teas, so I will say that this is probably not one that I would buy again. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed it, but it is not a very strong tea and therefore not my preference. The reason for this not being a very strong tea is because it is a Darjeeling, which brews light and mild. Many people do prefer this, so if you are the type who likes a subtle flavor, you will like this one. There are no other flavors, so this is just another basic black blend with none of the boldness of some of the others I have reviewed. In short, it's nice but it didn't blow me away. My current favorite in my tea stash is the Queen's 90th Birthday Blend from Twinings! This weekend was an adventure. Me, my mother, and grandmother went up to Huntsville to do some shopping so of course I had to take along something both cute and comfortable. The dress is a lucky find from Talbots, and I believe it pairs perfectly with a belt for a splash of color. I'm kind of known for gravitating toward black and red-- even though pink is my favorite color, black and red is my favorite color combo to wear. The purse is something I bought the previous evening at this fantastic shop at Hunstville's Bridge Street shopping center called Retro Fitt. They sell a large variety of retro and vintage inspired clothing, shoes, and accessories, so I highly recommend it if you're ever in the area! I'm not sure if you can see it, but I am also wearing a little rhinestone crown pin. I have a weakness for pins/brooches...they really can make an outfit more fun. I could kick myself for not getting a picture of my hair, but I'm wearing my hair in a ponytail (I do that a lot. It takes minimal effort, and young ladies sported ponytails quite often in the mid century) topped off with a red rose clip. Since there's not a good picture, I guess you'll just have to take my word for it. I did bring along a red cardigan to sort of finish off the look, but the weather was in the upper 90s so actually wearing it was simply, and unfortunately, not an option. I had my mother take pictures of my outfit at a fun antique store called University Pickers. The owner of the stall I was in (they had all kinds of snacks and drinks) made their area look like an old fashioned store complete with tables and chairs that are similar to the ones you would see in ice cream parlors long ago. The lighting was not the best for a mini photo shoot, and I'm afraid it resulted in some unflattering shadows on my face.
I really hope to do outfit posts more often in the near future so do stay tuned! Whenever I go to a tea room that offers finger sandwiches, I'm always pleased when they have smoked salmon. Sushi and fish that's prepared in a similar manner is my weakness and if someone put a tray of it in front of me, I could eat myself into a coma. So, I decided one day recently that I would go on a quest to find some reasonably priced smoked salmon and make my own open faced sandwiches for tea time. My search took me to world market, where I found some for only $3.99 (you can see what kind it is in the picture). Now, the image of smoked salmon I had in my head was this (image courtesy of Pinterest): I was expecting nice little slices of brightly colored salmon that could be easily placed on bread. But that's not what I got. I opened the packet and a small, canned tuna-colored salmon steak plopped out. I also failed to realize how much fish juice would be in the packed, because I stupidly tipped it toward me to look inside and poured juice all over the kitchen counter and floor. My cat must have smelled it from the bedroom, because she came moseying in soon after. I have to admit though, I've never actually bought smoked salmon before so my expectations may have been incredibly misguided.
Expectations aside, I tried a small piece before I attempted to slice some to put on my bread and I must say that it was very, very tasty. It had a mild smoky flavor and was not dry in the least-- which is something I can't stand when it comes to fish. Dry fish is useless in my opinion. It was also the perfect portion for four small open faced sandwiches made with my favorite millet chia bread (and just a tad of mayonnaise if you're curious as to what else I added to it). If you don't like a noticeable "fishy" taste or smell, though, I don't believe this salmon is for you. Me, I love it. My boyfriend calls me a cat all the time. I'm still partial to the thinly sliced smoked salmon they usually serve at tea rooms, but the good taste made up for that this time. I will probably try World Market's brand next time even though it is slightly more expensive, but I'm holding out hope that I can find some somewhere that's exactly what I'm looking for. For some reason, I am positively smitten with nautical inspired clothes and accessories. The square collars, the bright colors, the neckerchiefs...it's all so neat, polished and classic looking. So when I spotted this full skirted, adorable sailor dress on Unique Vintage's website, I knew I had no option but to buy it. A year and a half has gone by since I bought this dress, and even though I haven't worn it much it is, without a doubt, one of my favorite clothing items. Pretty much everything about this dress is perfect. I prefer the look of full skirts and dresses that fall below the knee and have a defined waist. In my opinion, the silhouette of a defined waist and a full skirt just can't be beaten. It's so feminine and elegant! The dress also fits like a dream-- it can be difficult to buy clothing online because sizes aren't always consistent (and don't even get me started on inaccurate sizing charts...), but I couldn't ask for this one to fit any better. I believe this is the only thing I own from Unique Vintage, not because they don't have clothes that I want-- I have a pretty extensive wish list on there-- but because I try very, very hard not to order more than one or two clothing items a month and there is a seemingly endless number of other clothing sites that I drool over on a regular basis. Unique Vintage stocks a wide variety of retro brands, but this dress happens to be by their very own Unique Vintage brand! The purse I'm carrying is by Tatyana, formerly known as Bettie Page Clothing, and has two compartments-- one on each side. The little yellow guy you can see hanging off of it in the picture above is a Winnie the Pooh Tsum Tsum keychain that has an eco bag inside. It's nearly impossible to tell from the pictures, but my bow has little anchors on it to match the sailor theme.
I know that my overall look is more on the girlish side and not entirely "mature" or "glamorous," but sometimes I like looking a bit like a doll. I used to wear the Japanese Lolita style everyday, and even though I've moved more towards the retro/vintage look I still feel most like myself in outfits with a cutesy, innocent twist. I'm afraid I'll always have to be content with looking more doll-like-- a big reason being that I can't wear heels on a regular basis. I would love to be able to, but like I mentioned in a previous post my ankle and knee problems prevent it. So, it looks like I'm stuck in mary janes, saddle shoes, and comfortable sandals like the ones I'm wearing here. Oh, well. I think I do pretty well coordinating outfits even though I have limited shoe options! Dress: Unique Vintage Shoes: Clark's Purse: Tatyana (Bettie Page Clothing) First let me begin by saying that I am embarrassed by the fact that this tea is (way) over a year old, but in my defense I store tea properly so it is still good. Anyway, I will be reviewing some of my favorite tea ever: a Ceylon tea from Duffy's Easter Fair 2015 (a special event at Tokyo Disney Sea that lasts about a month). I am a HUGE fan of Duffy the Disney Bear, and a few times a year Tokyo Disney Sea (TDS) comes out with limited edition Duffy merchandise, so I make a point to order a few things to add to my collection. Here in the US, Duffy is simply not as popular as he is in Japan; probably because our culture feels that teddy bears and cutesy things are only for children. I'm pretty bitter about that, to tell you the truth. But moving on. The quality of the merchandise from TDS is amazing, and the designers of the products really put thought into every last detail (are you listening, United States Disney? You need to step up your game). This particular tea came loose leaf, and they even added little sugar flowers that dissolve to add a tiny bit of sweetness. Yes, it even came with a special tea scoop. These are the kinds of details that keep me buying from TDS. The actual tea, which I mentioned was a black Ceylon (grown on the island of Sri Lanka) really is amazing. The minute I opened the air-tight tin I was overtaken by the beautiful scent. When steeped 3-5 minutes (I usually go for the full 5), it creates a full-bodied black tea that really has that "punch" that I love about Ceylon teas. I will be so sad when all of it disappears....I believe I have enough for one more cup.
There isn't any other flavor to this tea-- it's just plain black and the sugar flowers are not flavored either. I actually prefer it that way so I give this tea high marks for being both good quality and delicious. The tin it came in is also beyond adorable, and I will continue to use it to store loose tea. Due to a serious lack of tea rooms near where I live, I really only get to experience them when I travel. However, sometime last year I was browsing the internet for a list of tea rooms in my state and stumbled upon the tea room at the Smith-Byrd House Bed and Breakfast. This hidden gem is located just an hour away from me in Prattville, Alabama-- still not close enough to be able to just pick up and go whenever I feel like it, but not hours away either. After months of not being able to find a suitable weekend to make the excursion, March rolled around and so did my birthday, and I decided that a trip to the tea room would be the perfect gift to ask for from my boyfriend. Seeing as how I adore the late Victorian era, I could not wait to go have tea in a restored 1880s bed and breakfast. It truly is a beautiful house, and when I stepped inside I felt right at home. The tea room itself does not seat very many people, so it is highly recommended that you make reservations well in advance. I must say, the first thing that really impressed me was their selection of tea-- over 100 blends! Needless to say, it took me a while to make up my mind which one I wanted to start with. You are able to try as many kinds as you like when you pay for a pot of tea, and that did help although there was no possible way for me to try all of the ones that caught my eye. In addition to tea, my boyfriend and I ordered lunch, scones, and a selection of small desserts. I am sorry to say that I don't remember what I had, just that it was very tasty. The scones and desserts were also delicious, and I'm afraid I had too much sugar as I felt a bit jittery after all the tea and sweets. The staff was very warm and friendly, however one thing that I would certainly change if I ran the tea room is the servers' attire. The servers in the tea room all seemed to be younger girls, perhaps late teens and early twenties, but none of them looked as if they made any attempt to dress nicely. With the Victorian feel of the house and dining room, it would have added an extra level of class to have servers at least in something a bit nicer than t shirts and jeans. As is usually the case with tea rooms, the Smith-Byrd House sells their teas in case you want to take some home. Before all was said and done, I think I left with about 15 1-ounce samples. Their selection includes both plain and flavored whites, greens, blacks, reds, and herbal blends so no matter what your tea preference is, you will find plenty that suits your taste. Also, be sure to stop by the gift shop for Downton Abbey merchandise, recipe books, and other lovely tea accessories. I do wish I lived closer to this tea room, as they sometimes host tea tasting classes and events that I know I would thoroughly enjoy. In any case, I'm sure I will be visiting the Smith-Byrd House again, as it was a very delightful experience! This is my other half, Stephen. I'm so glad he enjoys doing things like this with me!
As for my outfit, I decided to go with the Lolita style for my birthday. My Freddies of Pinewood clamdiggers, that is. For my second outfit post, I am wearing them and my saddle shoes again-- but this time I have paired them with one of my new sweater sets that I picked up on vacation. I wore this outfit to go bowling with my boyfriend! (Of course it was as hot as one would expect it to be in July in the South, but I just had to include the cardigan in the shot). Sweater sets, or "twin sets" as they are also called, were very popular in the 1950s. I love them because they can be dressed up or down, turning a casual outfit with jeans into something more cute and feminine. A classic ponytail with a scarf, kitschy pin, and retro purse are other accents that add to the 50s vibe. I think it is also rather obvious that my saddle shoes are my favorites for the casual 50s look. I have to wear pretty thick orthotics in my shoes due to a condition of my ankles and feet, which can be a huge downer when it comes time to go shoe shopping. Most styles of shoes designed for prescription orthotics are just.....not pretty and it's difficult to find regular shoes that both have a vintage or "cutesy" feel and accommodate my orthotics-- and shoes can really make or break an outfit! I can't just throw on a pair of classic flats and be done with it like I see a lot of vintage- loving ladies do; I would be in excruciating pain within an hour. I absolutely adore ballet flats, but it crushes my soul to say that I have yet to find any that will work for me. So, whenever I stumble upon a retro-esque find like my saddle shoes, I take them and run! There's a lot that I could have done accessories wise with this outfit-- pearls would have gone wonderfully with the pearl bracelet, and of course earrings would have been a nice touch. However, I have to admit that I am far lazier than I should be with putting on earrings. Part of it has to do with how allergic I tend to be to a lot of metals. I am also not a make-up fan. That is one thing that really separates me from most of the other vintage ladies-- I don't go out in full make-up unless it is a special occasion and I rarely wear lip color. It's just a personal preference I've always had to go fresh faced with a dash of pressed powder and I know it takes away from the vintage look, but it's hard to change a life-long practice (or lack thereof?). It sure was hard to keep my eyes open for this picture. It was bright outside!
Well, there we have it! I could add more I'm sure, but I want to avoid too-long-posts with extraneous details so I will conclude with an outfit breakdown: Sweater set: Dillard's Pants: Freddies of Pinewood Purse: Tatyana Boutique Bracelet (which is hard to see): My Flat in London (a brand owned by Brighton) Pin: Walmart! I must admit, I am a sucker for "themed" blends. Part of it is the decorative packaging, but I also just love trying new and creative tea blends.
Today's review will be of Twinings's black tea blend commemorating Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday. I am a huge fan of the Queen-- her style in the 1950s was positively iconic, and she has always shown unrivaled elegance and class (and a wonderful sense of humor). First, I will begin by saying that the tin the tea comes in is absolutely beautiful. Featured all around the tin are small depictions of some of the Queen's favorite things such as horses, a fancy hat, a deer, and so forth. I am disappointed that the artwork is printed on a paper sticker that is wrapped around the tin rather than directly on the tin itself because it seems easier to damage, but we can't have everything I suppose. The tea itself is loose leaf and, according to the writing on the side of the tin, is a blend of black teas from Assam (India), Kenya, and Sri Lanka. I am very pleased with the flavor as I love a good, strong cup of black tea. Many times, commemorative blends will contain some other sorts of flavorings such as flowers or fruits, but this is just a straight black tea blend. If you are like me and let it steep in the cup for the maximum amount of time, you will have a deep, rich flavor-- which I believe is mostly due to the Assam, as it is known for being quite strong. If you prefer milk in your tea, I'm sure it would be delicious in this blend; however, I like it best without so I can't tell you for sure. I give this tea blend high marks, both for presentation and taste and it is certainly a blend I would keep around! |
About Me
Greetings, readers! My name is Jordie, and I am a tea obsessed, history loving young lady who just happened to be born about 60 years too late. Archives
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