Time Warp Wives ™ - Our Latest Interview Guest

Winnie, Alice, and Cindy Au/ The Book, Canine Chronicles

2010-12-03T19:13:00.000-08:00

Winnie Au and her sisters Alice and Cindy, are the talented authors behind the book Canine Chronicles: 1900-2000, A Century of History's Most Notable Dogs. Each of the Au sisters have merged their skills and creativity together in bringing us this clever and imaginative book. This book will be featuring the most notable events in History played by these adorable well-behaved pooches while sporting vintage style attire of the past.

Tell us about you and your sisters. Where are you from?

Alice, Cindy, and I were all born in America to Chinese parents who immigrated from the Hong Kong area. We grew up in the countryside in a house with a river nearby, forests, cornfields, and insects!

We're from a city in northern Illinois called Rockford that most people have never heard of. We're the same Rockford as the Rockford Peaches in A League of Their Own; we were mentioned once in the movie Maverick; and Cheap Trick is from Rockford. That's about all we're known for.

How would you describe yourself and each of your sisters.

Well, there are three of us in total - Alice, Cindy, and Winnie. The first thing people often learn about us is that we were named after Disney characters. My parents are Chinese, so they gave us Chinese names, but they also gave us English names that sound like our Chinese names.

I think they were really into Disney when they had us, (they honeymooned at Disney World), so each of our names comes from a Disney movie. I'm just glad that I didn't end up as Dumbo or something like that.

Tell us what each of you girls do for a living.

We're very lucky, because each of us has a different expertise, and they make the perfect collaboration for a book.

Alice is a trend spotter and designer for a major retailer in San Francisco. Cindy is a community manager and freelance writer at an internet start up in New York City. And Winnie is a freelance photographer in New York City.

Winnie what made you decide to become a photographer?

I think I decided to become a photographer when I started my first internship in photography in Boston, in 2003.

I was working for free with a great advertising and editorial photographer named Joshua Dalsimer, and in exchange for my work, he would teach me how to load film, use lights, and he always bought me lunch. First off, I'm a sucker for free food. This is still one of the best parts of the photo industry as almost all shoots are catered.

And secondly, it was the first job I ever had that didn't feel like a job. I couldn't believe my luck, that people actually got paid to do something so fun. So it's sort of like when you're in love, you just sort of know when something is right.

What do you love about your job as a photographer?

There are so many things to love - meeting new people, meeting new dogs, entering new places and environments, seeing the world, making people happy, the constant challenges, and the fact that every assignment is always different - there's no such thing as monotony.

What kind of photographs are you best known for?

A lot of people know me for my dog portraiture. I have been shooting dog portraits since 2005, and I photograph them in a way that's different from your typical pet photography. I want to give dogs the same care and attention that we often give models, presidents, and celebrities, so the portraits are meant to look more like traditional paintings.

Where has your work been featured in?

My work has been featured in a variety of publications, including Time Out New York, The Bark Magazine, Grub Street New York, and in Photo District News.

Tell us about your new book Canine Chronicles: 1900-2000, A Century of History's Most Notable Dogs.

The Canine Chronicles is going to be a photo book and fictional history of the 20th century's most notable dogs.

It will feature beautiful photographs accompanied by fictional tales of each dog's individual historical contribution. The dogs will be dressed in fashion appropriate to their historical moment, whether it's a scientist from the 1920's, an aviator from 1930's, a social revolutionary from the 1960's, or a tech innovator from the 1990's.

What inspired you and your sisters in making this book?

We love dogs, we love fashion, and we all enjoy science fiction and fantasy - maybe Cindy a little more than Alice and Winnie on that last one ;)

I love the idea of historical fiction. I just read the Percy Jackson series, and I think it's a great way for people to refresh something they've learned before, but in a new and entertaining way.

Anyhow, since we all know that dogs are responsible for most of the important
things that have happened in our last century, we're just helping to get the truth out there!

What are some notable historical personalities that you will be featuring in the book?

We will feature pooches from the eras of Albert Einstein and Amelia Earhart, a revolutionary dog from the 70's, and a Silicon Valley tech mogul from the 90's.

Tell us about some of the dogs that are being featured in your book? What are some of their breed? Where did you find such talented pooches? And what eras do they represent?

As of now we haven't finished our casting yet. We learned from our first shoot that it's easier to fit clothes onto larger dogs, so we're probably going to lean towards some of the larger breeds.

I love all dogs, but for this project, we're looking for strong facial expressions, like Boxers and Great Danes. I'm a huge pug fan, so I'm going to try my hardest to get a pug in our book! Because we're fitting clothes onto the dogs, the dog models have to be pretty well behaved.

Usually we find our dogs by simply sending out a casting call to friends and family and coworkers. If any of your readers have a pooch in the New York area who's up for the challenge of being a model, feel free to send dog photos to my email - dogportraitsbywinnie@gmail.com.

What did you and your sisters contribute in making this book possible?

So far on kickstarter we've had the support of a lot of friends, family, coworkers, and dog lovers, and we're really thankful for them. We still need more backers on kickstarter in order to make the book a reality, but with the support of more people and great sites like yours, we can reach our goal!

Where can folks purchase your book?

Right now, they can pre-order the book by backing our Kickstarter project at the link below.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1757328257/canine-chronicles

If the Kickstarter project succeeds, we will sell the book at our Etsy store (siblingrivalrie.etsy.com).

Our vision is to make this book available to every dog lover, adult, and child worldwide. The distribution of our book will depend widely on the success of our kickstarter project. So the more people who back our project, the more likely we will find a wider distribution network.

Tell us about your project at KickStarter.

For those who aren't familiar, Kickstarter is a funding platform for creative projects. It allows us to offer exciting rewards in exchange for people's support. Funding is all-or-nothing, so if we can raise $6500 or more within the next 13 days, Canine Chronicles is a go!

If we don't make our goal, nobody gets charged anything, but we won't be able to make our book.

We're offering rewards featuring my dog photography - notecards with envelopes, archival prints, and copies of the final book - in exchange for people's support.

What are your goals for this project?

We need to raise $6500 in 30 days. We're 70% funded and we have 13 days left, so we just have a little bit more to go to make Canine Chronicles a reality. The funds we raise will help us produce the remaining photo shoots and cover the cost of printing the books.

If we reach our goal of $6500, we'll have enough money to create and start printing the books. And if we exceed our funding goal, we'll be able to make the book even nicer and print more copies. So in an ideal world, we'll exceed our goal so that we can get as many books into the world as possible and be able to share our lovely dogs with more and more people.

Where can folks go to support your project?

Right here! Canine Chronicles

Copyright © 2010 Time Warp Wives.

Winnie, Alice, and Cindy Au

Websites & Contact Information

Canine Chronicles Project at Kickstarter: Canine Chronicles

Sibling Rivalrie/ Esty Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/siblingrivalrie

Email Address: dogportraitsbywinnie@gmail.com.

Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse

2010-10-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

"As a little girl I used to stare at old photos and got sad because things used to look so pretty and things were so ugly when I grew up, it was the 1970s, a very ugly time!"

Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse is a very passionate Historian Consultant from Amsterdam that has worked as a researcher and consultant for several historical film projects, included a series for the Discovery Channel. Jo not only knows about how folks from the 1930's lived, but she has taken her fascination for history to another level by embracing a vintage lifestyle called Neo Traditionalism.

Where are you from?

Born and raised in The Hague, seat of government of the Netherlands, living in Amsterdam the capital for many years now.

How many languages do you speak?

I speak Dutch and English fluently, my German is reasonable.

When did you started your passion for history?

I don’t remember, it has always been there. It probably has something to do with growing up in big old houses filled with old furniture and books about the past and having a very overactive imagination.

How did you become a historian?

I am not really a historian, but went to Film School and was a film/tv director and writer for a while.
Everything I worked on had a historical theme, if it didn’t I didn’t enjoy the project. I soon realized my passion for history was greater then for film/tv and when I was asked to work on a Discovery Channel series as a researcher and consultant. I loved this and decided to concentrate my career on this kind of work. I started my own Historical Consultancy and that’s what I’m doing now.

How long have you been an Historical Consultant ?

I became a Historical Consultant around 2004.

Tell us about your work. What does it entail?

People contact me about all sorts of historical projects and I help them out. Film, tv, museums, historical events ask me to provide research, services, objects, etc.

What is your best and favorite thing about your job? And what is the least thing that you dislike or find it difficult.

The best thing is that you get to share your passion for history and also make sure productions avoid the mistakes that always annoy me so much. Being able to help someone find something they have been looking for for a long time is great but even better is talking to kids and noticing you’re making an impact, seeing in kids eyes that they suddenly find history a little more interesting. The less glamorous side is of course the paperwork, making sure people pay their bills, etc.

Tell us about Netherlands 1940-1945 your study history group. And about your website.

After visiting several Living History events I realized the civilian side of WW2 was not being represented.
I was very interested in Living History, it is a great way to make history more interesting to kids and to fight common misconceptions. I decided to start our own group, specialized in portraying daily life for Dutch civilians during the Second World war.

How many members do you have in your history group? Are they also historians?

We have about 25 members but are also linked to a group in Germany who we often work together with.
Most of us are not historians, just people with a passion for history.

Tell us about your history reenactment events. Describe the different events that you have done.

We see a difference between reenactment and Living History, we don’t see ourselves as a reenactment group as to us that is more about reenacting battles and historical events.

Living History is more about portraying daily life in the past in every detail. We do several events per year, from national liberation parade, to memorial events, to historical shows. Generally we act out scenes like refugees between the front lines, people trying to cross checkpoints, etc. Sometimes we work in museums where we get to build a display showing a living room where we can let people see how life was back then.

How can anyone around the world start a history group like yours? What does it entail?

Just do it. We are not a official organization or club, I just started doing this and people joined me, we build a website and a forum, but that is all.

When and how did your passion for vintage started?

I can’t really say. I have always had a passion for history. As a little girl I used to stare at old photos and got sad because things used to look so pretty and things were so ugly when I grew up, it was the 1970s, a very ugly time! For most of my life I had some old things in my room or house, pictures, objects, just things that somehow fascinated me. I never really felt at home in the present, music, fashion, society, it never really appealed to me.

In the 1980s suddenly the 1950s were very popular in my country, Levi’s commercials brought old music back on tv and suddenly I heard and saw things I liked. As a teenager I decorated my room in fifties style and dressed like a “bobbysoxer” when I went to Rock ‘n Roll parties.

When the 1950s went out of fashion again I decided to stick with it, even better, I discovered older music and that there were people with a passion for the 1930s and 1940s. Suddenly all the puzzle pieces came together, the music I loved, the fashion, design, architecture, movies, everything I really loved came from that era.
I contacted other people who loved the era and realized they had a 1930s lifestyle.

I was totally amazed and when they invited me to a party I went. It was one of the best times of my life and I was sold. At this time I also worked on historical tv shows and had become involved in Living History so my life was full of vintage and I decided to go all the way.

After a while I gathered people around me with the same ideas and I started Club Interbellum.
Soon it became more then just a way of dressing, it became a lifestyle that we call Neo Traditionalism.
Just like the kind of architecture that takes the best from the past and uses it in the present by building 1930s houses with modern comforts.

Tell us about your passion for retro style and fashion.

I was never interested in fashion or even appearances at all. I wore jeans and a t-shirt, never wore makeup, never cared for my hair. I never read fashion or style magazines, watched shows about such programmes, etc.
But when the 1950s became ‘hot’ in Holland, I started looking at old magazines and for the first time saw women with a certain style that made me think; “I’d like to look like that!”.

So then I started experimenting with my image.When I started participating in Living History events and working for film/tv, I started collecting vintage items and clothing and wearing it outside events. One day I just got rid of everything modern.

Describe your vintage style. Which are your favorite fashion year styles?

I am still not very glamorous, most of the time I wear common day dresses from the past. I concentrate on the late 1930s and war years. So a simple dress, stockings and hair in a roll. When I go out I wear a long dark coat and of course a hat and handbag. Of course for the odd party I wear something a bit more pretty.

Where did you get your vintage clothing?

From flea markets, people give them to me or I get them online.

How do you achieve your retro look, your hair and makeup? Which are your basics beauty products.

I simply roll up my hair and pin it. I don’t use any makeup, sometimes a bit of powder and lipstick for special occasions. I guess Sunlight soap is the only product I use a lot!

How did you decorate your retro living space? Describe some of your retro style furnishings.

I have decorated my entire house (although not yet completely finished) in a typical late 1930s lower middle class style. So not full of super modern expensive Art Deco but more a mixed combination of early 20th century furniture. I try to get it as authentic as possible, so it is not like a museum or a house filled with a collection. It is just where I live and where I try to make it look like a real 1930s home.

A style very popular in the 1920s and 1930s here in the Netherlands was “the Amsterdam School”.
Perhaps best described as working class Art Deco. Straight lines but build with wood. I have a great sitting corner and dining set in that style.

There is also a radio in my house, I used to have several but in the 1930s most people (especially of my class) would have more then one so the others were moved to the attic. My radio is a 1920s Dutch model.

What inspires you in life?

The people who lived trough the war, their stories, their attitudes, their sacrifices. They are my heroes and I feel honoured every time I talk to them. But also the look in a child's eye when I teach them something they actually find interesting, something that may ignite the spark of passion for history, that is priceless.

Do you consider yourself as a Timewarpian?

For starters I am not a wife, I am a independent woman who runs her own company and who works too hard. I consider myself a Neo Traditionalist, I think we can learn from the past and make the world better by combining the best of then with the best of now.

I am not a Domestic Goddess or a lady who loves to look pretty in fancy dresses. I am more like those countless women from the 1930s who had to work, didn’t spend all their time looking after family or home. My lifestyle is very authentic, I have almost nothing modern in my home. No washing machine, no TV, no mobile phone, no microwave, no bath. All I have is a fridge and a computer that I need for my work. The fridge will be replaced asap.

Do you have a favorite vintage place or thing that inspires you?

One of the things that inspired me most, especially in the beginning, is the website my German friends made;
www.swingstyle.de. It introduced me to the vintage way of life.

Besides that there is just so much that inspires me, history is all around us if you are willing to see it. But a letter signed by Otto Frank (Anne’s father), letters by a unknown 1930s couple madly in love, movies like ‘Brief Encounter’ and oh so many songs from that era, they all inspire me.

Got to mention Al Bowlly and The Ramblers in particular, the best Dutch Big Band there was and still is because it is officially the oldest still playing Big Band in the world.

Have you attended a vintage event? And if you have, what kind of event was it? And what did you like the most about the event.

Yes I have attended many vintage events. One of the first and still best was the Trocadero Ball organized by my German friends from the swingstyle group. In a fantastic 1930s hotel with dance floor we all gathered in vintage clothing and danced to lovely old tunes.

Another highlight is the annual liberation parade in Wageningen where we get to show our gratitude to our Canadian liberators. But being allowed to sit in a early 1930s DC2 plane in our vintage clothing was also amazing.

Not to mention seeing a 1930s movie in the amazing cinema theater Tuschinski was superb. But perhaps simply sitting by the radio or playing records and board games in my old living room with friends in vintage clothing is even better.

There are too many to mention!

If you had a chance to go back in time, what year would that be and why?

I would probably go back to 1938, before madness pulled the world into war but after the worst effects of the depression were over. Fashion, music, movies, all very interesting from this past. Although I would be tempted to go a bit earlier so I can fly on the Hindenburg, not its last flight though.

What would you like to bring back from the past?

A zeppelin and Lots and lots of stockings and general clothing and shoes! To be honest, I’d probably not come back or I would fill a entire container ship with all the things I want to bring back.

Do you have a favorite old film, music, singer, movie actress or actor from the past? And tell us why is it your all time favorite.

It is hard to choose, I can’t say what my favourites are but here are a few that come to mind.

A movie high on my list is “Brief Encounter”, perhaps the last romantic story made that I actually understand!
Most movies made after this has people behaving in a manner I just don’t understand.

One of my favourite actors is James Stewart, do I have to explain why?

Marlene Dietrich is probably my favourite actress/singer, again, no need to explain really, I mean… Marlene Dietrich! The Dietrich!

As for music, gosh so hard to say. One that comes to mind is ‘Midnight, the stars and you’ by Al Bowlly, because I’ve loved it long before I became old fashioned after hearing it in ‘The Shining’.

Describe yourself in one sentence.

Moving forward by looking back.

Copyright © 2010 Time Warp Wives

Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse

Websites & Contact Information

www.joeri.net
This is the portal to all my websites.

www.hab3045.nl
This is my Historical Consultancy website.

www.nederland4045.nl
This is my WW2 living History group website

www.clubinterbellum.net
This is the website for our club of Neo Traditionalists, people with a vintage lifestyle.

Video Interview

Watch a video interview with Jo done with English subtitles:

Interview with lady from Amsterdam with 1930's lifestyle.

Tome Wilson of Dieselpunks

2010-03-22T06:16:00.000-07:00

Delaware Valley, New Jersey

“To us, this “diesel era” is a time colored by pulp heroes, the Roaring Twenties, flappers, swing kids, and noir detectives. We strive to bring that wonder into today by merging it with our modern world. ”

Meet Tome Wilson the mastermind behind the popular Dieselpunks website. This web developer and photographer from New Jersey had always had a passion for fusing old technology with new. Tome describes that his perfect world takes the best parts of all eras and merges them into one Utopian whole.

Tome what do you do for a living?

I keep a roof over my head by working as a web developer and photographer for a mid-sized advertising firm. It keeps me crazy busy during the day, but It could be worse. I could be stuck in a coal mine or could be shot at like some of my previous jobs.

Describe your perfect job.

That’s a rough question. Everyone wants a job doing something they love, but I’d rather have a job where I’m forced to learn and experiment with new skills on a regular basis. It keeps things interesting and keeps my job safe from the impending robot takeover. Plus, whenever you’re earning a paycheck - and I mean really earning it with your own two hands - you’re usually doing it for a client. Take it from me kids, there’s nothing more soul crushing than pouring your heart into a project only to see it ripped apart following someone else’s vision of what it should look like. I like to say, “do what you like for a living and do what you love at home.” This way, you’ll always have something warm waiting for you after a rough day.

Tell us about your talents, hobbies, or other interests.

Besides being a 20th Century history geek, I’m what you’d call a Jack; good enough at a lot of things to be dangerous, but surprisingly I still have all my fingers. The only thing I’ve really excelled at is martial arts. I’ve earned a black belt in Okinawan Shotokan, a degree in Ninpo, and I’ve taken a few years of Aikido, American Boxing, and Capoeira to stay well rounded. Growing up in a Marine family, it was nice to be able to hold my own when a family member came home on leave. As I got out into the world, my interests spread out quite a bit. These days, I pass the time organizing the Dieselpunks website, painting in Photoshop, studying supernatural folklore, and learning music theory on the violin.

What is Dieselpunk?

Dieselpunk is a subculture and a subgenre of postmodern art that blends the aesthetics of the 1920s - 1940s with today.

To us, this “diesel era” is a time colored by pulp heroes, the Roaring Twenties, flappers, swing kids, and noir detectives. We strive to bring that wonder into today by merging it with our modern world. Going back to its roots, the term dieselpunk is a play on the 1980's sci-fi genre cyberpunk; except, where cyberpunk was set in the near future, dieselpunk draws inspiration from the near past. Since its inception as a marketing buzzword in the ‘90s, it has grown in scope to describe a worldwide movement of artists.

Subjectively, the dieselpunk culture is all about using the past as an inspiration for improving our present lives. Artwork - including visual arts, music, literature, and architecture - created in the dieselpunk style is heavily influenced by elements of the aesthetic movements that were most prevalent in Western culture during the diesel era such as:

Arts - Abstract Expressionism, Art Deco, Bauhaus, Constructivism, Cubism, Dada, De Stijl (Neo-Plasticism), Futurism, International Style, Surrealism.

Music - Blues, Jazz, Ragtime, Cabaret, Swing, and Bluegrass music.

Literature - Symbolism, Stream of consciousness, Modernism, Pulp, and Noir.

As a culture, we hold education in the highest regard and value DIY labor over mass-market consumerism whenever possible. A surprising number of our members are engineers, designers, mechanics, and objectivists, making the culture very “hands on” as a whole. To view a short manifesto explaining the other tenets of the dieselpunk movement, please visit http://www.dieselpunks.org.

What is the difference between Dieselpunk and Steampunk?

Dieselpunk takes its cue from the world immediately following WWI through the end of WWII. Steampunk is a similar movement, but it mainly focuses on the Victorian and Edwardian eras, a time when the steam-powered technology of the Industrial Revolution was king. Due to the “retrofuturistic” similarity between the two, we often end up sharing members.

To explain the difference based on my personal experience, Steampunk contains more fantastical elements than Dieselpunk, but I see this as a lack of preserved source material more so than a consistent design style.

Where a dieselpunk can experience full-length movies, clear photographs, and high-fidelity audio records from his favored era, steampunks content themselves with relics from the birth of these technologies (cinematographs, silver plates, and wax cylinders respectively). This lack of audio/visual source material is married with the “adventure!” spirit of the steam age, and the result is a lot more fantasy than historical crunch. That’s not to say that dieselpunk isn’t crunchy, it just has a lot more real world inspirational roots to draw from.

What movie or book best describe the Dieselpunk and Steampunk culture?

The definitive dieselpunk movies of our generation are Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, the anime series Big O, Disney’s The Rocketeer, and pulp hero Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Along with the modern classics, there are many others from the past we love such as HG Well’s Things to Come, Just Imagine, and Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. The best part is, since a lot of our favorite classic movies are falling out of copyright, you can watch them online for free. We keep a video library on Dieselpunks.org with a ton of the best flicks from today and yesterday http://www.dieselpunks.org/video.

Steampunk is best represented in literature, especially the works of William Gibson (The Difference Engine), Jules Verne (all of his early fiction), Scott Westerfeld (Leviathan), and GD Falksen (The Strange Case of Mr. Salad Monday).

When and how did your passion for Dieselpunk and Steampunk culture started?

I’ve always had a passion for fusing old technology with new, whether that is merging electronics with classical instruments or using noir themes in my horror stories, it’s always been an underlying theme in my work. When steampunk hit the internet in a big way a few years ago, it really did a lot to motivate me as an artist and be more public with my work.

What do you like the best about the Dieselpunk and Steampunk?

I like dieselpunk and steampunk for the same reasons you like retro living. It acts as a motivator for self improvement by proving that everything in life doesn’t have to come in a pre-packaged beige box. It says, “I can still live in today’s world without being a slave to it,” and isn’t that what we all want; a little freedom?

What made you decide to start your Dieselpunk network?

This one’s simple. I looked around the ‘net for other people whom I’d love to meet and I started setting the gears in motion to do so. Thankfully, I’m a computer geek and we live in an age where social networking is ubiquitous, so the tools were pretty easy to come by.

In the beginning, when the site was brand new, I spent weeks pumping it nonstop with content. I figured I needed to give the world something really fun in order to gain some staying power, so to me this meant writing well researched articles, uploading interesting music, and building a visual library of thousands of pictures to help inspire others.

My goal is to meet and inspire others to do something similar for themselves. Our website gives those people an outlet and the tools to make their voice heard. Whether they sink, swim, or build a monkey powered ski-boat is up to them. Thanks to our hard work, we’ve become the central hub on the ‘net for all things dieselpunk.

Tell us about your Dieselpunk network. What do you feature in your website?

The website features a ton of eclectic history pieces from the jazz age up until the end of World War II. For example, in the Photo area, we have a storehouse of old propaganda posters, pin-ups, WPA artwork, and hundreds of images from Golden Age Hollywood. On the homepage jukebox, we stream a mix of classic Big Band and Jazz artists - any Duke Ellington fans here? – combined with modern day dieselpunk and steampunk bands like Dr. Steel, Abney Park, VNV Nation, and Vernian Process.

Thanks to our members, we’re directly in touch with a lot of these living icons, so we also have a lot of interviews that explain what kind of madness it takes to be a musician/artist in our modern age. Those big articles are reinforced by weekly series, like: Camera Monday (a look at photography and camera tech in the diesel age), Two Fisted Tuesdays (a weekly focus on noir), Wednesdays with Sherlock Holmes, and Lord K’s Garage (a look back at diesel era sports cars and weird vehicles). Once in a while, we’ll even run a serial spread out over the course of several days like the 20 part Harry Houdini: The Master Mystery.

You see, before TV was popular, people would flood into movie theatres to watch short “cliff hanger” serials that were the precursors to today’s TV series. Each one would usually end with the hero in some kind of life-or-death peril, which kept the audience coming back for each new reel. We keep the suspense going on Dieselpunks by hiding each episode on the site until it’s time to reveal it. This keeps the excitement fresh, and keeps people talking about what will happen next on our forums.

Other than that, we’re always on the move! We’re partnered with a bunch of other retrofuturist websites and podcasts that use Dieselpunks as a news hub. These websites help spread the word on what’s happening on their sites so people can stop into Dieselpunks and always find out what’s new with the movement regardless of where it was originally posted.

What kind of Dieselpunk & Steampunk event are out there that you recommend?

I recommend any place where you’re with friends and you’ll have a good time. If you’re looking for something new to try, then I highly recommend:

The Makers Faire in San Francisco (www.makerfaire.com).

A live Abney Park show in Seattle (abneypark.com).

The Steampunk World’s Fair in New Jersey (www.steampunkworldsfair.com).

New Year’s Eve at The Edison in Los Angeles (www.edisondowntown.com).

The Dances of Vice in New York City (www.dancesofvice.com).

Describe the kind of clothes that Dieselpunks and Steampunks wear at their special events?

There’s a fine line between high fashion and cosplay (costume play) at ‘punk outings.
As the culture is super artistic, people will attend our parties in some pretty wild clothes, ranging from modded military uniforms to elaborate fantasy creations of their own design. Personally, I prefer a mix of functional retro clothing that I can wear day-to-day, but steampunk and dieselpunk “club wear” can be insanely creative and intricate. The band Abney Park and the costume creations of Kit Stølen are prime examples of this.

If you’re looking for pictures, there are a few good ones on Flickr SteampunkFashion and a great steampunk fashion gallery over on the Clockwork Quartet’s website Clockworkquartet.com.

What are your favorites Dieselpunk and Steampunk designs?

My favorite pieces of ‘punk art are those that truly blend the past with today. For example, the band Diablo Swing Orchestra opens their latest album with a song titled A Tap Dancer's Dilemma. If you listen it (on our jukebox for example), you’ll hear that it’s a mix of modern rock with Big Band & Swing rhythms and horns accompanied by Andrews Sisters-esque backing vocals. It’s a wonderful track that blends everything I like about dieselpunk into one tight package.

As for the steampunk movement, I can’t get over the artistic genius of The Clockwork Quartet. They’re a collection of steampunk artists in England who are building a complete world around their artwork. Not only have they created theatre level character designs and professional costumes for each of their members to draw inspiration from, but they’ve even gone so far as to build their own custom steampunk instruments to create music with. Best of all, they’ve decided that their music - including MP3s, lyrics, and sheet music – is to be given away for free to help spread the word.

What do you like and don't like about the modern world?

I love our freedoms and technology. Before the modern age, the world was a much larger place. These days, keeping in touch with people around the world is as easy as pressing a button. Without that technology and the freedom to use it, I doubt steampunk and dieselpunk would have ever ignited they way they have. The retro lifestyle isn’t very popular, so it’s good to know that there are others in the world that share similar interests.

Sadly, that same technology makes people lazy; so lazy in fact that they forget their freedoms. I’m not happy being content, because I know two big things.

1. The biggest library in the world is at my fingertips.

2. There is nothing between me and that knowledge except the motivation to learn.

It’s not enough to be spoon fed. As a free human being, you have the ability to change your world into something you can be proud of, and there’s nothing stopping you but yourself.

Describe your take of a perfect world?

My perfect world takes the best parts of all eras and merges them into one utopian whole.

If you had a chance to go back in time, what year would that be and why?

I wouldn’t go back. I’m having too much fun here! Plus, knowing my luck, I’d probably sit on a butterfly and end up causing a pandemic plague in the 70’s. I’d come back to a time filled with Mad Max cars and mullets.

What inspires you in life?

The knowledge that I have the resources to change it for the better.

Copyright © 2010 Time Warp Wives

Tome Wilson of Dieselpunks

Websites & Contact Information

Dieselpunk website address: (www.Dieselpunks.org).

All of our latest events and newsfeeds are posted on the Dieselpunks homepage.

You can reach our news archive at: (www.Dieselpunks.org/profiles).

You can reach our events page at: (www.Dieselpunks.org/events).

Debbie DeMarco

2010-01-03T16:12:00.000-08:00

EverAfterCosmetics.Com

"I think these tough economic times have also helped shift my perspective on what's important, and as a Timewarpian, I am gravitating toward the more simpler ways of life - of staying home and cooking, doing the homemaking, and eventually (hopefully) caring for children."

Debbie DeMarco is a fun and perky gal who is very passionate about life. Although she found herself unemployed, she took the opportunity and courage to start her own online cosmetics business, EverAfterCosmetics.com. Debbie loves everything vintage. And she happens to look a lot like her biggest vintage inspiration, Audrey Hepburn.

Debbie grew up in Massachusetts near Boston. When she was a very small child, she longed for a warmer climate and had her heart set on California. When walking home from school with her grandmother up a steep hill in the blistery wind and snow, Debbie would say, "When I turn 18, I'm moving to California!" And she did. She now lives in California with her partner of eight years. Debbie said that their relationship feels like a Timewarpian relationship. "He is bringing home the bacon, and I am doing the housekeeping, making meals, running the errands - tasks we used to share 50/50 (as we did the expenses). To be honest, I kind of like this arrangement better."

Ever since she can remember she loved singing. As a child she even had a chance to be on television and on the radio. Debbie still writes songs and plays guitar as a way of self expression. She even auditioned for American Idol a few years ago.

Her passion for vintage started when her grandmother use to show her black and white photos of her and her friends and her husband from the mid 1920s through the 1970s. "My favorite periods were the 40s and 50s. I just adore the hair, makeup, and clothing styles from those periods and have brought them into my 21st century life. Being compared to Audrey Hepburn a few times in my life (and not really knowing who she was), I watched the film Roman Holiday. Now I take it as the highest compliment if anyone suggests even a subtle resemblance, whether in looks or demeanor."

For many years Debbie worked as an Office Manager/Administrative Assistant. She then decided to complete her Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies: Behavioral Science, Communication, and English. Debbie wanted to work in the social work field and took a position as an Intake Coordinator and Case Manager at a major non-profit organization in the San Francisco Bay Area. "It really broke my heart to see the conditions that so many families in my very own community were living in. The toughest part were hearing women and children talk about their experience with domestic violence in their home. In fact, as much as my heart was in the right place with wanting to serve others in social work, I began to take on the client's traumas, as they triggered me to remember things from my own past, and I took ill. I had to get out of the field."

Debbie found herself unemployed but avidly seeking work. But in 2009 she found the courage to start her own business, Ever After Cosmetics. "Having lost my job and unsure of my direction or what I was supposed to do, I decided to tap into my interest in self-care and how good it made me feel to take good care of myself, including my appearance. Thus began my work with makeup and cosmetics."

Debbie took two courses from the revered professional makeup artist, Kandee Johnson, of YouTube fame. Afterward she set sail establishing herself. "Every little sale helps out right now. And I take pride in wrapping each order and shipping it myself." Debbie hopes that some day her company may get too big to do this for every order, but she hopes she will still find ways to make a personal connection with her customers.

Before she decided to sell a particular line of cosmetics. Debbie sampled and tried cosmetics from many different lines. She eventually narrowed down what she was looking for: High Quality Products, Made in the USA, and Not Tested on Animals. She finally came across two lines that meet these expectations: LipSense and Besame Cosmetics.

LipSense: It's a semi-permanent lipstick that pretty much lasts all day. It doesn't transfer onto your glass, or come off when you eat, or when you give a kiss. The range of colors and the fact that the company doesn't test on animals make it worth the price. Debbie said that when she tested this product, she was so impressed that she just had to sell it. Besame Cosmetics: Is a one-of-a-kind vintage reproduction make up line. When Debbie came across this product she realized that she could channel her efforts and energy into a special niche: Makeup for the Retro and Rockabilly crowds. "I love all things vintage, and it all just came together."

And like any startup business, there are some challenges. Debbie explained that some of the challenges of having a cosmetics business is being able to keep up with having items in stock to satisfy your customers' desires. It is an investment, and you just never know what colors someone is going to order on a given day. On the other hand Debbie said the perks of selling makeup are immense. She loves selling makeup, because she knows how good and confidence it makes her feel. "I am connecting with women all over the world who share common interests (makeup, beauty, retro, vintage, etc.), and I get to chat with professional makeup artists, models, actresses, and every day women who are excited about what my company has to offer."

Although Debbie's YouTube channel started as her journey to become a makeup artist, she now shares her interests around makeup, style, life, and business. "I also do vintage hair tutorials, relevant book and movie reviews, and sometimes I review cosmetics outside of the lines that I sell."

"The MUAinTheMaking" is Debbie's personal blog where she shares her day's activities, pictures, and thoughts. "My blog posts range from makeup and cosmetics to my own personal victory over an eating disorder, to contests that I run for my readers.

When asked to describe her vintage style, Debbie said, "I would say that I like to mix it up with some winged black eyeliner, red lips, and then contemporary clothes. Audrey Hepburn is my biggest vintage influence, though when I am feeling sultry and sexy, I lean towards influences from Rita Hayworth."

We asked Debbie what year she would visit if she could travel back in time. "I would go back to 1953, the year that Roman Holiday was released."

"I have pretty much always desired to go back in time to the 20s, 30s, 40s, or 50s. I am not fully immersed in the lifestyle but am quickly becoming a true Timewarpian. One of Debbie favorite's vintage places on the Internet that inspires her is the "LisaFreemontStreet's" videos on YouTube. She added, "This gal recreates period hair styles and makeup looks and is very authentic."

When asked to describe herself, Debbie said, "I am a kind and loving soul who is very open and who, in my deepest heart of hearts, loves Life."

Copyright © 2010 Time Warp Wives

Debbie DeMarco

Contact Information

Company:
EverAfterCosmetics

LipSense Product Review:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHVnUti_4P8

Debbie's Youtube Channel:
MuainTheMaking

Gabriela Hernandez

2009-06-24T16:06:00.000-07:00

Besame Cosmetics Inc.

“My inspiration comes from the past, from my grandmother's antiques, from old memories, from the smell of vintage cosmetics, from the desire to make something that makes women feel special.”

Gabriela Hernandez, owner and designer of the vintage inspired Besame Cosmetics Inc., started her company to express her art designs. Inspired by her grandmother's antiques and her love for vintage cosmetics, this successful businesswoman has brought classic femininity back again.

This Argentinean-born designer arrived at the U.S. at the age of 12. Gabriela started her love for design since she was very young. As a child she used to draw and paint. And for the past 20 years she has been a successful designer and businesswoman.

Her company Besame Cosmetics, Inc. evolved from her design business. Gabriela was designing packaging and began to develop designs for products she would like, with designs inspired by her grandmother's antiques. “I started the company as a way to express my art. I design everything in the line, including the containers and colors, as well as formulas. I consider my line more artwork than make-up.”

Like most new startup businesses, Gabriela had to also meet her own challenges. “In the beginning it was very difficult to find manufacturers who would work with us. We were small and unknown, so it was a risk many did not want to take. Also, financing was very difficult. We had to do things in stages and self-finance the company.”

Gabriela attributes her business success with being persistent. “I am persistent and do not take no for an answer. I am also very determined and focused.”

What advice will you give to anyone starting their own business?
“Research your business well before starting. Take into account that you will need more money than expected and it will take longer to make it back.”

In addition to designing her products and taking care of her business, Gabriela is also a mother and a wife. We asked her how she balances being a business woman, a wife, and mother. “It is a constant juggle of priorities and choices. I turn one on and turn the other off several times a day.”

Now for the past 6 years Besame Cosmetics, Inc. has become a successful business. And what Gabriela likes about her business is how it changes. “The constant evolution of product, the satisfaction of holding something I created, the delight in my customer's faces.”

Besame Cosmetics, Inc. carries a beautiful array of products: powders, rouge, lipsticks, mascaras, liners, glosses, shadows, foundations, concealers, and balms.

Their most popular products are their lipsticks. They carry the original 40s bullet lipstick, a mini with rich color and a full size Voluptuous lipstick set.

We asked Gabriela what makes her business unique.
“Our designs and colors are unique and vintage inspired. We use natural ingredients. Our colors are rich and long-lasting and we do not test on animals. We are the only company that makes true reproductions of period colors. We design and manufacture in the US and all our products are unique and memorable.”

Besides designing her line of products Gabriela has also work with many films and television shows on period looks.

“We have returned femininity and elegance, and reinvented traditions of the past in our make-up collections, making Classic American glamour cosmetics,” said Gabriella as she described her company.

Gabriela finds inspiration in the things that she loves. “All vintage make-up inspires me. I love old compacts, perfume bottles, and hats. I love Europe because some places there still look the same as they did hundreds of years ago, so it is easy to transport yourself in your mind to another time.”

She also admires Hollywood actresses of the past like Bacall, Hepburn, Dietrich, Monroe, Hayworth, DelRio. “They had impeccable style, a sense of confidence, and poise that is missing from Hollywood today.”

We asked Gabriela what year she would visit if she could travel back in time.

“I would like to visit 1945, but not stay there. I would like to see first hand how things were made and how women groomed themselves.”

When asked to describe herself in one sentence, Gabriela said, “a classic lady.”

Copyright © 2009-2010 Time Warp Wives

Gabriela Hernandez/ Besame Cosmetics Inc.

Contact Information

Gabriela's Website: Besame Cosmetics Inc.

Press Release: Besame Cosmetics Press Release

Fiona/Notorious Kitsch

2009-06-10T16:00:00.000-07:00

London, England

”We provide a one-stop shop for vintage-inspired, kitsch, and retro goodies for you and your home!”

Wife and London businesswoman Fiona owns "Notorious Kitsch", an online store which offers the best products that have a vintage, retro, and kitsch twist. Find out how she is able to balance her family life and business successfully.

Fiona is from a small town in the North East called Eaglescliffe. She moved to London when she was 20 and has been in the South East where she and her husband resides. Since her late teens, Fiona has been interested in vintage clothes, lifestyle, and music. For some time she had the idea of selling retro. That idea became a reality in 2007 when she founded her company Notorious Kitsch.

It all started when Fiona and her husband visited the US on holiday’s. They would come back home with loads of vintage clothes, home ware, vintage inspired things like notebooks, photo albums, and cocktail swizzle sticks. “You name it we bought it. So I got to thinking where do you buy these things in the UK because I never find them! It was a long time in planning and we did have a false start when we got going and had to put it on hold for a couple of years. However eventually we started full time in January 2008.”

One of the things that Fiona loves about her business is the buying and selling. She loves searching for fabulous things that she knows people will die for when they see them. Also she likes finding the little things that are useful but that have that vintage/retro/kitsch twist. “Who would have thought that the vintage design tea towels on the site would be one of the most popular, they are very nice yet seem so mundane, but people want nice things in all areas of their life!”

Fiona also loves selling at events. And despite the hard work in setting up the things for the event, Fiona enjoys the face-to-face connection that she gets with her customers. “There’s nothing nicer than seeing people so enthusiastic about what you are selling, or them decided to redecorate their whole bathroom on the basis of a shower curtain you are selling, obviously I don’t get to see this much when selling online, so it’s nice to see customer reaction.”

She and her husband have been in this business together for over a 1-½ years. Even though Fiona loves her job and finds it very rewarding, she and her husband had their share of challenges.

“It’s a full time job, it’s almost impossible to run a professional company part time, although I know some people do it, I’m sadly not that much of a wonder woman! Having said that, it’s made things tougher financially as my husband can’t work due to a disability so it’s meant that we have had to tough out the worst recession to hit since the 30’s whilst trying to build a new business!”

We asked Fiona how she is able to balance being a businesswoman and a wife?

“I don’t find that the balance is a problem, but that’s probably because my husband is my biggest cheerleader! Also I don’t have an old fashioned attitude towards being a wife, and fortunately neither does my husband.”

What are your best business attributes?

”Positivity and enthusiasm.”

One of the things that make Notorious Kitsch unique is Fiona herself. “I try very, very hard to find the best repro vintage, retro and kitsch products I possibly can, and most importantly make sure it’s good quality and not rubbish. I don’t want to buy something that looks good but falls apart in a week and neither do my customers. I think very hard before committing to a line whether my customers would love it or not. I don’t listen to ‘trends’. We’re not in that business. We’re in the business of giving people what they want, so I listen and respond to feedback. I’m also big on customer service. One of my biggest bugbears is bad customer service, can’t stand it. So at NK you will always get excellent customer service.”

Notorious Kitsch carries a variety of retro inspired items. They carry everything from Hula Girl shower curtains, to repro vintage tablecloths, to Anne Taintor cocktail flasks, to retro football wash bags. “We carry what we find and we like within a certain theme.”

Their popular selling item changes according to the season. Some of most popular items range from the hula girl shower curtain to the tiki mug and mini tiki mugs. One of their most popular items is their drying up clothes. “Strange but true,” Fiona adds.

Fiona said that she loves the 50’s, vintage clothes, and in her opinion the 50’s R 'n’ B is the best music by far. She also embraces modernity, however. “Although we’re more mix & match people, we do have a lot of 50’s furniture including a fabulous cocktail cabinet, but we also have modern repro stuff.”

We asked Fiona if she was a Timewarpian.

“I was much more Timewarpian when I was younger, but as I’ve got older I realize I like many things and my ‘timewarpian’ ways were stopping me experience them. Would I prefer a fabulous 50’s house with all the trappings? Well, yes. But I’d still like all my modern bits, even if they were hidden away stylishly. Sadly I don’t have all the money in the world, so currently it all sits side by side and seems very happy! I have to say; I don’t judge either side of the fence on this one. I can see the appeal of having a house totally in one period. I’ve walked into such houses and thought, wow I wish my house looked like that, or I wish I had that car. But in reality, I like my mix and match lifestyle, that way I get the best of both worlds.”

If you had a chance to go back in time, what year would that be and why?
”Probably early 50’s America, because I particularly like the clothes, music, furniture and houses from then, but the truth is I wouldn’t want to. I like being able to wear those clothes, listening to that music and leading a modern woman’s life!”

Fiona’s favorite old black and white film is It’s a Wonderful Life. Her favorite old time movie actress is Ava Gardener. The reason why she likes this actress is because she wants to look like her.

When asked to describes herself, Fiona said, ”I’m a 50’s girl with a bit of late 40’s thrown in!”

Copyright © 2009-2010 Time Warp Wives

Fiona/ Notorious Kitsch

Contact Information and Upcoming Events :

Notorious Kitsch website: Notorious Kitsch

We are mostly an online retailer, however we have been popping up at events around the country lately.
We have a stall at the following upcoming events:

Hep Cats Holiday: 25th-28th Sept (www.hepcatsholiday.co.uk)

Jukebox Madness Show: 10th-11th October (www.jukeboxmadness.com)

The Rhythm Riot: 20th-23rd November (www.rhythmriot.com)

Iris

2009-05-16T15:56:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles, California

“I, just like many girls, admired the time it took for women back in the golden days to do their hair. I decided to try them and was amazed at how simple, yet glamorous it was to do.”

This California-born gal loves to share her ideas about beauty and glamour with her Youtube viewers while she works full time and takes care of her housewives duties. If you love online tutorials, you are going to absolutely love Iris' vintage hair and makeup tutorials.

A native of East Los Angeles, Iris describes herself as a multitasking housewife, who enjoys sharing her ideas with countless girls who have similar interests, via the Internet. Her hobbies include amateur sewing and walking. Her talents include singing and amateur hair styling.

Iris' all time favorite movies are the Spanish old school movies from the 50s, “because they remind me of my parents. And I loved looking at the hair styles the actresses wore. Like movies with Pedro Infante.”

For a living Iris works in an office 9 to 5 and then she comes home to her wifey responsibilities. When she has some down time, she likes to relax or hang out with her husband. And once in a while, when she has extra time then she will make her videos.

We asked Iris how she started her Youtube hair tutorials. “For my 30th birthday, I had a Hollywood glam party where everyone came dressed as their favorite Hollywood celebrity. I was a pin up housewife. Everyone kept asking me about my hair. I uploaded a video days later to show my friends how to do my style and the video received tons of hits. I also received requests to make more. And since I knew how to make more styles, here we are.”

Her passion for vintage hair style started when she posted on Youtube and found that there were many more girls who felt the same way about these retro looks. Besides hair and beauty tutorials, Iris also does beauty products reviews and recommendations.

Iris have been making hair tutorials for two years on Youtube and 15 years outside of Youtube. She learned to style her hair in her house in front of several mirrors. In her videos she features a variety of hair tutorials. From pin up girl styles, to the 70's, the 1920-30s, as well as every day looks. So there is a hair style for different tastes.

In addition, Iris video tutorials are available mostly in English and some are in Spanish. Her hair tutorials are easy to follow and fun! Anyone can make themselves look glamorous in a matter of minutes!

We asked Iris what is her favorite vintage hair and clothing style. “Rosie the Riveter is my favorite hair style, because you can wear it all day as you work around the house. And take it down for play time. Clothing style, I would have to say 50's denim casual!”

What is your must have beauty product?
"Lip gloss!"

Do you have a favorite vintage place or thing that inspires you? “Second hand shops are a favorite. Also, I like browsing and shopping at Tarantula Clothing Company."

Iris have also participated in some modeling for vintage stores and for vintage photographers. She said that she likes getting all dolled up. Iris also mentioned to us that she just likes all things that are pretty and that vintage happens to be one of them.

We asked Iris if she had a chance to go back in time, what year would that be and why?
“I would have to say the 50s. Because, times seemed to be simple back then.”

Copyright © 2009-2010 Time Warp Wives

Iris

Contact Information

Video Tutorials:Iris Youtube Videos

Blog:
http://irisonyoutube.blogspot.com/

Charlotte

2009-05-05T15:51:00.000-07:00

Gothenburg (Göteborg), Sweden

“When I think of living in the 40's and 50's, for instance, I think of living in a much purer and more optimistic atmosphere - an atmosphere filled with charm and beauty, a time where people were attracted to and loved things that were beautiful and sweet and charming!”

Charlotte would have liked to have been an old-time movie star, provided, she says, that they made great movies like they used to do. She studied classical singing and she also plays piano. This nostalgic woman longs for great music, fantastic movies, beautiful clothes, and times when men where gentlemen and women behaved like ladies.

The city of Gothenburg Sweden where Charlotte lives, was founded in 1621. One of the best things of that city are the beautiful buildings. She herself lives in a turn-of-the-century apartment with high ceilings. In addition for her love for movies, music, and past eras, she esteems the spiritual side of her life. Her moral values based on her spiritual beliefs are very important to her. Charlotte was taught to be considerate of others. “I am very sensitive and spiritual – I just wasn’t made for these times,” she says of herself, quoting a song by Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys.

Her passion for vintage started ever since she was a little girl, when she saw her first black-and-white classic movie and upon listening to an evergreen on the radio. “Fortunately for me, Swedish Television used to show lots of black-and-white classics while I was growing up and I was completely enchanted! As soon as I could read, I started reading everything in sight on classic movie, TV, and singing stars. From the start I was fascinated by how very special and wonderful they were!”

One of the reasons why Charlotte loves classic movies was that there was class. "The movies had class, the stars had class, people dressed in a classy way, carried themselves with class, and the music had class. I could go on, but you get my drift!"

For years Charlotte had longed to obtain vintage movie fan magazines, but she didn’t know how to find any, as this was before the Internet. She was so thrilled when finally she was able to unwrap her first vintage issues.

Since then she has managed to obtain 200+ vintage magazines ranging from 1934 to 1981 including Photoplay, Modern Screen, Motion Picture, and Screen Stars. She also has fashion and beauty magazines, such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Mademoiselle. “When I immerse myself in a magazine it actually feels like I’m being transported to that day and age. I soak up the energy and atmosphere of that special time and it actually feels very healing and relaxing.”

What do you like and don’t like about the modern world? "I like the fact that communication, information and shopping are so much at our fingertips now, courtesy of the Internet. However, as we all know there is really bad stuff out there as well. I like that music, movie and TV shows are easily available to watch and listen to in the convenience of your home. What I don’t like is the crap they fill the airwaves with these days, the horrible so-called reality shows, bad TV shows, movies filled with nudity and violence, hip-hop and rap. I could go on. Everything is so cheap and vulgar these days."

Charlotte admits that there were problems in the past, but for her the past is infinitely preferable because it had something that has gone entirely missing from the present age, and that is charm. "When I think of living in the 40's and 50's, for instance, I think of living in a much purer and more optimistic atmosphere - an atmosphere filled with charm and beauty, a time where people were attracted to and loved things that were beautiful and sweet and charming! And there was romance and courtship. We are definitely missing out! It's like everything beautiful has been taken out of life."

Charlotte described how her perfect world be. "Good manners and grace, politeness and people being respectful towards each other again. Men being gentlemen treating women like ladies and women behaving like ladies. Great music, fantastic movies, beautiful clothes and hairdos. That sense of charm and beauty that used to be!"

What can we do to make this world a better place to live? "There is a saying that goes, 'Be the change you want to see in the world', and I think that is a very good thing to strive for!"

When Charlotte is not busy lamenting her fate of having to live in a time in which she does not belong or feel comfortable, how does she satisfy her yearning for those times in which she feels she really do belong? "My vintage magazines inspire me! I love books set in past times and time travel books and movies. Then to go along with that is my passion for classic movies and classic TV shows. They make me feel so good! I’ve also found there are several retro and vintage sites on the web. And then there's the music - REAL melodies and singers who could actually sing! And I love to sing those kinds of songs myself!"

Charlotte said the crowning glory to her nostalgic wallowing is, as it should be, makeup, hairstyling, fashion. "I can immerse myself in old magazine pictures for hours. The women were so beautiful back then, their makeup so lovely, their hairstyles so feminine and flattering! What happened?!"

When we asked Charlotte If she had a chance to go back in time, what year would that be and why. "It would be Hollywood in 1942, because I feel a strong affinity for both the time and the place. To me, it feels like home. She explained, “For quite some years now I have half expected (hoped) that I'll wake up some day and it will be 1942 and I'll be in Hollywood - it'll be a sunny morning (as always) and everyone will laugh when I tell them about my nightmare the night before - that I was living in the future and how things would turn out. I'll laugh along with them while letting out a sigh of relief - it was only a dream, after all!

"Would I travel back in time and live there, if given the chance? In a heartbeat! If anyone is building a time machine, please let me know about it! Meanwhile I’m doing the next best thing to actual time travel – I time travel in my mind to other, more fulfilling times and my means of arriving at my destination are classic movies from the Golden Age of movie-making, vintage movie fan and fashion magazines, great music (classical, evergreens, etc.), and books (I adore books that take me to other times). So even if I cannot go on a physical vacation to my chosen time and place at least I can go there mentally, spiritually and emotionally!"

Her favorite eras and styles, she said are that of the 1940’s and the 1950’s, as well as Victorian and Edwardian times are the closest to her heart.

Another one of Charlotte's spiritual ‘homes’ are London and England in the 1890’s, sort of at the brink between Victorian and Edwardian times. Whenever she reads or watch those stories of Sherlock Holmes, Charlotte said that she will get a special tingle down her spine. "It feels very much like home to me."

Charlotte feels a special affinity for England in many historical eras, such as Victorian, Edwardian, WWI and WWII, as well as the period between the wars. Not to mention the myths surrounding Camelot, King Arthur and his Knights, Shakespeare and his time. She also has a special interest in the 1st Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, John and Sarah Churchill who lived in the 17th and 18th century (some of their ancestors include Winston Churchill and Princess Diana)."

She also has a strong love for all things American. In fact, she even speaks English with an American accent. Charlotte said that she is crazy about the Old West and all its tales. Then she added, "I adore watching western movies and tv shows – provided they’re of the tried-and-true variety and not some horrible modern ‘take’ on the matter. Some of the very best are Rio Bravo and Stagecoach, both starring John Wayne (he’s great!) and on TV - High Chaparral, How The West Was Won, Little House On the Prairie, and Centennial (a mini-series)."

What would you like to bring back from the past? “Great fashion, beautiful hairstyles and makeup, good taste, an appreciation for the beautiful things in life, a sense of what is right and wrong, good manners, a sense of innocence and optimism, great music and fabulous singers, The Golden Age of Hollywood with the kind of classic movies it used to produce and great stars with real talent and larger-than-life personalities.”

When asked if she considers herself a Timewarpian, she answered, "I’m definitely a proud Timewarpian! I have no inclination to follow present trends or mores."

Copyright © 2009-2010 Time Warp Wives

Charlotte's favorites

Her favorite movies are:

Hollywood Canteen, Stage-Door Canteen, Roman Holiday, Funny Face, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Star Wars, Rear Window, North by Northwest, The Lady Vanishes, The 39 Steps, Laura, Top Hat, Swing Time, Follow the Fleet, Charade, The Clock.

Some of her favorite actors are:

Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, Ingrid Bergman, Audrey Hepburn, Spencer Tracy. Music by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers, Jerome Kern, classical music, jazz, pop, evergreens, opera, musicals, Frank Sinatra, Beatles, Beach Boys.

Charlotte's Contact Information

Email Address:

suntree@live.se

Lady Estelle T. Barada

2009-04-14T15:44:00.000-07:00

New Rochelle, New York

“A true Victorian upholds and values morality and decorum. These are something to learn and endure. It is a state of being, not a club or society.”

As a young girl, Lady Estelle would pretend to go to England and visit the Queen. Now as an adult she has become the true Victorian lady that she has always dreamed of. This passionate woman loves the etiquette and decorum of the Victorian days. She also appreciates her wholesome upbringing and family life.

Lady Estelle describes herself as an adventurous person. She loves attending many functions, like tea and garden parties. She visits museums, flower shows and social events dressed in her Victorian attire. Her passion for Victorian history started when she was a young girl. “I would dream and pretend I was from a wealthy family and could dress in fancy clothes. I would pretend to go to England to visit the Queen. It was from an old nursery rhyme I loved.”

Her mother and father were ordinary and God loving people. They raised three daughters the best they could. Her father was a handyman and her mother was a housekeeper for a wealthy family in Scarsdale, New York. “ My mother passed away at a young age, leaving my father to care for us girls on his own. He was unable to do this, so we were sent to live in a home for children, run by the Catholic Church. It was a wholesome upbringing.”

Lady Estelle works in the hospitality business, catering, tea parties and special events. “My tea room is open for taking of tea and relaxing, listening to music, to read, or just converse with friends."You can always email Lady Estelle for a "Time For Tea" with her!

She also teaches young girls from the ages of 6 to 16 about etiquette and fashions of the Victorian era, which helps them with the pressures of today's society. Lady Estelle started this adventure five years ago. She explained, “I was giving tea parties for my family and Red Hat friends and it was suggested that I dress the part of a Victorian Lady. After much research and meeting many living history re-enactors, I began living the part on a daily basis. My passion for the era and fashion have helped me stay true as an authentic Victorian Lady."

What she loves the most about the Victorian era is that she has found it to be a very romantic time. “The men were so stately and the women were so proper.”

We asked her what it entails to become a true Victorian lady. “A true Victorian upholds and values morality and decorum. These are [things] to learn and endure. It is a state of being, not a club or society.”

She admits that she can’t live without her corset, which is what makes her outfit look it's best. “A true Victorian would not get dresses without it. I also wear many petticoats. On some occasions I will wear a hoop. It would depend on how spacious the event was and if I would be comfortable.”

This Victorian Lady also loves wearing very large hats. Lady Estelle mentioned that the era dictates that you wear a hat and gloves when going out. Some of her wardrobe was acquired from friends and family. And most of her dresses are ordered.

Lady Estelle lives in an old Providence apartment building over looking the city. The building was built in the early 1900's. She describes it as having very high ceiling and large parlor windows. “It has a lovely built-in china cabinet in the dining room. The apartment still has the old cozy charm of it's era. I have decorated my home to reflect my lifestyle. Lots of lace and doilies. Many pictures of ladies in nineteenth century dress grace the walls.”

Lady Estelle had purchased some things of vintage reproduction because she finds the authentic too costly. “I do collect tea pots, cup and tea items. I will spend more for them than I should.”

What inspires Lady Estelle in life are her children.

What are Lady Estelle’s favorite vintage places that inspire her? “I am at home in a tea parlor, museum, antique shop, or flea market.”

We also asked her what she would like to bring home from the past. “The etiquette and decorum of the Victorian days. When men open doors for women, when people enjoyed an old fashion picnic and bike riding.”

Victorian Societies that Lady Estelle belongs to:

VLS Victorian Ladies Society

Rhode Island Historical Society

Red Hat Society

Lady Estelle's Victorian Tea Society

Copyright © 2009-2010 Time Warp Wives

Lady Estelle

Contact Information:

My website: A Step Back in Time
It is compiled with information on the life and style of a Victorian and how to reenact the era. I also have a tea lover's blog where you can join to socialize with other members with a passion for tea. We share recipes, tea event and tea swaps.

My favorite website is: http://www.victoriana.com/

An Interview with Trevlin

2009-03-24T14:48:00.000-07:00

Unedited

"My father has been a wonderful role model - Strong but gentle, ethical, honorable, a model husband and father, and someone to whom others instinctively look up and listen. He and Atticus Finch from “To Kill a Mockingbird” are my blueprints for what a man should be, both to himself and to his family."

Meet Mr. Trevlin. This passionate and adventurous man appreciates the old-fashioned upbringing that his parents instilled in him. He believes that his whole life is a vintage event. And that an ideal wife should be ladylike without being boring, and adventurous without being a multiple felon.

This is a first at Time Warp Wives. This interview was so fantastic, that we decided to bring it to you unedited!

Describe yourself in one sentence.

Future Strange-Old-Man-from-the-Big-Old-House-on-the-Hill-Who-Comes-Into-Town-Just-Once-a-Month-For-Groceries-in-His-1931-Hispano-Suiza-Limousine-Chauffered-by-an-Inscrutable-Asian-Driver-and-Who-Waits-Behind-Drawn-Curtains-in-the-Back-of-the-Car-for-His-Supplies-to-Be-Loaded-While-Handing-Out-Gold-Coins-to-the-Town-Children-with-One-Buff-Gloved-Hand.

Events, News, Youtube videos or Press Releases links of yourself or website.

There are a lot of them, but they’re all from before 1918. ;)

Where are you from?

Richmond, Virginia, circa 1861, London, England, circa 1914, Frankfurt, Germany, circa 1931, and Chicago, Illinois, circa 1925.

What do you do for a living?
As little as possible.
Actually, I’m a writer for an advertising agency, and I was previously a comic book author and illustrator.

When and how did your passion for vintage get started?
Because I’m small and slender (5’6” and 125lb), nearly all pre-1950s vintage fits me. If I shop in a modern store, I have to resort to the boy’s department.

I bought my first vintage suit in Richmond six years ago. I went into Bygone’s with a lady-friend, and the shopgirl leapt from behind the counter and said, “Don’t move! I have something that will fit you perfectly!”

It was a peak-lapelled, double-breasted black suit from 1943, and it fit like a glove. Given a choice between beautiful vintage and the boy’s department at the Gap, what would you do?

Describe your vintage style. Which are your favorite fashion year styles?
I wear vintage 24/7. The whole shebang - Detachable collars, button boots, braces and waistcoats and pocket watches and so on. My years range from the late 1800s to perhaps 1950, with a sweet spot in the ‘20s and ‘30s.

What appeals you about Time Warp Wives?
Nearly everything, except for the fact that they’re married and it isn’t to me.

Are you attracted to modern or a more traditional woman or both? And why?
Although my nose instinctively wrinkles at the word “modern”, I prefer a subversive combination of both – A lady with an inherent sense of proper form who also knows how to subvert it for mischief.

What will your ideal wife be like?
She should have lovely manners, high morals, a discerning eye, a clever tongue, a busy imagination, and a self-sufficient nature. She should be romantic without being needy, ladylike without being boring, and adventurous without being a multiple felon. ;)

What will you offer as a husband?
The world.

We'd be that charming, colourful couple that makes people say, "Ohh, remember when men and women used to dress/dance/behave that way?" And the most important part is that it would be real.

What are your best attributes?
Talent. Passion. Imagination. Honesty. Adventurousness. Courage. Self-sufficiency. Integrity. A really nice wardrobe. Oh, and modesty. :D

What are your family values?
My parents are a good deal older than those of most people from my generation, so I got one of the last old-fashioned upbringings in the country before the free love generation threw out the baby with the bathwater.

My father has been a wonderful role model - Strong but gentle, ethical, honorable, a model husband and father, and someone to whom others instinctively look up and listen. He and Atticus Finch from “To Kill a Mockingbird” are my blueprints for what a man should be, both to himself and to his family.

How did you decorate your vintage living space? Describe some of your old-fashioned furnishings.
Goodness, where to begin? My house was built in 1901 and looks as though time stopped around 1929. It even has the original skeleton keys for the doors. Antique furniture. Antique china. Gramophone. Vintage car, vintage boat, vintage lawn mower… You know, the usual stuff.

Tell us about your different websites. Describe briefly what each one entails.
I didn’t even know I had different websites! Why am I always the last to find out?!?

Are you a Timewarpean (definition found at Timewarpwives.com) or do you just like to wear vintage, listen to old music, watch old films or dance to the oldies?
Most certainly. I’m using a 1925 calendar, for heaven’s sake! (Check it – The days match.)

Do you have a favorite vintage place or thing that inspires you? For instance a Coffee shop, vintage store, shoes, clothes, collectibles, movie, etc.
My home. I can almost see my Great-Grandparents out of the corner of my eye when I’m there.

Really, nearly anything vintage makes me happy, but that magical feeling that one has stepped back in time is the best thing, wherever it happens.

Have you attended a vintage event? And if you have, what kind of event was it? And what did you like the most about the event.
My whole life is a vintage event! ;)

I attend any vintage show I can find, and I‘ve gone everywhere from the local thrift shop to Paris shopping for vintage.

I go out dancing quite a bit (my favourite band is the Prohibition Orchestra of Chicago) and will Charleston at the drop of a hat.

I go to vintage events like the Hudson River train trip to the Blue Lantern dancehall or the Ragtime Ball at the Flying Cloud Academy. I’d like to get over to England for their vintage event season - the Goodwood Revival and so forth.

Anything that’s happening the old-fashioned way, I’m there for it. Except maybe having my appendix out.

If you had a chance to go back in time, what year would that be and why?
It would the first morning of spring, somewhere around 1912. Birds are shaking the dew off of their wings on the high, green hedge around my house. Someone is baking bread. My hands give off the scent of the talcum my wife uses to powder her arms. In the distance, at the bandstand on the green, the town band is practicing for tonight's dance, playing "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" without any irony whatsoever…

What would you like to bring back from the past?

I’d bring back manners. Earnestness. A code of conduct. A recording of Buddy “King” Bolden. My wife, and a whole lot of clothing.

Copyright © 2009-2010 Time Warp Wives

Trevlin‘s Photo Album

Trevlin

Contact Information:

You may email Trevlin at:

MrTatterscratch@earthlink.net

Miss Red Lips

2009-03-01T14:40:00.000-08:00

California

“Even though we can't step into a time capsule and travel back to the 40's or 50's, we can start creating worlds within our world.”

This California gal is the author of the new blog “MissRedLips.” Besides her love for vintage movies, decorating and dark chocolates. She is a licensed cosmetologist, who loves to wear red lipstick. Read on about how wearing red lipstick has effected her life and her confidence.

Mrs. Red Lips lives in California wine country, where she is surrounded by the beautiful scenery and fine wine. She is a licensed cosmetologist who works for a cosmetic line full-time. She is also a full-time doggie mom of her two baby Shih-Tzus!

She enjoys many hobbies besides hairstyling and makeup artistry. Mrs. Red Lips loves attending vintage events, cooking, reading, blogging, watching I Love Lucy, vintage movies, shopping for unique vintage hair accessories and jewelry, decorating, dark chocolate, wine tasting, going to great comedy clubs, fine dining with Mr. Red Lips, going for walks with her puppies, and finding new red lipstick colors to try out.

She explained why she started her MissRedLips blog.
“When there is nobody in your life who shares a passion for retro things the first place you go for support and inspiration is the web, right? Well I wanted to start my blog to connect with other woman who enjoy the same things I do. That way we can learn and share our knowledge and have a place to connect with others around the world.”

Another reason why she also started MissRedLips blog, was because she truly believes that even though we can't step into a time capsule and travel back to the 40's or 50's, we can start creating worlds within our world. “I wanted my blog to be a world of glamour so you can escape out of the modern world for a little bit of time”, she added.

We asked her what made her choose the title MissRedLips for her blog.
“Personally, I didn't find my own glamour until I put on red lipstick for the first time. It literally changed my life and the way I viewed myself!” That was when she realized how women who wore red lipstick felt confident, beautiful, and glamorous! She started receiving tons of compliments every time she put on her red lips.

Many women would tell Mrs. Red Lips how they wish they could wear red lipstick too, but that they didn't have the confidence to “pull the red lip look off.”

“At first it seemed silly to think that lipstick could actually change your confidence and how people view you, but it really does! So my goal is to share what wearing red lipstick has done for me and how it's effected my life. Also, to encourage women to take control of their happiness. Create the life you want, even if it may not be what's 'in style' right now. I don't care when red lipstick is the trend or when it's not, because it's always going to be in style for me.”

In her MissRedLips blog, she features everything on how to apply great red lips, tips on etiquette, vintage hair techniques, cooking, her own styles from day to day, and much more. “Red lipstick is just my personal symbol for vintage and retro things I adore, but I feature much more besides posts concerning lipstick.”

Her passion for vintage started when she was about ten years old and started watching I Love Lucy. “I started collecting memorabilia from the show in antique shops with my grandparents. I was always fascinated by the hairstyles and clothing I saw. I loved how the characters spoke and how everything seemed less stressful than the lives many of us lead today.”

Mrs. Red Lips started her passion for red lipstick also when she was very young, about 6 years old. She started taking jazz, tap, and ballet classes when she was four years old. "Each year I would be in a recital. It was required for all the girls to have on blush and red lipstick with our costumes. I loved when my mom put the makeup on me. I started asking her everyday if she could put it on me again, but she told me it was only for recital days. So looking back now, I guess I was destined to have a blog titled MissRedLips!”

Mrs. Red Lips listed for us her likes and dislikes of the modern world.
“I like all the conveniences we have and instant gratification that's available. I don't like how stressed everyone seems to be and how balance is lacking in a lot of our lives. I'm old fashioned in the sense I believe one parent should take care of the children. I think parenting skills have gone out the window. I don't like how rude many people are. I wish we could once again embrace manners and etiquette. I love cell phones for many practical reasons. I'm also thankful for all the advances in healthcare and science. I don't like a lot of the clothing in the modern world. This list could be never ending!”

She said that she isn’t a Timewarpian. She said that she likes to take the best of both worlds and make it her own to best fit her lifestyle. Her favorite vintage style is of the 40's and early 50's. She also loves watching old movies and listening to Doris Day! “That is my escape into another world!”

When asked to describes herself, Mrs. Red Lips said, “Bringing back the glamour of decades gone by while keeping up with the modern world, and doing it all with my red lipstick on.”

Copyright © 2009-2010 Time Warp Wives

Mrs. Red Lips

Contact Information:

MissRedLips Blog: MissRedLips.blospot.com

My Year 1955

2009-02-07T14:36:00.000-08:00

Cape Cod, Massachusetts

“Many people are not actually homemakers anymore and there is no positive portrayal of it or discussion of it. It is often seen as degrading or limiting to women. It is a shame, as the home is the base to build future people for a better world.”

Author and time-traveler of the “My Year 1955” blog, is sharing her passion for that old time 1955 homemaker lifestyle. Learn , enjoy, and get inspired as this 50’s Gal discovers the beauty and challenges of being a successful homemaker.

This time-traveling homemaker lives in Massachusetts on Cape Cod with her husband, three dogs, and parakeet. “I am a full-time homemaker which means I am a chef, an interior decorator, a psychologist, a domestic, an artist, gardener, landscape designer, builder, handyman, and, quite honestly, the list goes on!”

50’s Gal started "My Year 1955", a year-long project to see what it would be like to live as a 1955 homemaker within the confines of what is possible in modern times. Other reasons for starting her project have to do with her curiosity and love of history - history of everything from fashion, to domesticity, to political thought. “It was a way to really immerse myself into a specific year in history in a decade that has much 'mystique' about it. It has since begun to be a life-style change and a new way of thinking and living.”

Her fascination with the 50’s vintage era started when she was planning a party with a 1950's theme. “It just struck a note for me, and since then, I found the decade. So many things are expected, blamed, cherished, mocked, adored, copied from this one decade that it seems almost to be a sort of Camelot and Avalon rolled into one.”

She documents her project in her "My Year 1955" blog, which she refers to as her public companion to her project. “I discuss things I have done or would like to do as a homemaker. I always try to feature 'current' news pertinent to that day in 1955. In this research I have really begun to see how it is that we have arrived where we are today in 2009. I often include recipes I have tried with variations I like to make. Sewing, cleaning, gardening, decorating, all of these are incorporated in my blog. I sort of like to treat it as if I am publishing a small magazine for a vintage homemaker, though I have no staff save myself. I encourage anyone to drop by and I really consider it all our blog, as I have learned much as I know other readers have from the comments from readers. I like to call it our international vintage coffee klatch. So, stop on by!”

“My Year 1955” project, begun on January 1, 2009, which became January 1, 1955. “I think I remember feeling giddy and excited when I awoke. Christmas was not that long ago, so I sort of had that familiar Christmas morning feeling one has as a child. The excitement of 'I wonder what will be awaiting me downstairs'. The first day was really probably the most magical on some level, although I think I have grown so much in the past three months that is seems years away. I remember the joy of feeling I was allowed to wear my hat and gloves and petticoat out to do my marketing.”

She began to plan for the project during the month of December, 2008. In her pre-project she began gathering items such as vintage coffee maker and dishes, hats and dresses etc. “I had dressed vintage sometimes in the past, but I really saved all of these things for this first day of 1955. I even had set up my kitchen on new years day night, so that when I awoke I would find a 1950's kitchen. I think I initially reached to use the microwave, it is built in and could not be removed for the project unfortunately, as I used to use it to cook bacon and had to stop myself. Really, that first day was so full of promise, but looking back only three months I feel I really have lived a lot of life since then. I have learned so much and am still on the verge of hoping learning so much more.”

Her project's rules requires her to try and maintain as much 1950’s as is realistically possible. “I find this easier in some areas, such as dress. As I have collected up enough things to wear vintage clothes, this is the easiest and often most fun part of the project.”

Here is a general list of “My Year 1955” rules:

1. Only vintage appliances and dishes. Only what was available then, which is surprisingly much of what we have today. (One exception is the microwave. It came out in 1955 but would be equivalent to around $5000.00 in modern money!)

2. Vintage clothing including stockings and garters and undergarments. Through reading my vintage magazines I did find that not all women were wearing pearls and dresses while cleaning their homes.

3. Limited computer use (for my blog and research).

4. No modern TV or movies. Anything up to and before 1955 in movies and TV and books.

5. No debit cards or credit cards, cash and checks only. This has been the hardest so far and the most often broken. Although I do not use credit cards in the modern world, the debit card has become a spending crutch for me.

At first, 50’s Gal would type up her blogs on one of her husbands vintage typewriters and he would post for her on the internet. But she now feels so close to her blogger friends and it has become an important element and tool in the project. “Originally it had been about authenticity, now it is about discovery. Finding out why people did and thought. What news they read and what they saw in their magazines and on their TVs. The project has sort of grown beyond a need of restrictive rules and more into discovering how by letting go of some things for this project, it is actually enriching my life and may be a good idea for anyone today, [whether] it is 1955 or 2009.”

50’s Gal homemaker duties pertain to the home and garden. “I am responsible for meal planning and food buying. I do all the laundry and maintain the home.” She feels that cleaning and decorating her home is her responsibility and her domain. A typical week for her is as follows:

Everyday: Make beds, sweep and mop kitchen floor, tidy rooms, and put away any accumulated clutter from the previous night. Meal planning and prep work for breakfast, a packed lunch for hubby, and dinner and dessert. Dishes.

Monday: Laundry day (though this does involve a machine and dryer, as they did have them in 1950s it is still an all day chore). For now it involves such things as table linens (tablecloths and napkins) shower curtains, and can include various sofa covers, etc. I am more thorough now and try to follow the practices in my vintage home keeping manuals. This is often a day that I may bake for the next few days as I am pretty much home all day with the laundry. I also plan and make my schedule for the week on Monday.

Tuesday: Ironing. This is separate from wash day for me, as it would be too tedious to do it the same day. Although old ironing practices have you wrapping things damp with starch and placing in the fridge, I simply collect up a basket of things needed ironing on Monday to address on Tuesday - shirts, skirts, sheets, table linens, etc.

Wednesday: Clean bathrooms and do all floors.

Thursday: sewing and mending. I am beginning to make my own clothing and am now not putting as many things in the rag bag, but instead am fixing socks and holes to keep a garment longer. A 1955 homemaker can not throw out a shirt and go to old navy and replace it for 5 dollars. Respect of clothing and repair and respect of ones budget is important and thus is reflected in mending over buying new to replace.

Friday: Marketing for the coming week. Baking again. Every other Saturday my friend and I switch turns at a Vintage dinner. When it is my turn, I use Friday to plan and make out the meal and goodies we will share as a group Saturday evening.

Saturday and Sunday: Are often open to various things that got put off or need re-addressing from the week. My hubby is off and we like to have time together. I usually plan a fairly large Breakfast/Brunch (bacon and eggs and kedgeree, tomatoes and sausage waffles and or pancakes) Sunday that we eat later in the morning as it is our 'sleep in day'. I would like to make this schedule more specific and now with spring coming, yard work and gardening will be added to the list.

50’s Gal said that her best housewife attribute would be her creativity, and that her co-attribute is her ability to just charge into something full speed. “I think these two qualities that are inherent in my personality really are a boon to a homemaker. The vast skill-set and immense demands required for this profession require much creative thinking. To make a home and not just a house, one has to be a bit of a dreamer and, of course, a doer. You have to visualize how you see your home and then have the creative abilities to carry it out."

She also added being a creative and daring homemaking can be one of the most adventurous professions and truly rewarding. And that many people may scoff at homemaking today, and that is because they do not know what it actually is.

And like any other homemaker, 50’s Gal also have her bad days. “Certainly I have bad days or may not feel like doing something, like ironing, but before going to sleep and upon waking I have a very real sense of purpose. The managing and growing and caring for a household, though it is only right now a household of two, is a challenge, but one of interest and activity.”

Her project had made her realize some realities.“ I think the only thing I dislike about it so far has been that I cannot actually go there. There is a yearning, I think many of us who love vintage, have. But, I am beginning to see this is not a yearning for the past or people we don't know, but a need to make a new kind of future. A new sense of place in one's community and family that is really lacking. That gives me hope and makes me less melancholy for an actual time-machine.”

There are many things that this 50’s Gal likes about her 1955 experience. “I like that moment in the morning when the coffee begins to perk away and the bacon sizzles and fills the kitchen with its aroma. The simple pride I feel at breakfast when I sit down to a full meal of hot food and coffee with linen napkins and have an half an hour good discussion with my husband before he leaves for work. The late afternoon in my studio with the sun streaming in, my dogs asleep on the little yellow sofa, my parakeet singing away, and my books and magazines spread out before me, a cup of tea and my notebook. My pen poised to check off things I wish to share with my readers, or that recipe I want to try, oh, yes, there is that sauce I have been meaning to get to. The kitchen table littered with books and magazines propped open, bowls and pans strewn about, a mixer in my hand, mad scientist at work on some new concoction. The quiet serenity of freshly cleaned counters and newly mopped floors. The feel of clean ironed sheets that make one feel a guest in a fine hotel of which you have never to check out. There are lots of little moments in the day of a homemaker that are little vignettes of happy busy solitude. If they could be captured or framed up as art, I am sure they would be not unlike something by Currier & Ives or Norman Rockwell.”

She shares some of her favorite vintage things and inspiration. "I love the movie Mr. Blandings Builds a Dream House, as it just sort of hits a note with me. I can really see my husband and myself being that couple if we lived then. The humor, the house building, the decorating, the family, it just seems to feel good and I have watched it many times.”

She also loves her girdle and stockings. “An older person said to my vintage friend and I recently, 'I can't believe you choose to wear that thing' (as they had to wear them back in the day) and I said, 'I think because we don't have to wear it, it is more enjoyable, but I love how it feels as if it is sort of hugging me through the day.' "

50’s Gal also said that she will never go back to pantyhose. She is very tall (almost 6 '), and she could never find nylons that would fit properly. “With stockings, they are a dream. In fact my girdle and stockings are so comfortable and I have become so accustomed to wearing heels, that I have caught myself in the middle of my housework still in my heels and stockings, if I had forgot to change after my shopping.”

This 50’s Gal also loves her vanity, which it is made up of vintage things, like her three-way fold mirror and her etched glass jewel boxes. “I feel the most vintage and lady-like when I am set at my vanity with all my pretty things and jewels in their place. Perfume bottles, the scent of Channel no. 5 my silver comb and hand mirror. It makes you sit down and take stock of yourself before you start your day or an evening out. Never again will I lean perched over a sink under harsh light trying to put on makeup while my products fall all over the bathroom floor. No thank you.”

50’s Gal describes her personal 1955 style as a very conservative classic. “I like full skirts and petticoats, but also well fit jackets and pencil skirts. Tweed is a must. Silk scarves. A lady must have a hankie. Gloves and pillbox hats. I enjoy fur, both coat and wraps (even those opposed to fur can wear vintage, as the poor animal has been gone so long, it would be a waste to dispose of it after all that). I wear dungarees and trousers and flats to clean, I garden in an old flannel shirt of my hubby's tied at the waist, straw hat and gardening gloves. I adore coats and have a few swing coats as well as my beloved fur I received for this valentines day 1955. I am not the 'cutesy' style mave. I think flirty dresses with cherries and such are darling, but I think I may be too old to really pull them off. I prefer more staid mature colors and patterns. I think my clothing choice would be somewhere between Katherine Hepburn and the mother on Father Knows Best."

One discovery she found due to this project is cold cream. “It is wonderful and does wonders for your skin. I won't be paying for overpriced modern skin creams and ointments anymore. It works great to remove makeup and a daily face wash. It really leaves your skin soft.” She uses face powder and liquid eyeliner to make the fuller lash line of the era. “I tried false eyelashes, which I enjoy wearing but can't seem to get the knack of the glue! I mean to start having a specific day every week where I give myself a proper manicure. I do try and keep polish on most days.” 50’s Gal often sets her hair 2-3 times a week. She wears her hair up in a French twist or a ponytail for housework or in a headscarf.

She and her vintage friend take turns on every Saturday making a vintage meal and of course dress vintage and try to do something vintage, as play cards, listen to records etc. “I hope one day to see if I could form a sort of Vintage Club in my area. I even have a venue I could use as our clubhouse. We shall see if that could become a reality.”

What have you learned so far about your project. “I have learned so much already from my project and I am only three months in. There is really too much to list. I say check out my blog to see what I have learned, what I hope to learn, and what I probably will learn in the 'future'. Responsibility for your actions, maturity, organization, respect these are basic elements to a well-adjusted adult and I feel I am really just learning them now or at least learning what they really mean and how to improve upon them.”

We asked her what advice would she give to anyone that want to do a project like this.
“I think I would recommend anyone try it at least. And if not to the extreme I am going, at least look back. Read the history, fiction, and magazines of earlier generations to better understand your own. It will help you to bring back things that maybe should not have been left by the wayside and to appreciate what you have now that those generations did not have. Many times you may find you don't actually need the things we now believe we cannot live without. I think history and study and education (even self-disciplined education) is important for anyone in any walk of life. And I really hope that whatever vintage may mean or come to be, that in looking back we can all have the knowledge to plan forward."

50's Gal

Contact Information:

"My Year 1955" Blog: http://my50syear.blogspot.com

Mark Davids

2009-01-12T14:16:00.000-08:00

Amsterdam, Netherlands

“On my free time you can find me always at antique shops and at antique street markets. I never watch the news, I never listen to modern things. You can say I have not much with this modern world today.”

Mark is a historic consultant and works as a Senior of Security in Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. This guest is not only passionate about history, but he believes in an old fashion lifestyle, etiquette, and being a true gentleman.

Besides his work, Mark is studying integral security management at the Hogeschool Utrecht . He is also hoping to start studying history next year at the university. Mark speaks Dutch, English, and German. And he describes himself as a friendly and honest person.

Mark’s passion for vintage started about 15 years ago. “I started slowly to decorate my house with 19th century furniture.” Mark said that he loves almost everything pre-war. The cars, the trains, the fashion, the films, architecture, but as well the behavior of people.

His website, “The True Gentleman“, is all about how a proper old fashioned gentlemen should behave, how he should be dressed and how he should interact with other people. Mark said that being a true gentleman is a lifestyle to be lived 24 hours a day, it is a behavior, a passion to oneself, to other people, as well a way of thinking and dressing.

Mark belongs to a history group called the “Historical Consultancy 30-45”. Which is a historical advice service about life in the first half of the 20th century and especially the years 1930 – 1945. Mark also belongs to “Club Interbellum” (The interbellum is the period between two wars). This club is for Nostalgists (people who put their nostalgic feelings into practice) and for anyone that are interested in the decades of the 20‘s, 30‘s, and 40‘s. Besides those historical eras, Mark is also fascinated with the Victorian period.

This true gentleman also has an eye for fashion and style. He describes his vintage style as “old-fashioned“, but not conservative. “My style is pre- war from 1900 till 1940”. We asked Mark what is his favorite period for fashion. “Very hard to say. Something more Victorian, something 1930's. But I think the end of the 1930's I love the most,” which by the way, is the style he wears daily. Mark will never leave his home without his hat.

Mark considers himself to be a Timewarpian. “Yes indeed, I do noting else. I never watch news, I never listen to modern things. You can say I have not much with this modern world today.” His house is decorated in complete 1900‘s styles, as well as some "modern" things like a 1930’s era radio and a gramophone. Mark certainly lives a 100% nostalgic lifestyle!

The types of vintage events that Mark enjoys are anything that has a pre-war theme. He also spends time with his history group where they go to a cinema, spends a weekend at a 1930’s airport , or enjoys listening to old music. “On my free time you can find me always at antique shops, antique streets market. We have here daily in Amsterdam the Waterlooplein market. That is for sure my favorite vintage place.”

We asked Mark If he had a chance to go back in time, what year would that be and why. “I like to start in 1900 just the end of the Victorian time until the time I am 25 years old to be best time ever to go to out in the Jazz Age of the 1920's, and in the 1930's to settle down.”

What would you like to bring back from the past? “For sure the fashion. The old fashion just make the people more beautiful then they are in modern clothes. We lost a lot from the pre-war period.” And besides the old fashion clothes Mark believes that we should bring back the old fashion behavior, which would make everything easier in life.

Copyright © 2009-2010 Time Warp Wives

Mark Davids

Contact Information:

Mark's personal website: The True Gentleman

Mark's appearance on Dutch Television Broadcast: Youtube

His Flickr page: Mark's Photos

His Myspace page: Mark's Myspace

Club Interbellum: Club Interbellum Photos

Leonard

2009-01-03T14:04:00.000-08:00

South Florida

"I'm not sure if I can really define a "time warp wife". However what I seem to like best is a woman who lives in the modern world but retains the civility, and ideals of the 'time warp' world."

Writer and columnist Leonard from South Florida describes what his ideal wife would be like. Although Leonard doesn't considers himself a Timewarpian, he appreciates the civility and ideals of the past.

Leonard is from Washington DC, but now resides in South Florida. He works in PR and also as an advertising manager for a real estate investment company. He is also a paid columnist and a writer. “I get dressed up in a suit and tie every day!” he says.

His hobbies are writing, reading, and people watching. He admits that he surfs the web a bit too much. That's how he found our Time Warp Wives website. Leonard said that he enjoys the martini bar/ mohito bar. And that he is hoping to find a good salsa partner. He also likes to travel locally. He'll occasionally visit the casino, or travel to South Beach, Miami. He also attends religious services and likes to spend time with his parents.

We asked Leonard what appeals to him about Time Warp Wives.
“I'm not sure if I can really define a 'time warp wife'. However, what I seem to like best is a woman who lives in the modern world but retains the civility, and ideals of the 'time warp' world. Unfortunately, I usually seem to find uber-feminists. I like independent, well-spoken women. I don't want women to step backwards. I want both women and men to remember manors, and common decency lost from our nations recent past.”

Leonard said that he is attracted to a woman that is both modern and traditional. Then he explained what his ideal wife would be like. “Someone who is not looking for a hero or an escape, or to be completed, just a woman who needs a man, and a mate for life.” Leonard said that as a husband he will offer his honesty, integrity, and loyalty. His best attributes are that he is very patient, entrepreneurial, and he has a great sense of humor. He is also a good cook, and good to kids and pets.

Leonard describes what his dream family life would be like: “A small place in the city, private school for the children, careers for both the wife and husband, with plenty of time for the children.” His family values are to support and sacrifice for wife and children.

We asked Leonard why he considers himself as a future Time Warp Husband. “I live in a modern age, yet embody the best of the past era.”

Leonard's passion for vintage started from his father who collects antique cars, antique radios, and still uses a typewriter. One of Leonard’s favorite vintage finds is his 1930’s tube radio with a lit dial. He turns it on every night. And his favorite vintage style is of the 60’s suits as seen in Madmen on TV.

When asked if he considers himself a Timewarpian he said, “I don't live in the past, but I seek to take the best from it."

Then we asked Leonard if he had a chance to go back in time, what year would that be and why.
“Late 50's-60's. The style, and the time, society was at its intellectual peak.”

Why does he like the 50s and 60s eras?

“OK, there were some bad things about the era, racism, etc, and yet there were so many good things too. Aside from people who chose to dress up and wear a suit and tie and hat, rather than a Megadeth t-shirt and flip flops, there was much more civility. People had a common pride in the nation. It was a time of optimism and not pessimism. Downtowns were booming, cars were works of art. People got dressed up to go to the theater, to go on an airplane, or on train, and to a religious service. In schools, getting good grades was something others looked to in a positive way. Service to the country, and patriotism was considered to be positive. A man could have an agreement with another man on a handshake and not via a lawyer's order. People actually read books and the newspaper objectively. Quite a few things.”

Copyright © 2009-2010 Time Warp Wives

Johanna Öst

2008-12-22T13:29:00.000-08:00

Vallentuna, Sweden

"I've always had this wish to have a 'glamorous' life, which pretty much meant wearing pretty vintagey and princessy outfits all the time, but I never felt like I could give up all the other great clothes that didn't fit that aesthetic. Then my style sort of naturally evolved into that ideal anyway."

Swedish artist Johanna Öst loves clothes, beauty, and vintage fashion. She started "The Wardrobe Project," to clean out her wardrobe and go through all her clothes that she rarely used. Johanna incorporated every garment into a great outfit, in which she would take a picture of. Now she has a catalog of great outfits for inspiration.

This self-taught Swedish artist finds inspiration in her life from anything that is beautiful, exiting, or mysterious. Johanna's Öst dreamy and unique arts and illustrations are known all over the world. "I've been drawing and painting all my life. All kids draw and I did too, and I never stopped. In my art I'm very inspired by folklore, mythology, and fairy tales," Johanna added.

Johanna speaks fluent Swedish and English, and a bit of French. She loves toys, mainly vintage. She is especially a huge fan of Barbie, which she herself collects. Johanna also loves making things, weather it's painting, sculpting, various crafts or anything creative she can make with her hands.

Besides being a very creative artist, Johanna is also a university history student. She's been going to the history candidate program at university for about a year now. She has also taken a short university class on historical fashion.

Her interest in history started as a kid. "I was especially into kings and royalty, and Gustaf III, the late 18th century Swedish king, has always intrigued me." Johanna's biggest history interest are the 18th century, mainly the 1770s, -80s and early -90s. She spends a lot of time researching those times and especially the fashions. She even makes her own 18th century clothes and sometimes she goes to such events.

We asked Johanna what her dream job would be. "I would love to be able to live more comfortably off my art and illustration work, but I'd also love working at a museum with historical clothing. Ideally I'd do both."

Johanna loves clothes, beauty, and vintage fashion. She said that she loves lots of other styles as well, but that she feels the the vintage style is the ultimate for her. As long as she can remember Johanna always loved looking through old magazines and pictures and the typical glamorous 50's and 60's bombshell has always been something of an aesthetic ideal to her.

When she described her vintage style Johanna said that she mostly wears 50's and 60's styles. She especially wears early 60's, which is the perfect mix of the 50's and 60's. She does occasionally though wear something more of the 40's. She also adores the 80's fashion, although she doesn't wear as much 80's styles anymore. And, as she mentioned earlier, she loves the fashion of the later part of the 18th century.

The Wardrobe Project is a photo catalog of Johanna's outfits. She started the project to clean out her wardrobe. Johanna explained, "I had so much stuff and some things rarely ever got worn, so I decided to go through it all, incorporate every garment into a great outfit, and take a picture. That way I would use it all, discover which things actually didn't look good in any outfit and should therefore go, and I'd have a catalogue of great outfits for inspiration."

Some of her outfits featured in the project are either inherited, given to her by friends, or bought at flea markets, thrift stores, ebay, or online stores. Some of it is just regular clothes from regular stores that just happen to work with the look. To achieve her retro look, Johanna sets her hair with pincurls and then hairsprays it. On her personal blog, Johanna explains in details her basic makeup products that she wears for her photo shoot.

Her living room/kitchen/dining area is decorated in a mid-century inspired style (pictures below). The sideboard, sofa, and chairs in the living room are all vintage. The coffee table and the other sideboard beneath the window are both from IKEA's "Stockholm" series, which is mid-century inspired. "We have a 60's sofa set and a bunch of other vintage or vintage reproduction furniture. The dining area is inspired by american diners. My vintage toys and dolls are also displayed all over the place."

Johanna doesn't considers herself a Timewarpian. "I believe that things are always getting better. I'm into the aesthetics and pop culture of the past, not the morals. I think I'm living in the best time possible. And I would have missed so much great music and movies if I actually wanted to live in an earlier time!"

We asked Johanna what year she would visit if she could travel back in time.

"It would be a tough choice between the 1700's and the 1980's, but I'd have to go with 1785 so I could see what things actually looked like, and take tons of photos."

Some of her favorite things:
Movie: Gone with the Wind. "It's been my favorite since the first time I saw it as a kid. It's just the best. The story, the actors, the costumes, everything is amazing."

Her favorite place in the world: Disneyland! And being at home.

Her favorite vintage website: http://miss-vintage.com/

When asked Johanna how would she describe herself, "A creative hermit who loves beautiful things."

Copyright © 2008-2010 Time Warp Wives

Johanna's Photo Album:

Johanna

Contact Information:

Johanna's Art and Portfolio Website. Here you can also purchase her art work.http://johannaost.com/

Her makeup review post from her Personal Blog: Johanna's Blog

18th Century Blog: http://18thcenturyblog.com/

Jenny The Retro Housewife

2008-12-13T13:26:00.000-08:00

State of Illinois

“I’m sure there are several different opinions of what a retro housewife is, but for me its many things. It's deeper than just liking vintage clothing or objects. It's rejoicing in taking care of your family, it's pride in your home, [in] being a good hostess. It's wanting what is best for your family and knowing that you are the one that can best provide those things that are best.”

Jenny, who authors the Retro Housewife Blog, loves the simplicity of days gone by and strives for that in her life. Although she considers herself a modern retro housewife and is passionate about her roles as housewife and mom, Jenny finds it important to take time to nurture herself and find her own individuality through things that she loves.

This Army wife and mother is orginally from New York. She lives for God and her family, is passionate about housekeeping and child rearing, and believes in old fashion values and morals. Jenny tries to teach her daughter about differences in people and about kindness despite those differences. She also has taught her that words can hurt and that compassion is a quality she already has in abundance. “God is huge in our life, and he guides us every step of the way. We strive for togetherness. It seems like so many families are just doing their own thing these days. They are more like roommates than family”.

Jenny's talents are not limited to being a thrifty and financially frugal housewife. She is also quite creative. She sculpts, draws, paints and is an interior designer. She also loves photography and is a pretty good at it. Jenny related, “when my daughter was a baby I would take a lot of photos of her and have them developed at Walmart. I soon learned to bring my camera with me because they thought they were professional and wouldn’t let me print them."

Jenny comes from a long line of artists. She is a descendant of Lillian Miller, a famous painter who specialized in Japanese art. Her grandfather was a sketch artist and carver. Her father paints, sculpts, draws, and has the ability to quickly teach himself to play most instruments. It’s no wonder that this housewife's creativity comes naturally.

Jenny admits that she is a neat freak and that it helps in being a retro housewife because cleaning doesn’t feel like a chore. “I love everything in its place. On the other hand, that can be a negative too, because anytime things are out of place, I feel like my house is a wreck!”

She also loves to cook. Her daughter has been helping her since she was a year old. “Some days we just get up and want to make cookies so that’s what we will do. These are the memories that will stick with her.”

This passionate housewife and mother has had to face one of her biggest challenges, to which many housewives and mothers can relate - monotony. Jenny explained, “We love being together, but you really do have to do your own thing once in awhile, especially as a mom. Being a mom and a wife is important, but you have to remember that there is an individual inside and if you don’t nurture that person you will disappear and become quite dull”.

When Jenny’s husband got out of the Army and they moved to Illinois, she went through a few months of feeling worthless and boring. Jenny was used to doing it all and felt guilty if she asked her husband to do anything. “I had gone from being a leader of my husband’s company Family Readiness Group, meeting with higher ups in his battalion, dealing with the family members, solving problems, etc., to being stuck in the house all day everyday with no friends and a two year old who, at that time, they said was autistic. I just felt like I had no clue who I was, I was lost. I never had a break from my daughter, I was never, ever alone.”

Jenny then started to take steps to take care of herself. Jenny bought herself a membership at a gym that had a daycare. She would spend an hour or two each day doing Yoga or Pilates while her daughter happily played with other children her age. At home once or twice a week, Jenny would leave her daughter downstairs with her husband, put the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs, take a bath, give herself a facial, and read while she soaked. “I did something that was for me and that saved me. When I saw the positive effects taking care of myself gave my family, I started to do more for myself. You need to take time for yourself each and every day, even if its only 20 minutes.”

Jenny also found herself through her blog. “At first I didn’t tell anyone that I was starting it, that way no one I knew could read it and know it was me. I wrote from my heart and with honesty, no fear of hurting anyone’s feelings. As comments came in and I got to see that other people appreciated my thoughts and there are people out there like me. That was priceless.”

To women who have lost their individuality Jenny advised, “Fight for it! I know how confusing it is. I mean how in the world do you figure out who you are? Take a notebook and get away by yourself, write down your perfect life, your perfect work, no limitations. For instance, mine was getting a massage once a month, having a tiffany blue kitchen, taking a class, having hot stew on a cold winters day, learning a new craft.” Jenny ended up with a list about a mile long. And what she learned was that even though some of those things in her list, were not possible to do because of her circumstances, many of the small things were and that they added up to a big part of her life. “So what I couldn’t achieve, I kept as a dream, a goal. What I could achieve, I started to work on," she said.

Her Retro Housewife Blog was Jenny’s first experience blogging. She started this particular blog back in May of 2008. At that time she was learning to clean and live without chemicals, because of her daughter’s sensitivity. Her intention was for her blog to be about going green. Then as Jenny started to write she found that she had other things to say and people were actually reading , which still amazes her. So The Retro Housewife Blog as we see it now was born. “My blog is actually a hodge podge of things. One day you may come on and find a recipe or a book review, the next day it may just be my opinion on a subject. Sometimes I run series, for example I recently ran one that featured daily videos on how to apply pin up make up. I like to post things right out of my vintage housewife manuals so my readers can see right into the past, see what housewives were told, what was expected.”

In one of her posts for her Retro Housewife blog, Jenny describes what her perfect town would be. “A perfect place for me would be a place of simplicity where women stayed home with their children. Their children could roam the neighborhoods playing without the fear of abduction. New neighbors would be welcomed with a plate of cookies. Dinner parties would be the norm and people would take pride in the appearance of their homes as well as themselves.” As a side note, after Jenny had described her perfect town, she realized that she had created a Stepford town.

Jenny’s passion for vintage has always been there. Back in the fifties, Jenny’s father who was then a teenager belonged to a band. So she grew up with him teaching her the great songs from the fifties. In addition she also grew up watching shows like: I Dream of Jeannie, I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, The Andy Griffith Show. She also enjoys old films like, Roman Holiday and Hitchcock films. Her favorite artists are Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, and Audrey Hepburn. Jenny gets inspired by her collection of vintage cookbooks, vintage aprons, table cloths, and older TV shows and movies.

Although Jenny doesn’t consider herself a Timewarpian, she admits that part of her is. “I enjoy the comforts of modern age too much to give them up. I guess you could say I’m a Timewarpian Hybrid."

Jenny enjoys the clothing, the cooking, the books and cookbooks, the shows, the etiquette, the values and morals. And she strives to incorporate that into her life both in how she looks and in her home. Jenny then added, “I think balance between the two worlds is a good thing.”

We asked Jenny what year she would visit if she could travel back in time.

“I don’t think I could pick a specific year to go back to. I could narrow it down to the WWII and post WWII era. I know it was a hard time with the war. My own husband has been to war twice now for a year each time, so I have a taste of what it would be like. Its such a huge part of American history and how amazing would it have been to live through that. It seems like Americans really banded together, working together toward a common cause. Post WWII is because it was a time of hope and joy. The part I don’t think I could handle would be the inequality between the races, it breaks my heart to know how minorities were treated back then.”

She shared with us her goals: "I was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease. So I'm currently working on a gluten free cookbook. And I'm hoping [to get] published in a couple of years."

Her short term goals are: Work out 3-5 days a week. Eat well. Take care of her appearance. Then she added, “bite my tongue when I don’t have anything positive to say.”

Jenny

Contact Information:

Update: Jenny changed her blog address to fit her theme. Below is her new address.

The Retro Housewife Blog:

http://ahappyhomeisaretrohome.blogspot.com/

Joanne Massey

2008-11-13T13:05:00.000-08:00

Birmingham, England.

“We shy away from the modern world because people are so quick to judge and ridicule you for being different. We live in a free world and should be able to do as we please. It’s just something that I have loved and been into as long as I can remember. I was just born at the wrong time!”

When Joanne Massey aka Lola Lamour was approached by the producers of the “Time Warp Wives” to be part of the documentary, she was promised lots of coverage of her singing career as Lola Lamour. Instead the show concentrated on the housewife aspect of her life and nothing more. Joanne was not only disappointed but also felt misrepresented in the documentary and so she wants to set the record straight as to who she really is.

“I am just an ordinary girl from Birmingham, England,” Joanne said when she first described herself. When she talked about her family life Joanne mentioned that she has a great family, that she was bought up by a wonderful mom and dad in a very loving and protective environment, that they taught her right from wrong and good from bad, and that her family is always there for her. Then she added, “I am a total Daddy’s girl”.

Her Sunday afternoons were spent watching old films with her dad and her brother and Summer holidays were spent watching Elvis films with her mom. “My brother was a huge influence on me as he read lots of books on the old stars and was always full of amazing facts. He was older than me and had money to buy records. He used to get a lot of old stuff that I would then listen to.” In those days there was no Internet so Joanne would constantly bombard her mom and dad with questions about films, film stars, singers, fashions, and the old days.

As a girl, Joanne had attended an all-girls grammar school and got good grades. She said that she never really had much ambition, though. “I just wanted to marry somebody like Rock Hudson, have a Dachshund and be as good a person as Doris Day.”

She considers herself to be a very lucky person. “I have a good life. A fabulous supportive husband, he is my Rock! I have two Dachshunds. I exceeded my expectations!” Joanne also said that she has a terrific circle of friends. “We are very close and can rely on each other for anything.”

Joanne said that she is quite happy with the simple things in life. “To quote the song,” she says, “’The best things in life are free’, I believe that to be very true.” She also loves animals. She gets a lot of pleasure from country walks and feeding the birds and deer that come in her garden. “It makes me smile each day to see them.” Joanne says that a perfect day would be to be at home with her husband Kevin and the hounds. Maybe a walk, some baking, and then snuggling on the sofa, watching a good old movie.

Joanne has three jobs and she enjoys them all. She works part-time in the shop at a National Trust property near where she lives. “Its a great place to work. Its right on my doorstop and I can cycle to work in the Summer on my 1930's push bike! My colleagues at the shop are good fun and lovely people. I also get to meet and chat with the customers and many locals come in for a chat.”

On some weekends she also works for the lord who lives at the property, which is her second job. Joanne said that it has been a great experience for her working there. She also had worked for Lord Patrick Lichfield up until his death a few years ago. “I enjoyed every minute of it. He was a true English gentleman and I miss him.”

Joanne would work at his house whenever he would have a house party, which was every other weekend in the Autumn as it is shooting season. “I was and am a maid. I do the rooms, serve dinner and help in the kitchen. Pack and unpack for guests. It was one of the best experiences of my life as I met many rich and famous people.” Since Joanne began her singing career, which is her third job, she hasn’t been able to work there much.

Her singing career began as a dream. “When I was young, I would watch all the old stars singing in the movies and dreaming that I could be like that one day. I never really thought that I could sing but I would just sing along to Ella Fitzgerald and Doris Day.” The turning point came when she was reaching the milestone age of 30. She decided that she should do something about her dream. “I had always lacked any confidence and was unsure about my ability. I mentioned it to Kevin and he bought me a CD for my birthday with some backing tracks on for me to have a go at singing with them.”

One evening, her friends Martin and Deb, also from the Time Warp Wives show, had come over. Joanne hid in the dining room while they were in the living room and sang "Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree" to see if they thought she could sing. Her friends said that it sounded good so she plucked up the courage to join her local Amateur Dramatics group. “Again, I nearly chickened out but my ‘rock’, Kevin, made me go....he drove me there and practically pushed me in the door.” This turned out to be a good move for her. Firstly, it enabled Joanne to meet her best friend in the whole world, Nikki. “She is quite a bit younger than me but has a great sense of humor and loves anything retro. We hit it off right away and have been best friends ever since.” Secondly, it gradually gave Joanne the confidence that she lacked. Joanne then landed her first solo gig, which required her to sing "Secret Love" by Doris Day. In the next show Joanne had a main part. She eventually worked up to lead roles. The highlight of her career came when she got to play her dream part of "Calamity Jane".

Meanwhile, her friends Martin and Deb saw an ad taken out in their local paper by a big band looking for a singer. Of course, they thought of Joanne. “I felt so silly when I called the band leader,” she says.

He asked what key she sings in.

“I don't know!” she replied.

He asked if she read music.

“No!”

He asked how old she was. She was 31.

“He was nearly putting the phone down and I jumped in by telling him I knew all the old songs. He fired loads of song titles at me and I said I knew them all. He agreed to give me a go and I got in!”

Joanne spent several weekends attending 40's and 50's events. She would always listen to a friend of hers, Paul Harper. He is a natural entertainer, singer. and comedian. “I mentioned that I had started singing and he said that I could get up and have a go with him. After that, it all sort of snowballed and I got bookings coming in. Me and my brother decided that the name ‘Joanne Massey’ was far too boring for a singer. I picked ‘Lola’ and he picked ‘Lamour‘.

Now she spends nearly every weekend at an event somewhere in the country. “I mainly sing at wartime events, on railway stations, on old trams, in disused airfields, at hangar dances, village halls, I have even done arenas! I do many events along side Paul Harper. He has really helped me develop my act. We have fun together and do some duets and a bit of comedy. It keeps things fresh.”

Singing has been something that Joanne loves doing. “You can let out a lot of emotion in a song, happy or sad. I love to entertain people and its such a buzz if people are enjoying it. Its a great feeling when you see the residents enjoying the show and singing along.” Some places where Joanne performs are old folks’ homes, sheltered housing, and stroke clubs. She also performs for people with Alzheimer’s. She said that it’s so rewarding to get a reaction from people who cannot express themselves very well. And that it always amazes her how people who are suffering from memory loss can still remember words to songs from 60 years ago.

Joanne has appeared on several TV shows, including a house moving program and a Doris Day documentary, which she was very pleased with. The Time Warp Wives documentary, on which, Joanne, her friends, and their respective husbands appeared, turned out to be a disappointment for her. She expressed her sentiments when she said, “I feel that we were all misrepresented in the TWW documentary, not in all aspects of our lives, but definitely our working lives and our social lives.”

The producers came to visit them and spoke to them all about how they wanted to make a program that showed their exciting lifestyle, how it was interesting and fun. “The lady producing the show was interested in the fact that people chose to live in the past. After the initial interviews, the producer told them that she wanted to concentrate on the women as they were the stronger characters and had a lot to say. She seemed genuinely interested in the fact that we all work and also manage to keep house and keep up our appearance. We were all strong women, as were the women of the time, especially wartime women who kept the home fires burning, etc! I was promised lots of coverage for ‘Lola’, and so we agreed to do it.”

When filming finished, they were called to say that they were changing the title from Time Warp Women to Time Warp Wives. “This was obviously what she must have wanted all along.”

Then the producer came to Joanne’s house to show the final documentary to her and her friends. “Tea and cakes on hand of course!,” Joanne added.

After they watched the show Joanne told the producer that she was really disappointed in the final product as she had hardly mentioned her singing career. “There was no advertising for Lola. We filmed some great footage at 40's events of me singing and lots of people in period clothing that she left out. I was also angry that she had just concentrated on the housewife aspect when there was so much more she could have shown.”

Joanne then added, “Don't get me wrong, I do love to keep house, bake and be a housewife, but there is certainly more to me than that. This didn't come across at all.” She then had emailed the producer of the program since it was finished and expressed her disappointment in how it turned out. “I trusted her to show us all as we really are. I also told her how upset Di and Deb were.”

The producer expressed how sorry she was they felt that way, though she indicated that they had lots of good feedback.

There has been a mixed reaction to the Time Warp Wives documentary. Some people loved it and some hated it. Most people that Joanne has seen at events where she sings have said that they loved it and that they really enjoyed the program. “Older people especially said that it bought back lots of lovely memories. That makes me feel so much better.”

On the other hand, people that know Joanne have all said that it wasn't a true portrayal of her at all. They also thought that the documentary was inaccurate, staged, and quite amusing. “My friends all know that I run around all the time doing so many things, traveling all over the country, always busy. I don't just stay home cleaning my floor! If I have a day off, I love to bake, keep my house nice and have tea ready for Kevin, but there is definitely more to me than that!”

There were also many people on the Internet and various critics in newspapers who said that Joanne and her friends were like the Stepford Wives, and that they had their heads in the sand. “We were slagged off by womens’ lib people and lots of forums on the internet were saying that we were silly. All these things were very hurtful. When you have been depicted incorrectly, you feel so frustrated. We all spent days on forums justifying ourselves. [If] I did choose to stay at home and look after my house and husband, then that would be my choice. What’s wrong with that? Nothing! Just because we choose to wear the clothes and surround ourselves with things from past eras doesn't make us freaks. Everyone has their own style and taste, this just happens to be ours. [It goes to] show that people are less considerate these days and have no manners.”

But, Joanne concedes, “I know that you can't please all of the people all of the time.”

Joanne has been a "Timewarpian" since she can remember. “It’s a complete passion of mine and something that I have loved since I was a child watching those films and singing along with Doris Day!”

Joanne had embraced this lifestyle ever since she was a teenager and started to develop her own style, instead of having to wear what her mom chose for her. She then started going to 50's gigs and then 40's gigs. “I have only had boyfriends who also shared my passion and when I met Kevin we dreamt of our ideal home. We got married and then were free to buy lots of household items and furniture. I have never been into anything else!”

We asked Joanne why she loved retro things. She said, “There is so much style to everything, clothes, decor, cars. Everything modern just seems bland to me in comparison. I couldn't imagine driving anything but my Ford Anglia. Our house to me is so bright and cheery. Color everywhere!” And the fact that Joanne hides modern things away, because it doesn't go with anything of her decor. “It would look out of place to have a microwave on the side in my kitchen. Its only the same as somebody having a home decorated in a Victorian style not wanting an Ikea sideboard!”

A good suit, nipped in at the waist, is a favorite of hers. Joanne loves to feel ladylike. She doesn't go out of the house without her make-up. “My hair became red after watching the film Cover Girl with Rita Hayworth!” Joanne said.

When asked if she wore jeans, she said, “Yes, I do wear jeans, but they are original 1950s ‘Jeanies’, like a Capri pant style with a side zip.”

However, Joanne doesn’t own any sports wear at all. Nothing made of fleece and no trainers. She does, though, have some Converse pumps and some wellies for walking the dogs. “I do sometimes buy new clothes but only if they have some retro styling”, she added.

Joanne has been inspired all her life by so many old stars, old films, and singers. Her two favorite stars that she mentioned were Doris Day, which is her main inspiration, and James Stewart from A Wonderful Life. Joanne mentioned that all of Doris Days films are "feel good films".

“If I ever feel down, I just listen or watch Doris and it brightens my day.” Doris Day has also dedicated her life to looking after animals.

Joanne told us that modern technology is a good and bad thing. “The improvements in health care and research are all wonderful. Mobile phones are great for an emergency, and computers are a must in today’s society. I don't know how I coped without one.” Joanne buys her vintage clothes from America from the comfort of her own home. She can source things to decorate her home with, and research anything she wants to know about old movies. Joanne’s thoughts about our modern world are, “It’s good these days that women have more of a choice in life and can do whatever they want . Also, the ability to travel and see the world [sic]. You can experience a lot more in life as things are more accessible and more achievable.”

The one thing about the modern technology that Joanne doesn’t like is that people don't communicate in the same way anymore. People just text each other instead of actually speaking or writing letters. The Internet also has lots of bad things, like pornography. Also, children nowadays spend too much time playing computer games, which is full of violence. “What happened to playing outside with your mates? The way we used to play when we were young taught us about friendship, and I think we also learnt skills that help us as we get older. My husband Kevin used to paint things and make go carts. This is probably why he is so handy nowadays.”

Besides that, Joanne doesn't like the modern fashions, the cars, the films, or the music. She just hates how society has changed. “People are less likely to look out for each other. People just seem to worry about themselves. What has happened to community spirit? I hate how people have lack of respect for themselves, their neighbors, their country. You can't even tell somebody off for defacing your property as you are likely to get kicked to death or stabbed. I know there has always been crime, but not to such an extent.”

The only modern TV show that Joanne loves to watch is Ugly Betty. “It puts across a great message. Betty is supposedly ‘ugly’ just because she looks different to them . Betty is always saving the day and is so moral and thoughtful. You just love her to bits. She is the best person in the show, showing you don't have to be beautiful to be beautiful. Oh, its great!”

We asked Joanne what year would she have preferred to live in and why. “That’s a hard question. I think that I would maybe like to have been born in about 1925. That way, I could have lived through all my favourite decades!”

If Joanne could go back in time she would choose the year 1953. “I just love the film Genivieve. Its in color and was made in Britain in 1953. Everything looks so beautiful. I just want to be there.”

Joanne described what a perfect world would be. “A perfect world would be a peaceful world where people looked out for each other. No wars, no crime. Love thy neighbour! People would be happy because they had the sun in the morning and the moon at night. Doris Day would be president!! Just like living in an episode of The Waltons.”

When asked to describe herself, Joanne said, “Sensitive, quite stubborn and fun-loving!”

Copyright © 2008-2010 Time Warp Wives

Photo Album:

Lola Lamour

Contact Information:

"I do all sorts of gigs all over the country, from festivals to weddings. I sing anything that I love.....so that is generally songs from the 20's through to the 50's."

My rates are reasonable and anyone looking to hire me can find me at:
www.myspace.com/misslolalamour

Email me at: misslolalamour@yahoo.co.uk.

Candice De Ville

2008-11-05T12:39:00.000-08:00

Melbourne, Australia

“I believe that to a great extent you create your own reality and can choose to
live in a more beautiful world, even if you do spend most of your time chasing
after two small children.”

Author of the popular blog "Super Kawaii Mama" and hostess of her own vintage hair tutorials. Candice De Ville, a wife, a mother and freelance writer has a personal mission to introduce more glamour to the world, particularly the world of the stay-at-home mom.

Candice lives in Melbourne, Australia with her two beautiful daughters, aged four and one, as well as her husband, two dogs, a nursery of fish, and an acre of gardens. Aside from being a very busy stay-at-home mom, she also moonlights as a vintage and pin up model as well as a freelance writer and general socialite.

Her days begin about 5.30 a.m when her eldest pokes her in the eye to request breakfast. “So the first part of the morning is breakfast, housework, emails, and then off to the gym. I arrive home about 10.30 when the youngest goes to bed and the eldest needs to be entertained, lunch made, more housework or gardening done", she added. Her afternoons are usually filled with shopping, sewing, or crafting while the baby sleeps again.

You may wonder when Candice does much of her writing. She explains, “When the baby is sleeping and the eldest is playing.” After the children are all cleaned and feed, it is dinner for the Mr and herself which is usually followed by either heading out on the town for a social engagement or just collapsing on the couch to catch up with her favorite blogs.

Candice decided to start her blog after a confrontation with a woman at the gym, who verbally attacked her for looking the way she does. “Instead of washed out and haggard, I decided to spread my message of feeling good through daily glamour in a more public forum. I believe that to a great extent you create your own reality and can choose to live in a more beautiful world, even if you do spend most of your time chasing after two small children. I’ve now been blogging for nine months and have a following into the thousands which was a huge surprise to me!”, she added.

In her blog “Super Kawaii Mama“, Candice concentrates on her own take on fashion, style and many of her inspirations. “I’ve made it my personal mission to introduce more glamour to the world, particularly the world of the stay at home mum."

Her blog also features examples of her daily outfits, health and beauty tips, styling recommendations, style icons and inspirations, as well as discussing the ethics of fashion in a wider sense. In addition to her blog Candice is currently authoring her first book and looking forward to many more fashion filled adventures.

Her vintage hair tutorials came from a desire to connect with her readers. Candice wanted to demonstrate that “looking good is not all about having a lot of money or a team of stylists behind you.”
Most of the styles she started out with began as happy accidents that she refined. “I have since been studying different vintage looks I’d like to achieve and figuring out short hand ways to achieve the same styles with the wonder of modern products.” For example, Candice recently did a two part tutorial showing how to do a 1960’s inspired half up do without any backcombing. Then she got a little more creative and discovered a way to create a Beehive style also without backcombing either. Which was very clever.

Candice grew up watching old movies and always wanted her world to be as glamorous as the one on screen. “My favorite movie would have to be Mame with Rosalind Russell. The costumes, the opulent sets and most of all the larger than life character of Auntie Mame, who shows me that there is a wonderful life to be had when you are older. Its not all about being young and beautiful to have a great life,”

We asked her what her favorite vintage style was. She explained, “I find I romanticize about the 1930’s to the early 1950’s the most of any vintage era. This is probably due to the Golden Era of Hollywood at that time, combined with the idyllic advertising of the 50’s.”
About those Golden Years of Hollywood movies, Candice said that she can watch one and literally leave the theatre feeling like a different person inside.

She has also been collecting vintage clothing since she was about twelve years old. “Beautiful vintage clothing really speaks to me. It is as if it carries an energy from its heyday and allows me to create the most fantastic scenarios in my mind, that I can help but play out." Her vintage clothing comes from relatives, friends, Ebay, thrift stores, and specialty vintage stores. Her personal favorite store is Circa Vintage in Melbourne. She was also very fortunate to have a grandmother who kept all ofher significant pieces from the 1940’s onwards and gave them all to her. “Heaven!" Candice exclaimed.

Candice doesn’t consider herself to be a Timewarpian because she values too many developments from the modern age. However she did say, “I pick and choose what suits me to create my own version of the perfect reality.”

She also mentioned that she was quite concerned that today’s women don’t have an understanding of how fortunate they are. “The idea that feminism liberated women and now we can “have it all”, is generally abused... I respect the developments that have been made but also see that, unlike our predecessors, I now have a choice in what “it all” is. And that is why choosing to stay at home with my children, or cook for my husband is a privilege, because it is a choice. I do, however, have a lot of ideas that could be considered old fashioned, but I consider them timeless. For example, I am very keen to see my girls study deportment, grooming, and all sorts of home economics subjects. It’s all about balance.”

We asked Candice what year she would visit if she could travel back in time.

“That is a tricky question as there are so many aspects of the past that would be very difficult to live with. Social inequality of different races and sexes would be hard to take as would the absence of today’s medical developments. But with all that said, I think I would most love to travel to that wonderful space in time between the two wars, for all the technological, artistic and social glamour of it all.”

When asked to describe herself, Candice said, “a dramatic, glamouros, eccentric!”

Update:

Candice De Ville

Contact Information:

Super Kawaii Mama Blog: http://www.superkawaiimama.com.au

Vintage Hair Tutorials: http://au.youtube.com/user/superkawaiimama

Marzipan Jones

2008-10-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

Western Massachusetts

“I've learned that the homemakers back then were some tough broads! You had to be in order to get everything done in such a stylish and gracious manner without expecting a salary in return.”

Star of “My 50’s Life”, Marzipan Jones is living as a 1950’s housewife for a whole year. Her most difficult challenge is not being a housewife or a mom, but rather is that she has to be made up everyday; dresses, stockings and heels while she performs her housewife duties.

Marzipan lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband and their 4 year old little girl. She is originally from upmarket suburb, West Hartford, Connecticut which rank the 76th in Money Magazine's 2008 Best Places to Live.“ As you can imagine it's fairly well-off and fairly preppy. I was definitely a square peg!”

Her husband is a screenwriter and the creative director of Mirage Studios. “He thinks about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles all day long. He's stuck in the 80's while I'm stuck in the 50's!” Marzipan is not only a homemaker but she is also freelancer writer and a poet. Her works have been published in many literary journals.

We asked Marzipan what is the 50’s year housewife. “The 50's year housewife is Marzipan Jones, my alter ego. I'm basically living out the next year as a stereotypical 50's housewife and following the golden rules of such wifedom.”

Marzipan Jones had been meaning to conduct a year-long experiment for a long time and always had the idea of “doing a 50's year” in the back of her mind. “I've always been extremely interested in 50's pop culture: the music, the literature, the films, and especially the clothes! And as a feminist who respects a woman's choice to stay home, I always found the 50's notion of a June Cleaver-type to be both intriguing and a bit frightening."
So when Jones found herself staying at home with her child, she thought, why not do it all the way?

She started her social experiment on her daughter's first day of this school year, September 3rd, 2008. “The first day was the toughest! I was a lot less relaxed then about the idea of a 50's wife and got up rearing to go like a frantic squirrel. I coaxed myself into thinking I had to look completely "done" by the time I ate breakfast. Now that I've watched "I Love Lucy" I know that women didn't always look perfect when getting their kids ready for school". She also ran ragged that day trying to spend every minute performing housewifely chores. “I space my time out better now and as a result am not as sore when I wake up in the morning," she added.

When asked what were her 50’s housewife Rules she said, “I can't use any kitchen appliances that wasn't invented in the 50's. I can't listen to cds or watch movies if they're not on the tube. I can only consume that which was created prior to or in the 50's. I get all my news from my husband." Marzipan is also not allowed to partake of any modern media including newspapers, magazines, books, movies, or music. She has allowed herself though to use the internet when it relates to the project or to her writing career. “As my readers have assured me, helping out with the family finances is more 50's housewife than not!"

There are some exceptions to the rules. Marzipan is allowed to use equipment if it relates to her daughter's health or entertainment. “I use a nebulizer for her asthma and I will let her watch dvds or listen to her "They Might be Giants" cds. I tried making her into a 50's kid for a few days and let's just say she went a little crazy." Marzipan does try to incorporate more "retro" activities into her daughters days like; pumpkin picking, hayrides, painting, reading books, playing with puppets, and playing board games.

In her 50's Year experiment Marzipan also has to dress according to the fashions of the time: heels, stockings, garters, pointy bra, skirts, dresses, sweaters, gloves, hats. “So far the pointy bra has been a bust (no pun intended) and I'm hoping to find one that actually fits!"

We asked her what were her 50’s housewife duties and schedule like. “The home has become the central part of my identity so my duties are cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, anything that has to do with the cleanliness of my home except that which is traditionally man's work: garbage, yard, handyman work. And of course, caring for my daughter."

The month of October 2008, Marzipan had broken her foot, so her schedule was thrown off. Her schedule prior to her foot incident consisted of waking up at 7am, fixing her daughter’s breakfast, getting dressed, taking her daughter to school, and cramming in as many chores as possible in the 2 1/2 hours while her daughter was gone.

Marzipan's Weekly Chore Schedule is:

Monday: dust, vacuum, and mop 1st floor.

Tuesday: vacuum and dust basement.

Wednesday: vacuum and dust 2nd floor.

Thursday: laundry day

Friday: clean bathrooms

Included are the other chores that go along with a day: toting her daughter to playdates, cleaning up after 2 cats and her daughter, making meals, cleaning dishes, and generally tidying up. “Sometimes finding the time to incorporate the chores is a chore in itself!" she said.

I also try to read 50's magazines during the day when I get a moment, just to feel "in touch" with the times and to garner sartorial or social inspiration.

Marzipan said the easiest thing about the 50’s experiment has been the cleaning. “I do enjoy it and do feel much better knowing my house isn't a mess!" Though the most difficult thing that she said about her social experiment has been the pressure to look "done" while she is cleaning. “Hose get torn, garters slip, and I've even ripped a few dressed from bending. I suppose I'm still not used to wearing tailored clothing while I stretch!"

Another difficult aspect has been her husband's reception of the new 50's self. “He loves to cook and before this project we split the household chores equally. It's funny but he actually enjoys doing these things so when I tried to take them away from him he didn't like it one bit. In fact, we were having so many arguments about my taking over that I eventually let him do his own laundry and ironing." I figure it's more 50's housewife of me to let him do whatever will make him happy. After all, that's my purpose, to make my family as content and comfy as possible.

We asked Marzipan what she have learn so far about your 50‘s experience.
I've learned that the homemakers back then were some tough broads! You had to be in order to get everything done in such a stylish and gracious manner without expecting a salary in return. I also lend my own role as mother and wife more value for some reason. Modern society doesn't really appreciate work that has no monetary receipt. People are often valued according to how much money they make. I struggled with this as a freelance writer making much, much less than her husband. This throwback into 50's magazines and ideas about motherhood hasn't made me want to give up non-wifely pursuits, but it has helped in not making me feel unfeminist or like a failure for not having a "real" job."

Her blog “My 50’s Life” documents some of what is going on in her day-to-day life as a 50's housewife. She also keeps a diary where she jots down notes about her experiences and some of these get transferred into the blog. “Sometimes I post about aspects of 50's pop culture that I also find interesting or amusing such as the whole duck and cover idea as well as retro food-related pieces."

Marzipan have a passion for any music that is raw and visceral which brought her to Billie Holiday and Chet Baker. She also fell in love with torch singers of the 30's and 40's like Ivie Anderson and that led me to 50's singers like Lena Horne, Rosemary Clooney, and Julie London. "These dames had so much class, glamour, and spunk that popular modern singers (Madeleine Peyroux and Nellie McKay excluded) just couldn't compare to. I also really enjoyed the way they dressed. In a time of belly-baring tops and low-slung jeans, I loved the throwback to a more mysterious look," she added.

When asked to describe her vintage style. “I know that as a 50's housewife I'm supposed to wear mostly shirtwaist dresses but I can't help loving cardigans and skirts for every day. They can be both flirty and demure depending on how you walk in them or what shoes you pair with what. Her 50's make-up consists of liquid foundation, loose powder, eye-shadow in brown or white, black eyeliner, black mascara, and lipstick in either pink or red. “I love Revlon's 'Cherries in the Snow', a classic!"

Regarding her hair, it's naturally wavy so she doesn't need to curl all that often, “I do curl for special occasions like a party or going to dinner. I usually use bobby pins to give it some volume or I wear a headband for a more prim effect. Sometimes when I'm feeling a bit more 40s I wear Victory Rolls."

The 50’s social experiment has given Marzipan more self-esteem when it comes to her abilities as a mother and wife. “I know how to bake a cake from scratch now and the right way to darn socks which doesn't seem like much but little things do somehow round a person out,” she added.

We asked her what advice would she give to anyone that want to do this retro experiment. “Brace yourself! Especially if you're a stereotypically modern woman who loves her microwave and take-out! Oh, and make sure you have the right wardrobe for the part beforehand. I can't tell you how many times I've looked at my closet in a panic because I don't have enough to wear!"

Copyright © 2008-2010 Time Warp Wives

Marzipan Jones

Contact Information:

Youtube Video Blog: http://www.youtube.com/user/Lipstick501
News Release: www.venuszine.com

My 50's Life Video

Regina Ann Moscrop

2008-10-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

San Jacinto, California

“I really like modern kitchen appliances. Love the microwave and crock pot. However, I do hold old fashion values”.

Owner of Bear Flag Republic and Designer of BFR retro shoes, Regina lives on a 20 acre ranch with her husband and their two children . She loves Marlena Dietrich, vintage hats and the Cicada Club in Los Angeles.

Regina describes her family life as very old fashioned in a lot of respects. “We are Christians and believe in the gospel. We believe in putting family first!” Regina’s children learn about the Bible and they learn about family and responsibilities. They have a chore schedule so they learn how to perform in a family. Regina also said that her children are courteous, respectful to adults, and believe in paying it forward (doing good deeds before they are required).

Her children are limited to exposure of TV and Video games. They play lots of card games and board games. Regina’s children know what a Victory garden is and can take care of themselves in an emergency or disaster. They have been taught to cook, use a rifle, and how to use a first aid kit. They also raise chickens and plant gardens and fruit trees at their ranch.

Regina decided to start her business when a friend of hers was getting married on the Queen Mary and it was a period wedding. “ I had the hardest time finding vintage clothes to fit my larger hips. The 40's women were much thinner and less hippy.” The groom for this wedding was a musician so they wanted to get him a radio/CD player that looked vintage but had all the modern elements. But instead it turned into a treasure hunt that ended with them buying antique dishes.

Afterwards, Regina had a knee injury which gave her time to put together a business plan for creating a store where these items would be very much available. The little hunting expedition that began with the Queen Mary wedding led Regina to do something she enjoyed.

Regina’s store the Bear Flag Republic cater to the retro enthusiast. All of her items are based on the 30's 40's and 50's. Her stores sells a variety of items and there is something for everyone. Her best selling item which is her BFR retro shoe, has a 1940' wedge with a sole designed to swing dance in. For women there are retro clothing provided by Bettie Page by Tatyana, Stop Staring, and for the purist Lipstick Vogue which are handmade designs from originals.

For men there are shirts from Classic Steady, Spectator wingtip shoes also with a special suede sole to swing dance in. In fact the Spectator 1 has been featured on Dancing with the Stars. And then there is Pomade from wax based Highlife to Layrite the newest pomade that washes out. In store there are tin signs, night lights, radio's & CD players, knick knacks, & lingerie.

We asked Regina what she likes about her business. “The creative element of taking a picture of an old shoe and turning it into a BFR shoe. I love the work, the things I have learned, and the fact that it is ever changing. We are defining who we are and expanding in new areas, and that is something I am instrumental in. It is never stagnant and the events are fun. I have met some famous people who are average Joe's and swell individuals.” Regina’s fashion shows had gotten wide acclaim and her models are becoming famous. “ It is always nice to see others do well”, she added.

Another main reason why Regina loves her businesses is the flexibility to spend more time with her family. “Working somewhere else provided a barrier with my children because it was tough to make sporting events and dancing, but now I am in control. In addition, the business brings tax dollars to our little town.”. Regina works 3 days a week and her husband works 2 days a week in the store. Regina also can work on the store via the computer, which allows her to work from home too.

The next best thing about her business that is consistent, is the friends Regina has made. “They are the most genuine heart felt individuals who also care about my success.”

When asked to describe her vintage style Regina said,“ I love 50's knit dresses because by then women were more curvy again. Women were starving in the 40's rationing sugar and meat for soldiers and those clothes are often to narrow for me.” When Regina goes out she wears retro or vintage dresses with seamed pantyhose, not stockings like they would have, “because pantyhose are more comfortable, they don't slip down or wrinkle at the ankles (I have short legs), and the garters don't show,” she said. Her husband likewise looks like he stepped right out of the 40's, in his Elliott Ness suit, spectators and fedora.

One of Regina’s favorite retro places is the Cicada Club in Los Angeles. It was a clothing store in 1928 and was restored to its past elegance. You will find people there who live the life, their home is 1920's or 40's. They drive their old cars everywhere and wear vintage clothing all the time. But the best part of the Cicada Club is the entertainment. Swing bands, singers and dancers.“ I have seen a girl trio like the Andrew Sisters, girls with umbrellas descending the grand staircase and dance just like you see in the old films. It is the best bargain in town and out of town for that matter.”

We asked Regina what year she would visit if she could travel back in time.

"Different reasons for different time periods. I love the 30's because women were feminine. Clothing was romantic with lots of sheer ruffles and open back dresses. But I love the 40's too. Women were patriotic but coming into their own as society was changing. It was acceptable for women to wear slacks. I am sort of complicated I guess, I love that women were women in the 30's but I love women were released from the caste that had been their role for centuries in the 40's. Men tipped their hats for ladies and opened doors, I'd like to see that again."

We asked her to give advice for women that are planning to start their own business.“ Do what you love and you'll love what you do".

Copyright © 2008-2009 Time Warp Wives

Regina's Favorites:

Cicada Club:http://www.clubcicada.com/main.asp

Regina's Recipe Tips: Mother's Macaroni Recipe

Vintage Hairstyling Book: Beauty Page

Regina Ann

Contact Information:

Bear Flag Republic:
http://www.bearflagrepublicusa.com

Ebay Store:Bear Flag Republic
MySpace: Myspace.com/bearflag135

Lorelei Lee

2008-10-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

Dallas, Texas

“I love wearing vintage, listening to old music, watching old films, and dancing. But I also love taking care of my husband and making sure he is comfortable.”

As a teenager, Lorelei Lee started buying antique dresses. Years later she is an Antique Dealer, a wife and a homemaker. She loves the clothes from Gone With the Wind, the handsome and rugged Clark Gable and the soulful Billie Holiday.

For the past year, her husband has been overseas serving in the Navy, so right now a typical day is a tad different than it will be when her husband comes home. But on a typical day she would take her dogs out for their morning walk, then tidy up the house before heading out to search for antiques at auctions or garage sales. “That can sometimes take all day. But its worth it when you find that perfect piece.”

When Lorelei’s husband is home, she tries to make breakfast for him before he heads to work. “I like to make sure the house is in order before he gets home so he doesn't have to worry about anything. I will take care of any errands and pay the bills during the day. When he comes home I'll make dinner, sometimes he will if their is something he wants to try. We will talk about our days and maybe watch a movie."

Lorelei mentioned that she loves wearing vintage, listening to old music, watching old films, and dancing. But she also loves taking care of her husband and making sure he is comfortable. “Its wonderful to cook a nice dinner, sit down at the table, and talk about our day. We have our roles in the household. He will work, mow the lawn, take care of the cars. I love to cook, clean, plant in our garden.”

At the same time her husband doesn't mind helping her if she needs it, and she doesn't mind helping him either. “We are there for each other no matter what, and we can talk to each other about anything. Our marriage is very strong.”

We asked Lorelei about her retro photo shoots. “I've always loved pin ups and the old Hollywood images I would see in magazines, books, and on television. I started out just having some photos done to send to my husband overseas.” She then started getting contacted by other photographers. So far she has worked at Miss Missy Photography in Fort Worth, DarkIllumination Photography in Fort Worth and other photo studios in Austin and Dallas. Lorelei said that currently her photos are not for sale. Perhaps they will be in the future, if there is enough interest.

Lorelei’s passion for vintage started as a little girl when she would play with her great grandmother's tea set. She started buying antique dresses as a teenager. Then she began buying dresses from the 1800's to 1920's. “Over the years, I have collected many antiques and my collection has slowly but surely taken over the house”, she said.

Lorelei favorite vintage place that inspires her is Jefferson, in East Texas. Most of the houses are from the late 1800's to 1930's. “It is full of grace and beauty. We enjoy going there whenever we get the chance. In fact, that is where we got married!”

The Victorian Elegance Show is one of Lorelei‘s favorite events. It takes place in February and September. Antique dealers from all over come and sell their things. They usually have a fashion show where the models wear antique clothes. Some people will go dressed in their Victorian finery. “I actually just had an 1880's dress made to wear to the event this year,” Lorelei added.

We asked Lorelei what year she would visit if she could travel back in time.

“I like the 1780's because of their clothes. If I have to choose just one time period it would most likely be 1940's after the war. The music, style, and people just seemed so wonderful at that time. Not to mention, the modern conveniences that they had in the 1940's compared to 1700's.”

Lorelei’s Favorites:

Film-Gone With the Wind-love the clothes

Music-Glenn Miller Orchestra-light and fun. Makes your feet start tapping.

Singer-Billie Holiday-soulful.

Actress-Marilyn Monroe-beautiful. Very funny.

Actor-Clark Gable-He is so handsome yet rugged.

When asked to describe her vintage style Lorelei said, “Classic pin up with a glam/rockabilly twist.”

Copyright © 2008-2010 Time Warp Wives

Lorelei Lee

Contact Information:

Spokesmodel for Betty Bows and accessories. www.myspace.com/bettybows

In October Lorelei be in LA for the Lipstick Vogue fashion show: www.myspace.com/lipstickvogueclothing

You can also find pictures of Lorelei at: www.modelmayhem.com/loreleilee

Dolly Dahl

2008-09-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

Northern California

“I personally prefer staying home and being a '50's wife', but that doesn’t make me any less interesting to my man."

Born in Virginia but grew up in Scotland. Dolly Dahl lives in a tiny house in Palo Alto which she shares with her husband and their little dog Butters. She loves Marilyn Monroe, Technicolor Musicals and being a Housewifery.

Dolly works full-time as an event planner for a social networking site. In the morning she normally has a couple of meetings to go to, depending on which event she’s planning. “After work I’ll walk home and start planning dinner. I normally have a few hours before my man gets home so I’ll use that time to pick up around the house, light the scented candles, and start to prepare dinner,” she said.

Part time she does pinup modeling. “I wanted to take some photos that had a cute playfulness to them.” Some of the photos are shot by James at Compass Rose studios. The rest are taken by her husband. It’s only a hobby right now but she's definitely open to offers!

Dolly started blogging back in 98, and has been hooked ever since. She has several blogs. Her main focus is on her Housewifery blog. “I’ve always been obsessed with the 50's housewife and all that went along with it. I collect old housekeeping manuals and cookbooks. I was amazed at what an art housekeeping and 'wifery' used to be. It was taken very seriously."

We asked Dolly to define “Housewifery.” “Housewifery is the art of keeping house and enjoying every minute of it. There is still a lot of controversy around whether a woman should go out to work or stay home and keep house. I really feel like it doesn't have to be all or nothing and not everyone has to want the same thing. I personally prefer staying home and being a '50's wife' but that doesn’t make me any less interesting to my man.”

Something interesting that Dolly said was, “Over time I started to notice that there were a lot of ladies out there that didn’t know how to do the basic things like cooking, cleaning, mending. We weren’t given the basic tools and lessons, unless you were lucky enough to be taught by a mother or grandmother.”

Dolly loves cooking, cleaning and decorating. “I love taking care of my man. It makes me more fulfilled than any job I’ve ever had.” She also loves to bake and is currently on a quest to finding the perfect cupcake recipe. She has a sewing machine and she is trying to teach herself how to make clothes. “I love the idea of being able to whip up my own retro dresses!”

Her passion for vintage started when she was a child. “I was always dressing up in poodle skirts and saddle shoes and watching old tv shows. My parents always listened to Frank Sinatra but that was about the extent of their vintage influence.”

Dolly loves watching Marilyn and Betty Grable films. “I watch How to Marry a Millionaire any time I need a pick me up. Watching it instantly makes me happy.”

In addition she likes to take her favorite 40's and 50's glamor and household manuals, curl up on the couch with a cup of tea and just lose herself. "I love getting ready at my vanity in the morning. There is something very retro about taking the time to sit down and apply my makeup and put in my curlers!"

Dolly is also a huge fan of the red lipstick and red nails. “I try to always have my nails perfectly manicured no matter what I’m wearing. You always look polished if your nails are well polished!”

We asked Dolly what year she would visit if she could travel back in time.

“I’d have to say mid-fifties. I feel like it was meant for me. The clothing, the houses, the cars, the housewifery, everything feels like me. I love the idea of living in a time where people made an effort. You didn't leave the house without looking your best, no sweatsuits and flip flops. The men all looked amazing in suits and hats.

When asked to describe herself she said, “A true retro gal in all senses of the word – Donna Reed, Lucille Ball and Bettie Page all rolled up into one.”

Copyright © 2008-2009 Time Warp Wives

Dolly Dahl

Contact Information:

Housewifery: www.housewifery.com

MySpace: www.myspace.com/dollydahl

One of Dolly's Favorite Website:
www.Miss-Vintage.com

Stephanie Strowbridge

2008-09-10T17:23:00.000-07:00

Grand Rapids, Michigan

“I would describe myself as a Timewarpian. I definitely stick out like a sore thumb! But that is OK with me!”

Stephanie Strowbridge specializes in hair styles from 1930's-1960's. Besides being a part-time hairdresser, she is also a busy wife and mother. Stephanie is a huge fan of Vincent Price, she loves watching classic movies, and almost always wears a scarf.

She starts her morning bright and early at 7:00 am getting her son off to school. Between being a hairstylist, writing her second book, working with a photographer on retro-inspired photo shoots and traveling to events on occasion, she maintains her house, and spends time with her family. “My days are kind of a jumble of all those things!”, she exclaimed.

The 40 year old beauty school where Stephanie attended was owned by a man who started doing hair in 1927! The man was still living, still cutting and styling hair, and still at the school while Stephanie was there. “He was 100 years old! He taught me the correct way to do finger waves. He even taught me the way a barber holds combs and the way a barber services men. I was fortunate to have had this training,” she said.

Due to the popularity of the "pin up", many ladies come to her wanting a "pin up" style. “I love classic glamour and I enjoy bringing that out in people.” She also does men's hair and enjoys pompadours and D.A.'s. Stephanie is the only one in her area that offers these specific services. “I also feel it is important to maintain a professional atmosphere as well as a relaxed atmosphere,” she added.

When asked to describe her vintage style she said, “I feel good and confident in a good fitting dress! I have a drawer full of scarves. I almost always wear a scarf. I feel it is important to accessorize and to accessorize out of the box.” Stephanie wears vintage inspired clothes as well as authentic vintage clothing.

Stephanie’s love of vintage started when she was a kid. She would watch old movies and TV shows with her dad, who also likes classic movies. “I had a love for Vincent Price at a very young age! I would collect anything concerning him.” An interesting tidbit that Stephanie shared with us was that Vincent Price also wrote cook books, collected artwork from around the world and supported American Indians.

She and her husband are huge movie people and are always listening to music. “A good black & white movie or a good rockin' song can inspire.” Stephanie also loves photographs and draws inspiration from old photos.

We asked Stephanie what year she would visit if she could travel back in time.

“I'm not sure to be honest. There are things from certain years that are great, like the fashion and glamour of the 30's and 40's or a brand new 1959 Cadillac Eldorado! I would love to have seen Jerry Lee Lewis bang up the piano or follow Edith Head in her fashion greatness. I think Robert Kennedy was a great man and changed people's lives during that time. But, with all the good things that you can think about during all the different decades, there are also hardships that make me thankful for today.”

The latest retro event that Stephanie attended was Rockabilly Weekenders. “It's nice to be with similar minded people who enjoy the same things that I do. It is nice to see ladies dressed up, feeling confident, and looking glamorous!

Copyright © 2008-2010 Time Warp Wives

Stephanie Strowbridge

Contact Information:

EMAIL: MsBettyBlueEyes@aol.com

CUTS N' CURLS: www.myspace.com/cutscurls

RETROPOLIS: Authentic Pin Up and Period Appropriate Photo Sessions. www.myspace.com/retropolisusa