Jumpin' Jehosaphat I'm on YouTube!

I'm a written word girl...I like pen and paper, I love the texture of books, and darn it if I don't like sending letters through the post, but today I found myself  filming and posting my very first YouTube video.  I decided today that it would be easiest to demonstrate the Back-Finger-Twist method for victory rolls by posting a video rather than a series of photos.  I didn't realize how ambitious this plan would be until I remembered I didn't have any video editing software and would have to run it all in one take...gulp!  Since I've done corporate trainings for years I figured it was do-able.  What follows is a brief description of what went on behind the scenes, the hilarity that ensued, and the world premiere of my first video!

To set the scene for you:  I hauled in my big bendy lamp for "studio lighting" and since I have no idea where my tripod scuttled off to I used a combination of a overly large ladder, jewelry box, and digital camera...all used to prop up my droid phone.  Yes, you heard that correctly...I did not use my camera (with video capabilities) to record the video, I used it to prop up...my...phone (in my defense the phone takes better video).  All set-up I was ready to start recording...

Take one:  talking, talking...wait where's my brush.  Walk into the other room with camera running all the while asking myself..."who leaves a brush in the kitchen, that was...mumble, mumble".

Take two:  wow, this is going good...wait, why am I suddenly talking in a Southern accent?

Take three:  hey, this one is really good...I think this is it.  REALLY!!!...I recorded myself sideways...who DOES THAT!

Take four:  I trip over the ladder after turning the recording on

Take five:  did I really just record the whole thing with my head cut off

Take 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11....

Take 20:  By George I think I've done it!!!!  

And here it is, the world premiere of Victory Roll Rollfection!

Have a splendid day!

Can't wait until tomorrow for more?  Then check out my Weekly Blog:  Veggie Girl Eats Out for my review of Jameson's Charhouse and find out if vegetarians should ever eat there.  Click here to view:  http://veggiegirleatsout.blogspot.com/

Have you made a YouTube video?  Should I include more videos in my blogs?  Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!

Tip for Creating Great Quick Victory Rolls

Since I've started wearing retro hairstyles the one look I could not get perfect was the victory roll, I got really close but there was always something a little off about it.  I couldn't give up on my search for rollfection (yeah that's right, I just mashed up roll and perfection and made my own word) especially since this was a 1940s look I have adored for so long now.  Look at the gorgeousness of Miss. Betty Grable and her luxurious locks with those perfect victory rolls, rollfection!  So I did what any smart, at the end of her rope, girl would do...I enlisted the help of a friend!

I sat my friend Caroline down in front of a youtube video and said "Please watch this and tell me what the he*l I'm doing wrong".  Her being fabulous and all she did just that.  Once done she turned to me and said "It needs to be more..." and made a swooping gesture with her fingers.  To which I replied, "Oh, you mean this...", making my own erratic finger motions.  Then for a minute or so more we continued to talk in half sentences and hand movements before "Eureka!" I had it!  (Note to readers:  have you ever noticed that with certain people you have a bizarre language that is unique to the two of you, but must sound and look crazy to outsiders)  Let me share with you my discovery which led to me being able to create rollfection with my victory rolls.  (If you're not sure how to even start a victory roll I suggest the following youtube video by the fabulous Lisa Freemont Street:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfZwxAfbTYI )

1. Back:  when you have hold of the section you are going to "roll" pull it towards the back of your head with a slight upward angle and roll towards your face
2. Finger:  when the roll reaches your scalp place your pointer finger inside the roll, finger pointing to the ceiling
3. Twist:  with your finger still inside the roll twist your finger so it's pointing to your forehead with a slight upward angle, and pin in place
4. Just remember Back-Finger-Twist and you'll achieve rollfection as well!

(I'll post pictures of the process in the near future for those of you that are more visual...update, posted the above video instead)

Here's a couple pictures of my finished product, please be kind I took these with my camera phone at work (during a break since I would never do something so personal on work time...giggle).  You can see I've had my own fun with the victory roll and added a bit of a pin curl on my forehead.  That's what I love about the vintage styles, you can really play with them and make them your own.

Have a stupendous Sunday!

Coming Monday:  Undecided at this time, maybe a make-up review since I bought some great pencil liner (for that great retro winged eye look) and some red lipstick; or perhaps I'll answer the unasked question of "Why is your blog named Thin Invisible Steel?  It's a mystery folks, but one I'll solve for you tomorrow!


Can't wait until Monday for more?  Then check out my Weekly Blog:  Veggie Girl Eats Out for reviews on restaurants and how vegetarian friendly they are.  Click here to access that blog:  http://veggiegirleatsout.blogspot.com/

What's been your experience with Victory Rolls?  Have an opinion on what tomorrow's blog should be about?  Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!

Land of a 1,000 Toilet Seats

On Wednesday my toilet seat decided it had enough of this world a committed hari kari...of course it waited until it was under the delicate tuchus of my friend.  So the next day I found myself, with above friend in tow, staring at a wall of toilet seats, really...who knew there would be so many choices, and do we really need that many choices!?  Prices at the Depot of Hominess was $6 to over $200!  What?...$200, is it me or does that seem crazy expensive?  It's not marble or gold, you can't plug an iPod into it, Elvis never sat here...so why!!!  We then spent some time trying to determine what one looks for in a toilet seat.  Did you all know they still have the cushion seats...wha?...I would have thought that by now there would have been some incident where a person's butt had been pinched, scrapped, and maimed by a cracked cushion seat.  *shudder*...seriously, if you've ever had your tender butt cheek trapped in the jagged plastic teeth of a cracked cushion seat you will understand my horror at their continued existence.  So not seeing any major discernible difference in toilet seats, outside of slow close lids (I was not aware that

slammed toilet lids was such a massive epidemic) and cushions of doom, I grabbed the "almost" cheapest seats and was on my way to DIY!

So what do you need to remove and install a toilet seat?  Easy...a screwdriver and about 5 minutes.  If you can screw in a light bulb you can change a toilet seat.  Just flip up the little covers that are over the screws, place your screwdriver in the notch (just to hold the large plastic screw in place) on top...reach your hand round the side of the toilet and "lefty loosey" and you'll have the screws out and the seat off in no time.  Now just reverse to put a toilet seat on.  Then sit back and relax on your new throne.

What was your easiest DIY project?  How do you choose a toilet seat?  Let me know by leaving a comment below!

Have a splendid day!

Coming Soon:  A new post on a great trick for rolling Victory rolls!



Wearing a Snood for the First Time!

Insert fangirl-like squee here and you have my response yesterday when I received my snoods from http://www.littlebellesboutique.com/!! Briefly considered faking a stubbed-toe to leave work early and play with said snoods, but then reality got real (thank you CSI: Miami for that lovely line) and I realized I was no a longer pre-teen and was fully capable of reigning in my excitement to adult-like levels.

So I spent some time youtubing (yes, I totally verbed youtube) hairstyles to wear with the snood. I really liked Lisa Freemont Street's "Snoods on the Job" video (I think she has the best vintage/retro video blogs out there for hairstyles, product reviews, and make-up...definitely check her out if you like any of the things I mentioned) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrKMVOP21aU and decided to try that for this mornings work "do". I work in a corporate environment, but not too uptight so I can have a little fun with my looks. Here's a couple screen grabs of the video mentioned above so you can get an idea of what look I was going for.

So I set my hair last night in the those lovely pink rollers, you know the ones, they're the color of pepto bismal and they've been around since the dawn of time, using the curling pattern mentioned in the video. I found out the hard way if I set my hair in rollers right after I wash it my hair won't dry by morning (the animals in my house learned new curse words that day), so now I let my hair air dry for about 15-20 mins before setting it.

The morning rolled around and the alarm clock screamed at me to get up, so I smacked it for it's impertinence then went back to sleep. Then the alarm on my cell phone decided to get in on the action, for which it was rewarded for by being shoved underneath my cat, he's very large so he's able to muffle the sound of phones very well. All this to say...I woke up late this morning. Therefore...ergo...thus...hence...I did not have as much time to play with my snood hairstyle as I would have liked.

I unrolled my very tight bouncy curls. I pinned up the sides and was rewarded with a look very similar to what is shown in the pictures. Brushed and fluffed the curls in the back and slipped on the snood (brown for a conservative work look...if you were curious) and pinned it by my ears and at the crown, which holds very well I might add. And just because lately I can't go a day without a flower in my hair I added an off white one over my ear. I was disappointed to find that the curls on the top of my head turned out very frizzy this morning and pomade was not helping the situation then add on top of that...not a good look for me.

Ohhhh...frustrated sadness and clock of "get your butt to work" ticking away loudly (metaphorically as my clock is digital, though I would love to have an old ticking clock...counting down the hours of my life "mwah ha ha"!). So I quick threw in some very imperfect victory rolls and a rockin' pin curl and had something I could live with for the day. (I'll post a picture at some point today...having problems getting the picture off my phone...grrr, technology. Ha, ha, I kid...I love you technology).

All I can say for anyone else out there who might be playing around with vintage hairstyles...don't get frustrated, especially with the victory roll! Mine are not perfect (I will conquer them someday), but I love they way they look, I love the way I feel...fun and sassy, if you must know, so I don't give a hoot!

Have an amazing day!

Coming soon: another blog by me and my two friends on our vegetarian cooking adventures on Wednesday nights!

Resounding Cheer for my First Blog Post!

So I hemmed & hawed (others may call this procranstination...but where's the fun in that) for way too long over what this blog should be about and what my first post was going to be that I've finally said "Enough!", just do it. So this is me...blogging. I don't have a specific direction for this blog, for now I think it'll be just be a place for me to chronicle my adventures in life; it could be anything from installing a new toiliet seat cover, trying out a new vintage hairstyle, sewing a new pattern, travels, or just random musings. So for future readers (I know there will at least be 2 or 3) I hope you enjoy my musings!