Thin Invisible Steel

Inspiration for the Dita Von Teese Hair Tutorial

2012-02-23T15:09:00.000-06:00

I was very excited to get a request to do a Dita Von Teese hair tutorial, she's so incredibly stunning and I love every look that she has worn! Since there are quite a few tutorials on youtube already for her looks I wanted to find one that had not been done as much, but at the same time was a defining look. I found so many looks I would love to do, but settled on her smooth barrel curls as it's so sleek and glamorous, plus I really wanted to play up that great swooping bang!

Here are the photos that inspired my YouTube tutorial "Dita Von Teese Inspired Vintage Soft Curls Hair Tutorial". And yes, I admit I'm probably the worst at coming up with video titles! LOL

My Inspiration for the Joan Fontaine Inspired Soft Updo Hair Tutorial

2012-01-11T22:18:00.000-06:00

I wanted to do a tutorial based on Joan Fontaine because I love her easy natural beauty. To me she has that same classic ease as Grace Kelly. Since Sundays can be such a lovely lazy day I wanted to feature a look that could be done on an old curl set and more of a pin and go, all so I can be as lackadaisically lazy as possible. (Truly, it is an art-form!)

Here are the photos that inspired my YouTube tutorial "Joan Fontaine Inspired Soft Updo".

The Windy City + Flirty Sundress = Thank God for Bike Shorts!

2011-06-02T16:38:00.000-05:00

The Opposite of how I Looked!

So yesterday I was feeling a little cheeky, the weather was perfect, I was wearing a new flirty sun dress, my hair is newly dyed and looked amazing. Now anyone that knows me will quickly tell you that I'm more often neurotic than overly confident, but when the planets align properly you just have one of those days and you can't help but walk with a spring in your step and a bounce in your curls. So I decided that during my lunch hour I would go out and enjoy the weather, watch some tourists, and generally bounce around being all that and a bag of reasonably priced chips. With my big sunnies on I stepped out onto Michigan Avenue with a very Mary Tyler Moore attitude and with perfect timing Mother Nature decided to show me just how sarcastic she can be by blowing my fabulously flirty new sun dress up around my ears! Nope...it was not a coy Marilyn moment, it was more Lucille Ball. Frantically I turned in circles while batting and grabbing at my errant dress desperately trying to bring it back to knee level, all the while thanking the heavens that I had the forethought this morning to wear bike shorts therefore saving all the innocent tourists from their very first flasher moment. Once my dress was back under control and my dignity was clutched fervently to the side of my leg I continued, albeit with a little less bounce, to enjoy the remainder of my lunch break. Of course by then the wind that caused my frantic dress dance was no longer blowing, Mother Nature was too busy gasping and clutching her side laughing. Once clear of witnesses the bounce returned to my step because one is so resilient when having a great hair day!

An Everyday Vintage Hairstyle Tutorial: Circa 1950

2011-05-13T22:22:00.002-05:00

Hey all! I'm really excited that my first post back after my short hiatus is a hair tutorial video! This hairstyle is a really easy everyday look and it has a soft spot in my heart, as every time I wear it my Mother says I look just like my Aunt Nora.

What's your go to hairstyle? Leave your response in the comment section below.

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I'll be back on a regular blogging schedule soon!

2011-05-01T00:07:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to let you all know why it's been so quiet lately. I've been stretched thin and exhausted the last couple weeks with work and family. My Mom has been in rehab recovering from a hip surgery and she's doing great, but it's like my life is in a sno-globe right now and someone keeps shaking things up! Hopefully Mom will be home by next weekend and we can all get things back to "normal". I've got some great ideas for upcoming blogs and a hairstyle video that I've shot but that's going through a slow editing process...I'm hoping to have it up next week some time. I hope everyone is doing well and I'll be back to a regular blogging schedule in the next week or two...which is good since I have so much I want to share with you all!

Feeling the Love During a Tough Week

2011-04-11T22:52:00.003-05:00

So the last week and then some has been pretty rough. My Mom just went through hip surgery and it's looking like it will be a long recovery, which has taken it's toll emotionally and physically. So while I was drudging through this time I was thrilled to find that one of my favorite bloggers, Atomic Chic, awarded me my very first blog award! If you've never stopped by her blog please do so, I'm sure you'll find her as interesting, inspirational, and fashionable (with just the right amount as geek) as I do. Thanks again for the lovely award!

The Rules:

If you are tagged...

Thank the person who gave you the award

Share 7 random bits about yourself

Pass the award on to a few of your favorite blogs

(And don't forget to let them know!)

I'll be tagging and awarding the following lovely ladies!

Caroline over at In Vinculis Etiam Audax...for inspiring photography

Tami over at My Moving Finger Writes...for great style and overall fabulousness

Jess at The Vintage Huntress...for inspiration and drool worthy fashion picks

Now for the random

I've eaten pretzels as big as my head, drank beers larger than it, and danced on a table while singing German folk songs at Oktoberfest in Munich.
My dream is to live in Europe, write travel books for Rick Steves, and visit every country in the world.
I'm not afraid of being a little wacky...talking in odd voices - check, dancing in a supermarket -check, creating stupid songs complete with a strange dance...oh, check and check.
I practiced martial arts for 8 years, and have used it twice it my life.
For a short time I did stock upgrades and downgrades on The Rob Black Show, and no...I'm not a financial guru.
If I reincarnated as an animal I would want to be a pelican...they can swim, fly, float, plus they come with storage!
My favorite nut is the walnut.

Can't wait for more? Then check out my Weekly Blog: Veggie Girl Eats Out for my review of Sweet Art in St. Louis, MO. Click here to view Veggie Girl Eats Out!

If you'd like an email notification when new blogs are posted sign up for an e-mail subscription, which can be found to the left of this post.

Lost without GPS

2011-04-04T23:07:00.003-05:00

This evening I found myself slightly distracted driving to my Mother's house, which lead me to turn down the wrong road. Quickly I found myself in unfamiliar territory, which I shrugged off as I had grown up in the area and really how much could it have changed in the last 11 years. I soon was figuratively smacking myself in the head as I was surrounded by new housing developments. Belting out the theme song to Weeds (little boxes on a hillside...ticky tacky and they all look just the same) I happily decided to just wander until I either ran into a main road I recognized or gave up and turned on my GPS. In fact Caroline and I had actually made getting lost into an art form; created on a bored Sunday afternoon we hopped into my car and just drove with a general direction in mind, all the while knowing that GPS would always lead us home. Each adventure always lead to laughs, ridiculous arguments, food, further confirmation that if you take the lake away from me I'm rubbish at directions, and a great day out.

Soon my stomach reminded me that I didn't have time to dawdle and it threatened to begin eating itself if I did not feed it quickly. "Simmer down now" I scolded my stomach and reached for my phone, only to realize that I had killed the battery by playing Angry Birds (I can't be blamed...it's like crack for fingers)! [insert classic horror scream here] What was formally a classic suburban night suddenly turned into a setting for a creepy Hitchcock film. From darkened houses seeped a sinister yellowish glow warning passersby to approach with caution...thick evergreens hugged the street's sharp curves concealing prying eyes! Gulp!

What was a technology geek like myself supposed to do! I continued to turn down random roads while searching my brain for a way out of the situation I found myself in. I had already considered and discarded the idea of backtracking, I was pretty sure I was moving in the general direction I needed to go in and the stubborn German in me wouldn't allow me to turn back. Suddenly I thought..."What would Sherlock do?" Smoke a pipe? Call for Watson (ack...my Watson was unavailable and so was google)? Play the violin? Logic!!!! Just then a car pulled away from one of the many creepy houses that lined the block and I quickly made the decision to "Follow that car"! I reasoned that any car pulling out of a driveway had a good chance of heading for a main road. Hoping desperately that they were not dumping a body or anything equally horrific I followed. And followed. Now I was beginning to feel like a creep as I continued to follow. I then began to practice my police tailing moves, then switched it up to creepy mimic car, just around the time I ran out of ways to amuse myself my unknowing friend lead to me a street I was very familiar with and I soon found myself in my Mom's driveway.

In hindsight, getting lost without my trusty tech to lead me home, was an even greater adventure. Perhaps on the next bored Sunday afternoon I'll leave the tech at home, get lost, and let the universe lead me home.

What's your favorite lost story? Do you have any great tips for getting your bearings when lost? Leave your response in the comment section below.

Can't wait for more? Then check out my Weekly Blog: Veggie Girl Eats Out for my review of Sweet Art in St. Louis, MO. Click here to view Veggie Girl Eats Out!

If you'd like an email notification when new blogs are posted sign up for an e-mail subscription, which can be found to the left of this post.

Vintage Repo/Inspired Shopping and the Curvy Woman

2011-03-30T21:01:00.001-05:00

I cannot wait to rock this lil' number!

Today Ashley over at Lisa Freemont Street posted a great video on shopping online for vintage repro/inspired clothing. Combine that with some great clothing posts I've seen lately and I felt like the universe was telling me I absolutely had to buy a pretty new dress today. What I had forgotten was my curvy size was not that compatible with a lot of the vintage clothing out there. After looking at a few of the sites I started to get a little frustrated at the sizing...and quite frankly a tad bit depressed. Well, we couldn't have a frustrated and grumpy Jennifer today so I decided to dive straight in and research and create a list of vintage clothing websites (based off of Ashley's video) and the maximum sizes they offer...that way if any of you out there are like me you don't have to endure what I did. (Falling in love with a dress to only find out that it would come to a dead stop trying to make it over one's lovely lady lumps). While researching I did find a match made in heaven at Sourpuss Clothing...the Out to Sea dress, they may be one of the many reasons I have a fear of the sea...but yay for giant killer octopus' on dresses! (oh...and side note: this is my first vintage repro clothing online purchase)

For the sizes listed below I based it on a dress that was listed on the site. Often even on the same website sizes vary so please be sure to always check the sizing charts.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions/changes that can be made to the list!

Daddy O's: Most go up to 3X, sizing varies so check the size charts. On average a 3X measures B46/W38.
Pin Up Girl Clothing: Highest size is 2X, the site allows you to search by size which is nice, sizing varies so check the size charts. On average a 2X measures B44.5-45/W36-37.5

My Baby Jo: Highest size is 3X, but not as large of a selection as some of the other sites, sizing varies so check the size charts. On average a 3X measures B44/W36/H46

Mode Merr: Everything comes in sizes up to 3X (B46/W38/H49)

Bernie Dexter Clothing: Only goes up to XL (B40/W32/H42)

Bettie Page Clothing: Highest size is 4X (4X sizing is not on the website, measurements for 3X are B42-45/W34-38.5/H46-49)

Heartbreaker Fashion: Highest size is 2X (B46-48/W36-37/H48-50)

Miss Hussy: Highest size is 3X, but its sizing is smaller (B45/W36/H48)

The Red Dolly (swimsuits): Highest size is a large (B37-39/W28-30/H38-40)

Sourpuss Clothing: Highest size is a 2X, sizing varies so check the size charts. On average measurements for 2X are B40/W40-42.

Le Bomb Shop: Highest size is a XL, sizing varies so check the size charts. On average measurements for XL are B36-42/W28-38.

Vintage Suits by Mary (swimsuits & playsuits): Highest size is XL, but custom sizing is available upon request (B40.5-43.5/W32.5-35.5/H43-46)

Vivien of Holloway: Highest size is XL (B44-46/W36-38/H48-50)

Heyday Clothing: Highest size is XL (B42-47/W34-38/H44-48)

Revamp Vintage: Highest size is XL, but made to measure is available (B40/W32/H42)

Nicole Katherine Designs: Some go up to 26W (B52/W44/H55)

Blue Velvet Vintage: Some go up to XL (B42/W38/H46)

Candy Violet: Highest size is 2X, they do custom orders as well (B42/W36/H45)

Big Beautiful Barbara Brown: Highest measurements are B46/W38/H48

Freddies of Pinewood: Highest measurements are W38/H48

Tara Starlet: Highest size is 16 (B42/W33/H42)

Whirling Turban: Highest waist size is a 42, they do custom made orders

Queen of Heartz: Highest size is 3X (B44/W36/H46)

Tarantula Clothing: Has a curvy gals section with sizes 1X to 5X (B54), don't get too excited they have only two items (very cute but again...only two)

Mod Cloth: I’ve not seen higher than a 3X, sizing varies so check the size charts. On average a 3X measures B46-57/W40/H50 (type plus in the search box to shift through the massive amount of dresses)

Shabby Apple: Highest size is a XL (B41-42/W33-35/H43-45)

Can't wait for more? Then check out my Weekly Blog: Veggie Girl Eats Out for my review of Sweet Art in St. Louis, MO. Click here to view Veggie Girl Eats Out!

Have you purchased from any of these stores and if so, what was your experience? Do you have a favorite dress? Leave your response in the comment section below.

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Snood Hairstyle Tutorial: Bad Hair Day...Snood to the Rescue!

2011-03-25T14:26:00.000-05:00

I love my snoods, they're great on bad hair days or after a hair experiment gone horribly wrong! So I've gone and done it again...created a hair tutorial video! I hope you all enjoy!

Can't wait for more? Then check out my Weekly Blog: Veggie Girl Eats Out for my review of Letizia's Fiore and find out if vegetarians should ever eat there. Click here to view Veggie Girl Eats Out!

What's your favorite fix for a bad hair day? Leave your response in the comment section below.

If you'd like an email notification when new blogs are posted sign up for an e-mail subscription, which can be found to the left of this post.

The Winged Eye: Liquid or Pencil Liner Make-up Review

2011-03-20T21:55:00.116-05:00

One of the fun aspects of wearing vintage is getting to play around with those great make-up looks. One of my favorites is the winged eye or the cat-eye. If you're unsure of how to create this look click here for a great tutorial from Lisa Freemont Street. Creating this look can be a little tricky, but with the right product it can make the process much easier. I've been trying out a lot of different liners lately to find one that works for me. I tried the following liners: Stila's smudge stick waterproof eyeliner in Stringray, Wet n Wild Mega Liner color 861, and Revlon ColorStay liquid liner in Blackest Black and this is what I've found (from most expensive to least):

Please note that all products I review are cruelty free.

Stila: I wanted to try a good traditional pencil eyeliner as the liquid ones can sometimes be a little hard to control. For me to execute a great winged eye look I need to be able to easily do a flick and swish at the corner of the outer eye. With a pencil I was not able to do this, it felt difficult and the result was messy and uneven. Essentially I was like a kindergardener with a crayon...not a look I was going for. As a regular liner for above/below the lashes it's great. What I did like is I was able to wipe off any mistakes with a tissue, but yet it dried in a reasonable amount of time. Overall it's a good product, but not for the look I was going for.
Revlon: Now I was back in the liquid liners, and spoiler alert...this one was my favorite! The brush is firm with just a little bend which helped me keep control of my brush strokes. It also was not bristles so you don't have to worry about a bristle going all cock-eyed and leaving little black trails everywhere. It didn't dry too quickly so you were able to clean up the line with a tissue and it doesn't bleed onto your upper lid when you fully open your eye. Overall great price and easy to use and control.
Wet n Wild: I liked that it was a liquid and brushed on smooth and easy, but after that things didn't go so well. A little like a bad blind date...starts off good but the more they talk the worse things get. This is where it went wrong: a few of the bristles on the brush got kinked and started leaving little black dots all over my eyelid, often my hands get a little shaky when applying liner and with such a flexible brush I frequently found myself "coloring outside the lines", and when I fully opened my eyes I found that the liner bled onto my upper lid creating a slightly crazed look. Overall myself and Wet n Wild where not a match made in heaven.

Can't wait for more? Then check out my Weekly Blog: Veggie Girl Eats Out for my review of Letizia's Fiore and find out if vegetarians should ever eat there. Click here to view Veggie Girl Eats Out!

Have you tried the winged eye look? How did it work out for you? Leave your response in the comment section below.

If you'd like an email notification when new blogs are posted sign up for an e-mail subscription, which can be found to the left of this post.

Je t'adore my new Hat!

2011-03-16T21:28:00.003-05:00

Ever since I've started wearing the retro/vintage look I've wanted to find the perfect little hat to go along with the hair (still working on the clothes!). Well, one day when I was happily reading down the blog trail I stumbled upon The Modern Day Flapper and I noticed all these great hats she was wearing...then...I noticed that she was actually the milliner of these fabulous creations so I immediately surfed over to her Etsy shop Jayjayamore and essentially drooled until payday. Well, you can bet your last casino chip that when payday rolled around I ordered myself my very first vintage inspired hat, and boy was it difficult to choose which hat I liked best!

While at work, diligently working away, I received a package. I was so excited thinking it was my new hat, but alas it was just stupid business cards...stupid unwearable non-hat business cards. As the day drew to a close I realized it was too early to see my hat come through the mail, I had just ordered it on Sunday. As I completed this thought Brian (my co-worker) walked around the corner with a hat shaped box in his hands and he was headed straight for me! Bliss...my hat had arrived. It was everything I expected and more. The look and size was exactly what the website showed and the construction and materials where even better than I expected. The material was so soft and the embellishments were just perfect. I could not wait to run home and try it on!

Once home came the difficult decision...should I wear it on the right or left side? What's great is the hat is really easy to attach (two duckbill clips on the underside), easy to adjust, and very stable...I don't think even a good Chicago wind could whip it off my head. (it might possibly knock over me before the hat) Here's some pictures of my new accoutrement, please forgive the hair and make-up...it was a long day at work.

So what do you think...right or left? Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below.

Read my Latest Dining Out Review for Letizia's at Veggie Girl Eats Out: http://veggiegirleatsout.blogspot.com/

Attempt #1 at the Happy Pompadour

2011-03-13T00:10:00.002-06:00

A Closer Look at the Happy Pompadour

Weekends are made for trying out new hairstyles! Since I knew I'd be spending Saturday with friends I decided to try a very 40's hairstyle...my genius mind knew I would get honest feedback on how well I did and if I could "pull it off". So Friday night I casually flipped through my favorite hairstyling book, Vintage Hairstyling, to find just the right "do". I decided to go with the book's cover look...the happy pompadour, it looks so fun and sassy I just had to try it! This is such a fabulous book and I really want to support the author so I'm not going to walk through how I did the hairstyle, but I will tell you about the experience and how it turned out! :D (I've also included an amazon link to the book if you're interested)

It's my "Shoooot" Facial Expression!

So I set my hair and covered it with a hair net...yes I know it's very cafeteria chic, but I can't sleep without wearing one. I must fight zombies, or disco dance, or spin plates while I sleep because I wake with at least 2 or 3 rollers nearly unrolled...so the hair net has been a hair saver! The next morning, in true Jennifer fashion, I woke up late so I did not have as much time to spend styling the look as I'd like but I think it worked out OK for my first stab at it. I'll tell what really bugged this morning is that the hair in back didn't dry all the way (arguh...I think I didn't wait long enough after washing), you can tell by the lack of curls at the ends.

I Just Like This Picture :D

The steps in the book were really clear to follow, the most difficult part was getting the bangs just right. You can see from the picture that I didn't quite master that yet, but I think it works. btw...the picture is from much later in the day so I'm happy that the look was able to stand up to my daily activities and Chicago's wind. The only other thing I'd like to work on with the look is the very top. You can see the little white flowers on the top of my head...those are used to cover up the rubber band that's up there and I'm not in love with that look. I think I'm going to try playing with either wrapping some hair around the band or doing a criss-cross with a small section of hair on top.

One thing that I did play with was throwing in a cute little side pony tail and an extra flower...gotta have fun with it! I definitely like the look and will try it out again...I think I'll even work it at work!

Not Sure why I Keep Making the Odd Faces?!

What are your weekends made for? Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below.

You can also find me at Veggie Girl Eats Out: http://veggiegirleatsout.blogspot.com/

WebMD Needs to be Banned from my Reality!

2011-03-11T18:19:00.000-06:00

I am a chronic googler, I freely admit this, in fact I'm proud of my quest for knowledge and thrilled that I can gain it with a few keystrokes. There are times though that too much information is NOT a good thing, at least when it comes to me and googling a medical condition. It starts off all innocent, "oh, I'm just curious on what exactly is the reason behind eye twitching", and ends up with me on WebMD convinced that my eye is going to fall out any second or that the constant twitching is going to short out my neural synapses leaving me drooling over a bowl of Captain Crunch, or something equally ridiculous and far removed from my actual issue. Luckily this overblown panic is reserved to my own mind and voiced to a few good friends with excellent rational minds. Today though...you almost got me WebMD...almost! In fact...you almost gave me a heart attack by making me think I was having a heart attack!

Today after lunch I had numbness and tingling in my left arm along with some other symptoms so I went googling to find some information on why and what I could do to alleviate the issue. Well of course I ended up on that infernal, son of the devil WebMD and this is what they returned to me (my responses are in purple)...

Symptoms of a Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction or MI)

Symptoms of a heart attack can include:

Discomfort, pressure, heaviness, or pain in the chest, arm, or below the breastbone

Yes...yes I did have a slight pressure on my chest and I am finding my response to this discomforting

Discomfort radiating to the back, jaw, throat, or arm

Ummm...see above...why are you telling me again. Why do you keep using discomfort, call it what it is PAIN!!!

Fullness, indigestion, or choking feeling (may feel like heartburn)

Yes...I am feeling too full (my logical side later realized that I just finished lunch)

Sweating, nausea, vomiting, or dizziness

"Gulp, Erp"...yes, I'm going to vomit right now! (logical self: you ate something last night that your stomach doesn't like...you expected to feel slightly off today)

Extreme weakness, anxiety, or shortness of breath

Well..yes, I have anxiety now since so many boxes have been ticked!

Rapid or irregular heartbeats

Yes WebMD you have now elevated my heartbeats from calm to rapid with your checklist of doom!

After about 20 minutes of panic I did realize that I wasn't having a heart attack, but rather I most likely slept on my arm wrong the night before, my IBS is kicking up again, and I'm tired from staying up late the night before. It really had me convinced for a while that I was facing imminent death...it almost gave me a heart attack. Now I do believe sites like this have a purpose and have helped people prepare for Doctor's appointments, and educated them on their diagnosed disease, but for those out there like me...it's a booby trap. So...as of today I am imposing on myself a lifetime ban from WebMD and sites of that nature. If I absolutely must know why my bellybutton feels like it's being stabbed with an icepick I will allow one of my sane friends to do the googling for me. Friends...you have been warned! :)

Tell me your WebMD horror story? Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below.

You can also find me at Veggie Girl Eats Out: http://veggiegirleatsout.blogspot.com/

Have you met my Chicago? A Photographic Journey

2011-03-06T23:37:00.000-06:00

My love affair with Chicago began when I was about 8 years old when my Mother and her best friend took me on the first of many trips into the city. I was enamored immediately; from the enormous buildings I craned my head back to see, the women walking to work in their business suits and tennis shoes, the smell of dirt, sweat, and heat, and the speed at which everything took place. I remember that I always came home with a headache because I spent the entire time trying to see, touch, and smell everything there was. I want to give you a little sense of what I love about Chicago so myself and Caroline went out today armed with our cameras to try and capture it.

Under the "El" Tracks

An Alley is Never Just an Alley!

A Mystery...I'm Intrigued.

Even Bikes Need a Rest

They don't make Signs like this Anymore.

Trying to Disguise our Empty Lots

Love the Textures

Saved the Best for Last!

Showing Flower Love: Making your own Floral Hair Accessory!

2011-03-02T22:46:00.001-06:00

Makes me long for warm and sunny days!

I'm ready for Spring to be in the air, for nature to wake up, and flowers to bloom! I adore flowers and nothing perks up a great vintage hairstyle better than a great flower. There are a lot of great places to buy floral hair accessories from, but sometimes they don't have exactly what I'm looking for, plus often times it's more fun to make it yourself! It's such a fun little project I wanted to share it with you guys, so I've created a step-by-step with some great pictures (ok some are great...some are a little fuzzy, but you all will be happy to know I found my missing tripod so the picture process should be getting easier soon).

What you Need.

Duck Billed Clips

Shop around for some great silk flowers from your local hobby/craft store (there's some great deals out there, Joanne has most of theirs on sale for 50% off)
Wire cutter (you don't want to cut the steams off with scissors since it will dull them pretty quickly)
Scissors
Duck billed clips (not sure what exactly these are called so I included a picture, plus I like the way the shot turned out)
Hot glue gun and glue sticks (I used all-purpose glue sticks)
Felt (works well as it doesn't absorb glue like a lot of other fabrics do)

Let's get Crafting!

Step 1: Clip the steam off, as close to the flower as you can

Step 2: If there is a plastic cap on the back of the flower you'll want to remove that by gently peeling it off, it will glue on better without the plastic and snip off any steam nub that remains.

Steps 1 (plastic cap visible here)

Step 3: Cut out a piece of felt approximately the same size as the top of your duck billed clip

Step 4: Place glue along the lengthwise edges of the felt and place on top of clip, hold in place while glue cools - careful this can be hot (also open up the clip so that you don't accidentally glue it together)

Step 4 - Completed

Step 5 (Optional): The flowers might look really cute with leaves as an added touch! The leaves will come with plastic on the backside, which you will want to remove by peeling off. Once that's done you'll just need to glue the leaves to the back of the flower, be sure to hold in place while the glue dries.

Step 5 - Removing the plastic

Step 6: Spread glue on the felt on the duck billed clip then place the clip on the back of the flower, try to avoid placing it directly on the lump as it will not anchor as well, and hold in place to dry.

Step 7: Ta-da!!! Your first custom made flower hair accessory. Now go plan the perfect hairstyle to best show off your new creation.

This blog is now going to be updated 4 times per week instead of daily, it's so much fun but some other projects are falling behind...if only that full-time job wasn't so, well, full-time! Next post will probably be Saturday or Sunday, but until then feel free to leave a comment! We love comments!

What craft projects are you most proud of? If you make your own let me know how it went!

You can also find me at Veggie Girl Eats Out: http://veggiegirleatsout.blogspot.com/

Exercise Disguised as Sweet, Sweet Dance Moves!

2011-03-01T21:33:00.001-06:00

My biggest problem with exercise isn't the moving, the sweating, or even the bouncing. It's the time! By the time I've worked a full day, juggled family needs, ran errands, and done general housekeeping there are not many hours left in the day for the things I enjoy doing; like sewing, or writing, or even *gasp* relaxing by watching TV or gaming. So the idea of using what little is left of my time to bounce around on a stair master is, well, quite frankly...not going to happen, which incidentally is probably why I am not shaped like a lollipop! Part of my problem is that I can easily be distracted by things I think really need to be done immediately, such as:

Examining the nuances of David Tennant's hair, honestly every girls day should contain a little Tennant gazing
Going to every drink vendor in World of Warcraft and getting drunk on their beverages
Snake my drains, this would be after googling how exactly one goes about this
Reorganizing my walk-in pantry (hummm...that actually really needs to be done)
Quizzing myself with random trivia questions (hey, cash cab is now in Chicago...I have to be prepared)

So as you can see I really need a way to almost trick myself into exercising. So I sat and pondered the situation for a while...

...humm....

how about, no...

..........this is a tough one...

It was then I remembered a Wii game a co-worker told me about, Just Dance 2! I thought, "I could do that, I've been know to bust a move, I've done the electric slide...I've even conga'd a time or two!" The basics are this: you select from 3 main modes: Just Dance (select your dance and start shaking your groove thing), Dance Battle (play against others or alone in 6 different championship categories), or Just Sweat (select your level of sweat and start moving...I refuse to call it a workout).

Once you've selected your mode you get the fun task of choosing your song and dance. What's nice is it shows you the level of dance move difficulty and level of sweat so you know exactly what you're getting yourself into. My favorites so far are Monster Mash (easy), Proud Mary (medium) and Bollywood (hard). I have yet to convince anyone to do the Bollywood duet with me...arguh! Here's a link to a youtube video on this very duet, just so you can see how fun it would be http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13OX6lRyZ1k. After watching that...who's ready to duet it!

What makes this so easy is that 1. you don't need a ton of space, 2. you don't need any special gym clothes, 3. no expensive special shoes needed, 4. no dance coordination necessary and 5. you'll be burning calories left and right...what with all the dancing and laughing! Well I'm off to walk like an Egyptian...or is that dance like an Egyptian! ;-)

Have a terrific 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 played Just Dance? What's your favorite "this is really a workout?" workout? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!

Jumpin' Jehosaphat I'm on YouTube!

2011-02-28T22:29:00.002-06:00

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

2011-02-27T19:00:00.001-06:00

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 )

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
Finger: when the roll reaches your scalp place your pointer finger inside the roll, finger pointing to the ceiling
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
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

2011-02-25T16:26:00.000-06:00

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!

2011-02-24T13:22:00.001-06:00

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!

2011-02-24T13:01:00.000-06:00

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!