New Feature! (Cat)urdays!

It tends to get a little quiet here on Midwest Mayhem during the weekends. So, I've decided to start a new feature to help fill the gap between Friday and Monday - (Cat)urdays! Jon and I probably take about 10 pictures of our cats per day. Most of them never have the privilege of being shared because there are just so many! So from now on every Saturday I'll pick the best of the bunch to share with you guys!

Here's NES making a stupid face:



And Panthro melting into the background:



Yay! Cute kitties!



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Polka Dots at a Garage Sale

Last weekend Jon and I had our garage sale. We didn't quite make as much money as we were hoping for, so we're probably going to do another one at my step-mom's house in a few weeks. On top of the fact that we live on a street that doesn't go through to any main roads the city is also doing construction on all roads leading to our place. So it was kind of inevitable that it was going to flop. I think having another one at my step-mom's house will be much better (why didn't we think of this beforehand?) because she lives off of a main street in a nice area. I'm a little worried about waiting a few weeks as garage sale season is coming to an end, but that's the only way it will fit into our schedules.

photo: Jon Knitter

I wore this pretty silk polka dot skirt for the day. This is one of those items that doesn't usually make it to the front of my closet often. I think this may have to change. Yep, this baby deserves a little more play time.

I paired the skirt with my Anna Sui (for Target) shirt and a brooch that was a birthday gift from a co-worker. I added a black belt from another dress and there you have it - instant outfit!



photo: Jon Knitter

photo: Jon Knitter

Hmmm....perhaps no one showed up because they saw Jon and I playing kissy face in the backyard?





We were so exhausted from working so hard on pricing everything all week that neither one of us got any sleep. Words cannot explain how tired we were, but I think this picture of Jon just about sums it up! :)



Poor shoes, they got all wet in the grass!



A birthday gift!



The kitties sat in the window all day watching and talking to us. They were constantly fighting over who got to sit in the window. Most of the time it resulted in one cat sitting on another cat's head.





The Breakdown:

Outfit:
Polka Dot Skirt: The Limited, Thrifted
Top: Anna Sui for Target
Jazz Shoes: Target

Accessories:
Brooch: Birthday Gift
Bracelet: Gift
Purse: Thrifted
Black Belt: Target



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Vintage Wednesday #41 - 50's Circle Skirts

photo: www.aubreylondonpinup.com

This week for Vintage Wednesday I thought I'd go over a style that is slowly starting to take over my wardrobe - 50s circle skirts!

photo: www.sensibility.com/vintageimages


photo: www.aubreylondonpinup.com

photo: http://www.skooldays.com

Although I love 60s fashion and it will always be my favorite I'm starting to come to terms with the fact that 50s silhouettes are better suited for my hourglass body type. What better way to show off a small waist and hide big hips than with a beautiful, twirling circle skirt? They are perfectly feminine, flirty, and long enough that you don't have to worry about flashing passers-by on a windy day! Haha - so perfect for bicycle riding!

Of course, with giant poodles and huge flowers they can get a little cheesy pretty quick! It's best to keep the embellishment to a minimum. A little poodle or kitten is cute, but if it's taking up the entire skirt it can be a bit distracting.

The circle skirt is a very well-known 50s fashion staple, however it actually got its start in the 1940s. The designer Julie Lynne Charlot designed the first circle skirt with felt appliques in 1947 for the holiday season. Department stores absolutely loved them and so did their consumers as they were sold out right away. After the holidays Charlot began working on patterns with dog themes and thus the poodle skirt was born. For the most part this look was more popular with teens. However the mexican circle skirt (which was done in bright colors, hand-painted, and embellished) was very popular with the movie stars of the day including Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, and Katherine Hepburn.

Some examples of modern circle skirts/dresses:




photos: www.fashion-style.becomegorgeous.com


photo: www.harpersbazaar.com

How to wear a circle skirt today:

Start with your lovely vintage skirt - add a pretty feminine blouse, a cardigan, heels, and some costume jewelry and you'll be all set!

For a circle skirt by catbirdknitter featuring silk shirts

Or for a more casual look try wearing it with an oversized tee and a pair of oxfords.

For a circle skirt - casual by catbirdknitter featuring metal jewelry

Perfection!

If you want to take advantage of the full shape you'll want to wear a petticoat underneath. However if you're looking to keep the style more modern you can forgo the petticoat and just let the skirt hang as is, swooshing against your knees. You'll look smashing either way!

I hope you've enjoyed this week's edition of Vintage Wednesday! Check back next week for more vintage fun!

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Guest Posting Today!

Today I'm over at Sara's blog, She is Sara. I'm guest posting for her while she's on vacation. Stop by and check it out!




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