Of a Vintage Air's 1st Birthday!

So. One year. This will be my 32nd post. Which I consider somewhat of a failure as it's not even one a week! 

Celebrating??

Two big gaps in posting have helped attribute to that I think! It's been better the last month or so. I've tried to be more scheduled with my posting. I have four things to write about every month, and then anything interesting I might do gets tucked in between!

I think my favourite posts have been the sewing ones. It makes me quite proud to think that I've actually made something. Especially something wearable and washable! (My skirts have braved the washing machine and come out unscathed!) 

Blogging aims for the next year?

> More frequent posting. 

> More sewing/crafty projects. 

> Book reviews and research into the wartime years. 

> Airplanes!! They definitely haven't made enough of a dent in this blog yet and they're actually a huge part of my life! 

So happy birthday to the blog, and I hope to hear more from the few of you who read next year! 

Jo :-) 

Outfit Post: Autumn Days

So Autumn seems to have turned up! I'm really rather chilly today. Jumpers at the ready I think! 

This is one of my standard, easy go to outfits for this time of year. 

The trousers are a lovely wide legged, wool blend in a deep aubergine colour. They were from a sale in New Look and are very toasty!  

It's warm enough with the sleeves for cooler days and not too bulky to chuck a thicker jumper on over the top if needed. 

I love the top. The colour is such a pretty blue and the pleating detail around the neckline is a really feminine touch on an otherwise standard top. 

It's from a Next outlet and the only bad thing is that I always find their tops a tad on the short side for tucking in. 

Pockets! Pockets are awesome. 

So that's it. Simples. Classic trousers and top combo. If I'd actually had time to do my hair it might even have looked a bit more vintage! Although I have been told that when worn with my flying jacket, I look like I'm off to fix a B17! 

Outfit details:

Pearl headband: gift. 

Top: Next Outlook £3

Trousers: New Look £5 (belt included)

Ankle Boots: New Look £15

I'll be back in a couple of days with a holiday photo post! 

Jo :-) 

P.S. what's your go to outfit as it starts to cool down? 

August Instagram Round Up

Well, this post was all ready to go just before I left for Germany. Planned posting on the 6th. And then there was no wifi. :-(

So here it is. Only a couple of weeks late!! 

Ooh a new month and a new Instagram round up! If you fancy seeing some more from me, my Instagram and twitter are both @ofavintageair 

Top five photos by the number of likes! :-) 

5) beautiful 50s beaded handbag. A birthday present from my fiancé's mother :-) I love it! But am so worried about damaging it on an evening out! 

4) Red gingham skirt outfit for a blog post! I love this skirt! It went down so well at the jazz club and is perfect for dancing in!

3) starting to sew up the gingham skirt of my 1940s singer sewing machine. Taken just before the "threading the needle the wrong way" failure!

2) my beautiful spitfire jewellery from one of my very best friends for my birthday! The box says from Hoarders World if anyone's interested in buying some! 

1) and people's favourite this month seems to be sparkly grey nails and my beautiful engagement ring. Can't say I blame them to be honest! Just need to get some of that nail polish for my own now! 

Well. That's your lot folks! I like doing the Instagram round ups. It's nice to look back over what you've been up to for the last month. Sort of like a photo diary! 

Jo :-) 

P.S. are you on Instagram and should I be following you? What were you up to in August?

How I did 20s make up

So the other week I went to the Colchester Jazz Club's Summer Party. It was wonderful fun, made all the better by my Eric joining us for a change! 

Due to a bit of idiocy on my part I couldn't sew up my red gingham circle skirt and go as a picnic blanket as I'd intended! 

Cue crazy dashing round shops looking for something twenties inspired to wear instead. Dress finally found I realised I should really do some make up to go with it! 

Now, make up has never been a hugely strong point for me, but I'm getting a lot better! 

I still think these photos look better in black and white! 

I went for a fairly heavy "film star" type look, but dispensed with any heavy foundation due to the amount of dancing that would be happening! Didn't think everything sliding off my face would be a particularly good look! 

So, if you're not going to be doing anything too strenuous, start here!

1) pale foundation. You're looking for doll like skin, looking flat and flawless for those 1920s cameras! 

Again, if you're not sweating too much, you could try covering your eyebrows and re drawing them completely, but I personally feel like I wouldn't be comfortable wearing such a stylised look out! I'm not the brave! I just used a brown liner to accentuate my own eyebrows a bit!

2) I swept a pale pink across my eyelids, right up to the eyebrow. 

3) then used a charcoal colour (that had a teeny bit of sparkle to it) and swept that across my eyelid, into the crease, and nearly up to the insides of my eyebrows. 

4) then I used my black and white smudge stick. The black I smudged on the outside of my eyelash line. All along the top of my lid and just underneath and on the outside of my lower lid. The white I used on the inside of my lashes on the lower lid. 

5) for a bit of extra definition I used a black kohl liner on my top lid and took it out to the side in a gentle flick. 

6) pile on the mascara! I did the lower lashes as well, just not quite as heavily!

7) tidy up under your eyes, maybe a sweep of pale powder. I didn't bother with blush (dancing makes me red enough!) but I think it helps with the doll like look. 

8) I used a deeper than normal lip liner. Really accentuate the Cupid's bow and don't make your lips as wide as normal either. Blot the edges with foundation. 

Ta dah! 20s style inspired make up! 

I wouldn't wear this day to day! But I quite like the smoky eyes toned down a tad for an evening look. Although everyone I asked said they liked the look even if it was heavy, that it was just a bit different! 

Which was nice of them :-) 

Jo :-)

P.S. do you have a make up go to? Like trying new styles? 

Review: Black Felt Tip Eyeliner

So a tad overdue for a post here! 

This time, a speedy review of one of my favourite make up items. The felt tip eyeliner. 

This is the only one I've seen and I snapped it up pretty quick as I am RUBBISH at eyeliner. Liquid seems to go everywhere and most pencils seem to be smudged over half my face after a few hours!

This does exactly what it says on the tin! It's like drawing on your face with a pen! Which is about my level of make up expertise! 

Info:

By Collection

I purchased mine in Tesco for the princely sum of £2.99

I use it all the time. It has even kicked my nice brown liner's butt for everyday wear. 

I like it as a thin line for a bit of definition. Do excuse the pasty face in these photos! This is with no mascara and it is so fast to do! 

This is my favourite look. Lots of mascara, plenty of eyeliner and flicks at the corners! Easy and pretty I think. 

I find it so much easier to do flicks with this than pencil or liquid. 

I would recommend this to everyone (go buy one, now!!) and will definitely be replacing it with another when it runs out! 

The only thing I have to say against it, is that perhaps it doesn't have quite the depth or strength of liquid or gel liner, but that's not an issue for me. 

So, a quick summing up!

Price: 5/5 bargain at £2.98

Value for money: 5/5 seems to be lasting well and I don't have to scrub off first attempts and start again!! 
Look: 4/5 lovely. Not quite as dark as liquid or gel, but pretty darn good!
Staying power: 4/5 holds up well to an evening of dancing at the jazz club, but will rub off if you rub your eyes. Although I think that's true of everything! And you do have to let it dry!! 

End result: 4.5/5 perfect, cheap and incredibly easy to apply. Great for day or night! 

I purchased this with my own money, and obviously all views are my own! 

Jo

P.S. bought any new name up recent only? Tempted by this? :-)

Scotland Trip! >or< How to Bore People with Too Many Photos!

The other week I took some time out to visit my Mum and Godmother in bonny Scotland! If you follow me on Instagram or twitter you'll already have seen some of these photos!

The main reason for driving up was that due to me buying my wedding dress (!!!) second hand on eBay they hadn't seen it yet! They loved it. I'm so pleased because I think it's just perfect! 

They couldn't get much time off work but we managed to cram plenty into the two weekends anyway! 

We visited Stirling. For a good rummage in TK Maxx. I have a beautiful silk shirt now. Perfect for job interviews? 

I was taken to Cupar home of fabulous charity shops! I tried on an amazing mint green 60s or 70s sort of frothy pencil skirt type secretary dress, but alas it was not meant to be! 

We had fun frog cakes. Found the Really Nasty Horse Racing Game and got some lovely bargain clothes. Leopard print jacket. Oh yes. 

Then we headed to Anstruther to see the sea! Had famous Fish and Chips followed by bubblegum ice cream and went home (ridiculously) full, fat and happy. 

I made a couple of mid week excursions on my dear bicycle. To the random pineapple and the new addition of a spitfire memorial in Grangemouth. 

We spent my last Sunday visiting Blackness Castle on the Forth. Complete with what seemed like gale force winds! Lovely castle, but the stairs aren't for the faint hearted! 

After that we went to the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway where they run a gorgeous little steam train up and down the tracks all day! 

We booked first thing to go on the afternoon tea excursion. It was delicious. I want to do it every weekend! Nothing like the noise of a steam train!

The train tickets allow you to hop on and off as many times as you like. As there was only one trip after ours we didn't bother, but the nature walks off the little stations looked lovely. I believe there's also an estate you can walk to and visit. 

Oh, and I learnt the basics of crochet. As you saw in my recent book review! Fingers crossed for a finished article soon! 

All in all a wonderful little break. It's all a bit crashing back down to earth now, but looking back through the photos has been lovely! 

Jo :-)

P.S. have you been anywhere nice lately? Day trip? Sun, sea and sand holiday? 

Crazy Birthday Wishlist >or< what I'd buy if I won the Lottery!

So hi guys! It's my birthday today. 23!

I don't really do birthday lists (don't even think I did them when I was little, Santa lists yes, birthday, no) but I thought it would be fun to do a crazy, extravagant, lottery win type list. Because let's be honest, I'd be happy with a slow cooker and some chocolate! :-)

It's a good excuse for a post full of pretty things!!

So, without further ado:

1) A DeHavilland Tiger Moth. Or Gipsy Moth. Sorry for the bad photo quality. Phone picture. That I zoomed in on! Seriously though. My favourite aeroplanes. So lovely!

2) A vintage Mustang. Gorgeous. Oddly my crazy Wishlist seems to be vehicular in nature! 

3) Vivien of Holloway wrap dress and a funky new blue petticoat to go under it! Given that I now sew somewhat more than I used to, the skirts are becoming more accessible to me, but the structure of tops and dresses still scares me! 

4) A stunning (and slightly too in your face!) sparkly necklace. Diamonds preferably! This one is made new on Etsy, in a deco style and is gorgeous. As is the price tag of £3300. Definitely a Lotto win bit of jewellery!

5) a personal trainer?? Who'll followed round and yell at me when I want to buy chocolate and when I watch "Come Dine With Me", get obsessed with the sponge pudding, google it and go make it in the microwave. (May have happened. My lips remain sealed and slightly sticky with golden syrup...) Who forces me to run and jump and skip and get lovely and healthy again!! Haha! 

Anyway, silliness aside! I hope anyone else who shared an August birthday with me has a great day! 

Jo :-)

P.S. What's been your favourite birthday present? I love my bike and my VoH dress and petticoat to death, and my evening dress from my Dad for my 21st!