Guess who's back, back again?

Do you remember that fateful day?

"Nostalgically Yours is going on HIATUS?!?!"

Alas, it was true. I was forced to leave cyberspace for a myriad of reasons, most of which are far too dreary to bring up. Anyway, I'm now living in New Orleans (again) and plan to do a better job of posting on a semi-regular basis! Also, I've made a new banner! Friends?

"Not good enough."

I know. My gift is nothing compared to all the pain and suffering I've caused you, dear readers. I only hope to make it up to you via the posts and projects I have coming up. I'm going to make future posts a bit less dense to keep the Tumblr generation awake (get back on my lawn and read this!), while still keeping enough substance to titillate even the most refined palates.

Who knows, maybe the job market will turn out bad enough to give me plenty of free time for blog-writing...

 

pics via fyeah Gone with the Wind and fyeah Silent Films.

A Thousand Pardons

I know I have been greatly remiss in posting over the summer months. I have some exciting stories to tell, though, and I plan to be back in business A.S.A.P.

See you all soon,

Semester End

Hey Readers!

My spring semester just ended today - exciting, I know! Unfortunately, I leave on Tuesday for Haiti to visit my mother and little sister, and do not return here to San Francisco until the 13th of June. Therefore, I must take my leave until that time, since I don't know how much time I can spend writing for y'all while I'm out and about. I promise to do an article on the condition of Port-au-Prince and the Haitian people, and I'll even take pictures, but for now I need some rest after finishing finals...

See you in a few weeks,

Music Mondays - "Mah Nà Mah Nà" and Henri Salvador

"Before I begin today's post I would like to say I'm sorry for my sudden halt in posting. I've been going through a lot lately and quite frankly I had to let a lot of things slide, this blog included. I'm back again just the same as ever, but I've decided the best thing to would be to limit myself to posting twice a week - Mondays and Fridays. This way I can be more certain to keep posting consistently while juggling my school and social lives, but enough about me! On to the post."

I stumbled onto today's featured performer completely by accident. You see, I'm a big fan of what can be called Youtube binges. I'll click on one video then go on an endless parade of related videos into infinity. Well this time I really struck gold. It all started when a friend of mine posted the original "Mah Nà Mah Nà" skit from Sesame Street - not the one from "The Muppet Show" that most of us are familiar with. This got me thinking: Is "Mah Nà Mah Nà" an actual song? Turns out, it is! It was written by Piero Umiliani for the 1968 film "Sweden: Heaven and Hell". Here's the original:

So, from here I was led to a parody made by a funny-looking Frenchman named Henri Salvador: "Mais Non, Mais Non", roughly translated: "Of Course Not, Of Course Not!" It works a lot better in French, obviously. Suddenly I was bombarded with a series of very funny, quirky skits from the plethora of hosting jobs he had on French television in the 1960s. Here are my two favorites. Yes, they are in French, but they're easy to follow because of his expressive face.

A true artist.

Juanita Banana: The story of a Cuban Banana Farmer's Daughter who longs to be an opera star despite her father's misgivings. She runs away to join the theater and of course once her father hears of her success he leaves the plantation for the stage!




Minnie Petite Souris (Little Minnie Mouse): This guy is doing everything he can to kill this poor mouse, but she's not having any of it.



There are plenty of other skits and songs of his on Youtube, but most of the others are too difficult to understand if you don't speak French. What I found most interesting about Mr. Salvador is that he's known for recording some of the first French Rock songs. In addition, his song "Dans Mon Ile" is said to have been Anotonio Carlos Jobim's inspiration for pretty much the entire Bossa Nova movement. Pretty neat, huh?

Henri Salvador

He was also the voice of Sebastian in the French dubbed version of "The Little Mermaid".

Goof-ball, Musician, Talking Crab. Henri Salvador.

More on the Kittens

Looking to adopt? Click here for more information!

If you take a gander at the right sidebar, you'll notice something new: a slideshow of pictures of the kittens, as well as a "donate" button. I've started a PayPal donation fund to help pay for vet bills, food, etc. I'm relying on your generosity to help keep me out of the poor house, since I am using my personal funds to take care of the kittens right now.

Being a full-time student, part-time blogger, and part-time mom doesn't leave room for work, so think of this as compensation for my blog posts on the kittens. The more donations I get, the more videos and photos of the kittens I will post! Here's a little teaser:



If you decide to donate, you should be aware that PayPal keeps about 3% of whatever you donate, so if you want to give me $5, you should make it $5.15 if you want me to get the full $5... Of course the kittens always welcome larger donations, but by no means is anyone obligated to donate.

The kittens are going in for their first official vet exam tomorrow, and I'll be sure to keep you all posted on their health!

Enjoy the video,
Nostalgically Yours

PS: They haven't learned to eat without making a mess, yet, so that's food on their schnoz, not poo!

My Kittens at Play!

Looking to adopt? Click here for more information!

Does this need an introduction? I think not.





Enjoy,

Nostalgically Yours

I Don't Understand this Obsession With Men and Their Balls...

No, this not a post about rude jokes through the ages - a new episode of "Sex and the Austin Girl" has just gone up on Babelgum! This week: Sports!




I'd also like to take a second to thank the folks over at The Jane Austen Addict Website for publishing my review on their Press Page! It's quite an honor to be published on such an accomplished author's website. Do give them your traffic if you've got a moment or two - the website will give you information on how to enter for a chance to win copies of Laurie Viera Rigler's books:

Do enjoy the show - and the books!

Nostalgically Yours

Regency Portrait

As promised in my Preview Post, this portrait was a project I've been working on for a while. You can see a thumbnail sketch in the preview post. As you already know I love anything old-fashioned, and I especially love the portraits of days gone by. Unlike modern photography, the portraits of yore were really big deals, and were reserved only for the wealthier classes. Portraits were considered a status symbol, and were hung in important places in the stately homes of the past.

Beau Brummell:
THE premiere Regency Gentleman

Anyway, to make a long story short, I decided to draw myself as a Regency Gentleman. If this makes sense to you, then by all means skip to the picture.

For those readers that don't know, the Regency Period is a broad term used to describe the fashion, architecture, literature, and culture of the years between the French Revolution in 1789 and the ascent of Queen Victoria to the British throne in 1837. Personally, I cut off the Regency period at 1820, and call the period between 1820-1837 the Romantic period, but that's getting a bit too specific. The Regency Period is most recognized and remembered through the works of Jane Austen. She wrote most of her works around 1800, and her novels (including Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, and Emma) have become indelibly linked with this period.

The Regency Period for women was defined by a high waistline, light flowing fabrics, and a generally militaristic and masculine silhouette in outerwear. The corset was less rigid than those of the prior centuries, and was intended only to soften the woman's curves, highly visible under clingy gowns. The bust was also lifted and separated by a wide busk in the front of the corset.

A Spencer Jacket

Ladies' Riding Habit

Two corsets of the time, one with busk

Menswear saw the creation of the modern suit. The collar was high and stiff, and was worn with intricate cravats the ranging complexity of which marked a gentleman's social standing. After the French Revolution, looking rich was not only a fashion faux-pas but could be dangerous. This made wearing jackets, pants, and vests of different colors quite popular. Also, thanks to the influence of philosophers such as Rousseau, the country became the place to be and equestrian styles dominated. This was also the time of Beau Brummel (expect a post on him).

The only Darcy that will ever have my heart...
Do we really need another menswear picture?

Since I love this period so much, I chose to use this as the setting for my first self-portrait. I've always thought I'd look dashing in a high collar and cravat - don't you agree?

How do I look?

Hope you liked it, and expect my review of Project Runway later today!
Nostalgically Yours


Some more interesting links on Regency Fashion:
Regency Era Primer
Distinctions in Regency Dress: Full, Half, and Undress
Spencers, Pelisses, and Cloaks: Women's Regency Outerwear

Photo Credits:
Beau Brummell: Jane Austen's World
Women's Costumes: The Fashionable Past - Katherine's Costume Site
Busk Corset: Egg-box Marketing
Colin Firth as Darcy: 51 Degrees North

Oh the Treasures You'll Find!

Unless you've just recently bought a house, or are compulsively tidy, there's a good chance that your house is filled with as much stuff as mine is. Of course, my family has only been in this house for about twenty years, which isn't a lot when you think of homes that pass down through generations and generations. Anyway, if you've got
lots of stuff and are fond of nostalgia, as I have and am, then packing up to move can be quite a delightful experience, if somewhat of a chore.
Today we found a cane belonging to my great-grandfather. The handle of the cane was inscribed with his name and the year- 1920!
I was also able to take out my three most precious posessions: three vintage suitcases. One of them is an "Amelia Aerheart" brand suitcase. Another of them has travel decals from when the White Star Line still existed.
It's incredible to be able to hold something that has lived through so much. The stories these objects could tell!

I promise I will put up pictures for this and other articles that are missing them
either tomorrow or Wednesday... Something else I found in packing today:
the USB cable for my digital camera!

I hope your next move is as interesting as mine.
Nostalgically Yours

My New Room

As I mentioned last week, my family recently purchased a house in New Orleans. It is the coiziest little double shotgun cottage you have ever seen! For those of you that don't know, aShotgun Cottage is a house usually consisting of 3-5 rooms, arranged in a line from front to back with no hallways. One literally walks through every room in the house to go out the back door. A double shotgun (the now more popular variety) is simply two shotgun houses that share a wall. In many cases, like in that of the family we bought from, a single family will buy both sides of a double shotgun and open up certain rooms to create more space. You might think it's impractical, but maybe it's just the Southerner deep inside that sees these houses as cozy and very family oriented. Though I do agree that carrying food through your bedroom from the kitchen (traditionally at the back of the house) constantly would be a touch awkward, especially with guests over. Luckily our opened double is arranged so the bedrooms are not on the way to anything.

On to the point! I went to Pier 1 Imports with my family today in search of a set of cheap square dishes - my Nana is very partial to them - and found the perfect inspirational item for my new bedroom. It's exciting because this will be the first time I'll really get to decorate a new room in a new house. Even in all my travels as a foreign service brat, the walls always had to remain white because it was, after all a rental. The same thing happened last year at college, where a roommate meant the room stayed neutral all year. Here, though, it's anything goes for me! I get to pick a bed, drapes, everything! I can't wait to get started. The only thing holding me back right now is the fact that the washer, dryer, and water heater are all still in there. The old family used it as a laundry room/closet-for-the-whole-house-since-storage-is-sparse. The walls are also covered with wire shelving and clothes hangers, but that's perfect for storing not only my own clothes but also my sewing projects and such. My bed is already picked out: It's a beautiful chocolate brown twin sleeper loveseat (I never knew they made those until this week!), and from it I derived a color palate: tans and browns, with purple and fucsia accents. This was all fine and dandy, but the room still lacked decoration direction, so the trip to Pier 1 was great: I found a beautiful little metal Morrocan-style tealight candleholder with purple glass! This is going to be the jumping-off-point for my aesthetic: eclectic antiques meet modern simplicity.

I also found out how my room should smell. This might sound a bit odd, and I suppose it is, but smell is very important to me in creating and environment I can really feel at home in. Pier 1 had a great selection of scented candles, and I picked a refreshing water-themed multi-pack... It smelled like home to me. I really am a water person.

I'll be sure to post some pictures of my stuff as it comes up, and maybe some design concepts for my room!

More on this later,
Nostalgically Yours

Wonders of Intelligent Design

No, I'm not talking about Spore, though that is a fantastic game. I'm just constantly surprised by the amazing things the human body can do. If you're wondering, the answer is yes. I do believe in intelligent design. In regards to who is behind all this - whether it was a guy on a cloud with a long white beard, or prehistoric alien scientists, or even a lonely child in her imagination - or whether or not they're still around, watching us, is something I have yet to decide.

No matter what your belief system, sometimes you've just got to wonder at what we're capable of under the right circumstances. For instance: a few years ago in India a three-year-old was hit by a car and thrown down a flight of steps. He walked away from the scene unharmed. It was all over Youtube. I'm sure you can still find it. After earthquakes one always hears stories of those who survive weeks trapped under rubble. Another good example is that man who was trapped in his basement and was forced to amputate his own arm... without anasthetic!

Then, of course, there are the much more mundane examples of extraordinary examples of the body's "special features". A mother who knows when her child is up to something, a person who can navigate strange cities just by their sense of direction, or people like me, whose biological clocks have a variety of built-in sensors. I once had an alarm clock that instead of playing music blasted an electronic beeping noise. I HATED this alarm clock. In retrospect, I'm not even sure why I kept it for so long. It got to a point where I flinched every time I heard similar noises, like alarms on digital watches or alarm clocks on TV. The noise still gets to me, but back then it was so bad that just hearing it would send me spiraling into a bad mood. One day when I accidentally slept in, I wondered at how the alarm didn't wake me. I then noticed that the alarm wasn't turned on. Thinking I must have forgotten I made certain to double check the alarm the following evening, but upon waking up (late, again) I saw that the alarm was, once again, off. The only reasonable explanation I could find was that my body woke me up before my alarm, and in a subconscious attempt to stop the horrific noise, would turn it off and return to bed.

In a similar vein, we found out that trains pass by our new house very early in the morning, but I have yet to be woken up by the train. Twice this week I've woken up at ridiculous hours to use the restroom - something I never do at night to begin with - only to have a train pass by minutes later, tooting it's very loud whistle. I have no idea what could have done it. I don't know the train schedule, even by experience. The only warning of an oncoming train is the clanging of the railroad crossing sign about a block away where my street intersects the tracks. Thing is, I slept through that the first night because it was malfunctioning and wouldn't turn off despite the abscense of oncoming locomotives. Anyway, perhaps it's something similar to what warns animals of oncoming earthquakes. I just think it's funny that most of my strange stories revolve around sleeping...!

Nostalgically Yours

Return of the Blog!

Hello readers,

After a hiatus of several months, I am back! Many things have changed since I've last written:

-My family is moving to New Orleans (and I with them)
-I'm taking a year "off" from school in San Fran to help out down in "crescent city"
-Both my parents will be changing posts this fall

Basically a lot is going on, but I really do want to get back to writing. I've decided to focus this blog more on my historical costume perspective, as well as on goings on in pop culture, etc. I feel a bit more in touch nowadays, since I'm watching the news regularly again as well as talk shows such as "The View", "Ellen", and "Oprah".

I've actually already gotten started on my first summer project: a medieval gown for a cousin's school event. See more in later posts.

It's good to be back!

Haiti Hitting Close to Home...

Though I by no means wish to make my situation seem even remotely as bad as those down on Hispaniola, the earthquake in Haiti struck a nerve very close to my heart. Both my father and mother work for the State Department, and both of my parents have recently taken assignments to Port-au-Prince. My father moved there in October and my mother planned to go down this summer with my little sister, Marie. I can only be thankful that my dad was back here in the US visiting me over Christmas when the quake hit. The house where my mother was going to live is now in ruins, as is their future in Haiti. My father has been working on a task force in DC for the past week - I'm not complaining, he's doing very good work.

I guess I just don't know how I feel about all of this. My entire family could have died in that quake. I could be an orphan right now... All I know now is that clearly they were meant to be helping the people of Haiti. I want to go and help but I don't know when or how that will happen.

It's also really made me think about living in a city like San Francisco, where an earthquake like the one in Haiti is a serious possibility. What would I do in a situation like that? I don't mean in terms of behavior during the earthquake, that sort of thing I know, it's more in terms of the aftermath. Would my school be intact? Would I be going to classes? Would I move back to VA with my mother? Would I stay in SF and help clear the rubble or pass out food? Would I even be alive? Would my friends?

It's a lot to think about.


Nostalgically Yours