Your New Years THINspiration Look Book

I bet I can guess what one of your resolutions is. Get fit right? Man, I'm good! Losing weight is the number one New Year's resolution, and for vintage mamas like us, looking like a Betty should be number one...well after God, husbands, children and country of course.

No matter what you plan is for losing weight and getting fit, staying motivated is a must. Here are some things that I have done to motivate and thinspire me:

• Displayed My Skinny Dress - I have this darling black with white polka dot wiggle dress that my sister gave me while I was pregnant (what a cruel joke), and I've never been able to wear it. So I put a nail on the door and hung up my precious dress do that I can see it and be encourage everyday.
• Put Up My Fat Pictures - That's right, my fat pictures. I've tried putting up my skinny pictures, but they didn't have that shock value I need. If I'm going to have the will power to refuse a second helping, I need to see something that will horrify me to the very core. Hence the fat pictures.
• Threw Out My Frumpy Fat Clothes - I'm not sure how they got there, but I had some frumpy looking clothes that was making me feel extra wide. So even if I just wore at home, I threw out those frumpy, fat clothes that were weighing me down.
• Created A "Thinspirational" Look Book - Even though I say thin, I don't mean super model thin. Frankly, I know that I could never be that thin, and I'm actually quite fond of my giggly bits. So I created a look book with real women that have giggly bits to keep me motivated and inspired. Take a look...

Real Vintage Mamas Love Science!

This past weekend my Hunny and I took our little rascals to the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, Ca. We were about to buy tickets when my little eye spotted one sexy, vintage mama...

This betty of a mama was all glammed up for a day of science geekery with her family. What a cute family! And the best part is that that now were friends of facebook! Thanks Yisenia and Carlos for some fabulous rockabilly inspiration!

1940's Hair Styles - Free Download (updated)

Hello mama's! I hope that everyone had a glorious Christmas. I know I did! My Hunny really spoiled me this year with 2 new pairs of maryjanes, a classic black peacoat, hair curlers and curling iron! Can yo believe it? My Hunny sure is good to me. Now a little something for you...

I was browsing amazon looking for hairstyling books when I came across Daniela Turudich's 1940's hair Styles. I know most of you were pretty familiar with this book, but I'm kinda' new to the vintage hairstyling world so I wasn't. I took a peek in amazon when I had a deja vu moment. I've seen this before...hmmm.

So I went searching around my saved eBooks when I found the complete book in pdf! Oh yes honey, I have the complete book here, free for you to download!

What's the catch? None, all I ask is that you subscribe to my lovely, little blog and if you have already, would you please tell a friend? Pretty please?

Update: A felony? Oh no! Oh I'm so naive when it comes to this legal stuff. Good thing my Hunny's got my back! Turns out that by offering this book free to download I'm infringing on copyrights, so alas I had to remove it and anyone who saved the link will be sorely disappointed as I have now locked it. I know it's not nearly the same thing but I do have something else to share...

My World Famous Mediterranean Salt Glow! Oh yes world famous...well it could have been. On an earlier post I shared with you about how I sold french soaps and handmade body goodies at farmers markets. Well this recipe was for my most popular salt glow. In fact, I still have customers emailing me years later about purchasing it. So please accept my sincere apologies about having to remove the link and I hope that this divine salt glow will make it all better!

A New Year, A New Vintage Beauty Blog

Okay ladies, first I want to apologize. I'm so sorry for not keeping up with the beauty. But I had a very good reason!

At first I thought that I was just to busy to write, but then why was I finding time to write on the many forums I joined. Then I thought it was writers block, but I had a flood of ideas that came to me for my other blog. After reading some of my favorite blogs about blogging (see here and here), I realized what my problem was, my niche was undefined.

I started Vintage Beauty Blog with one idea in mind, I then added more and more until it was no longer recognizable.

I then found myself in a spot where I was self-doubting and lost my direction. A scary, frustrating and embarrassing place to be when your trying to build a blog.

The great news is that I was finally able to gather my thoughts and focus on exactly what I envision for Vintage Beauty Blog (as well as what I envision for my other blogs!) .

So what's the focus that I'm so thrilled about?

How do Vintage Mama's keep up their glam after kids?

If you're a mama you know exactly how hard it is to keep yourself looking fabulous after kids, even more so when you add the extra vintage glam. Like you, I want to know from real life vintage mama's what their beauty routines are, what products they can't live without, how to keep your figure, and shortcuts to effortless glam!

So to do this I will be scouring the planet for real vintage mama's, interviewing them, asking all the beauty, fitness, style questions you're dying to know, posting their pics, as well as offering tons of how-to's from yours truly.

Are you as excited as I am? You won't want to miss this so add Vintage Beauty Blog to your rss feed, follow on google, twitter or facebook and stay tuned for some real vintage beauty!

P.S. If you would like to be a part of Real Vintage Mama's and share your tips and tricks, please contact me. Thanks and

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Product Review: Hip Slimmer 2000

Yay! My first product review! Now before we get started, I want to disclose that I am not getting paid for this review nor did I receive my Hip Slimmer for free (darn). I actually bought this and used it. Okay on with the show!

Well first, it's not actually called the Hip Slimmer 2000, just Hip Slimmer (I added the 2000 to get your attention. It worked didn't it?). The reason I bought this, as many mamas already know, is because my hips widened after babies. I already had some pretty bodacious hips before my babies, but boy howdy I got some BODACIOUS HIPS after! Sure I like my curves, but mine were almost offensive! (tee hee). So I got to lookin' around to see if anything could be done.

The Hip Slimmer is a corset that claims to encourage the hips to go back together after child birth.

During pregnancy, female hormones such as relaxin and progesterone are released. Relaxin, as its name applies, causes the body’s connective tissue and joints to relax and loosen. In particular, the symphisis pubis and the sacroiliac joints widen which allows your pelvis to accommodate the enlarging uterus and eventual passage of your baby. These hormones do not return to their pre-pregnancy levels until after delivery, leaving your hips malleable. Many women complain that this widening leaves a lasting effect on their hips.

The truth is that the joints, especially the hips, do loosen and widen for child birth. So in theory one could apply gentle, consistent pressure to bring them back together before the joints get set in their position after pregnancy. Sounds reasonable to me, but what about the price?

I bought mine from the company website and paid $64 plus shipping. Not a huge chunk of change, but considering your only gonna use it for a few weeks, it kinda' is. I was willing to pay though because Baby Carlitos is probably (unless God has other plans) gonna be my last baby, which means it's the last time my joints will be loose enough to squeeze them back together. That's the reasoning I told my husband which convinced him I needed it.

It arrived within the week wrapped in pretty tissue paper. As soon as I opened it I knew it meant business. It had very sturdy construction, seams were tight, laces were thick and no fraying whatsoever. The Hip Slimmer was here and it was going to bring those hips together whether you like or not!

It didn't come with the instructions (hmm, that's weird), so I had look them up on their company website. I slipped it on over my yoga pants, tightened those laces like nobodies business and stood back. Aaahhhh! I had the most horrendous muffin top EVER!

I have (french accent)...how you say...junk in the trunk? Oh yes Mama got some junk in the trunk and the Hip Slimmer just pushed it all up! It was hideous, shamful and even vulgar. After I came to, I made peace with my muffin top (that is temporary until I get my sexy back) and vowed only to wear the corset only when I was home alone.

Though I looked awful, it really wasn't that uncomfortable. It just felt really snug. There was no pinching or scratching. The size large just barely fit over my ginormous hips, but once I tightened the laces it fit well. Sitting down was a bit of a challenge, but if I put low enough over my hips (really over my booty) then it didn't slide up when I sat down.

The instructions say to wear it for "several hours for the first couple of months". Honestly I wore mine for about 1-2 hours (sometimes 3), 4-5 days per week for the first 6 weeks, and I tightened the laces as tight as I could (though I still didn't feel uncomfortable). The only uncomfortable time was at night. I noticed that my hips would feel sore at night if I had worn the corset that day. Not from the outside where the corset sat on my hips, but rather from my bones where I assumemy hips were coming back together.

My results were very good. I lost a total of 3 inches off of my hips! Well worth the money I invested. I have since then tucked away my Hip Slimmer in my just-in-case-maternity box just in case there's another plus sign in my future.

Now about this muffin top...

Beautiful Treats For A Glamorous Christmas

Treat yourself to some much needed TLC this season:

Skip your morning java and have a warm glass of cranberry juice instead. The zingy taste will pep you up while the extra dose of vitamin C will help keep sniffles away.

Keep a Vitamin E Stick in your purse to swipe over chapped lips, your sore nose or other dry, irritated patches to help them heal quickly.

Instead of munching on cakes and cookies at home (there will be plenty of goodies at the parties), stock up on plain popcorn that you can season to your hearts content. Try my Cinnamon Cranberry Popcorn Delight below!

Make a Smilebox recipe

Keep a small bottle of coconut oil or olive oil on the stove top to keep warm. Slather the luscious warm oil over dry hands, knees and lips whenever you feel them chapped.

Place a heated, Herbal Pack pack under your bed sheet for extra warmth and fragrant dreams.

Although hot showers are tempting, especially in the chilly months, remember that long hot showers actually dry out the skin. Why not try a warm bath instead, with lots of bubbles of course!

Keep a small Nail Brush by your hand soap to thoroughly clean underneath your nails, where cold and flu nasties like to hide.

Try to keep holiday weight gain to a minimum (it's gonna happen so let's be honest), enjoy your Christmas desserts with a cup of tea instead of eggnog or cappuccino.

Have a nostalgic tin of mints with you at all times. You never know when you''ll be caught under the mistletoe!

Do your own manicures this month and donate the extra money to a charity like Samaritan Purse or World Vision.

Write or find a lovely Christmas poem and frame it. Place it by your bedside so that when you start feeling blue over all the Christmas hub-bub, you can be reminded of the true reason for the season and be glad.

How to you make the season extra beautiful?

I'm Weird, Very Weird

There, I said it. My secret is out, I'm weird.

I know tons of useless movie lines and my sister and I have full conversations just reciting such lines.

I break out into song and dance at anytime all day long.

My little toe has a nail so small I can barely put a dab of polish on it.

Just how weird? Well I put together a little play list of music that describes me. Yes, every one one these songs is me.

And if you feel this music describes you as well, well then you're weird too.

Welcome friend.

Note: Scroll to the bottom to pause my other play list. Thanks!

Vintage Calenders For a Glamorous 2010

I shared on my other blog some super cute, vintage inspired calenders for the new year. Here are some more calenders with more of a glam look. Vintage beauty inspiration all year long!