On Wednesday, I was sitting on the front porch, enjoying my breakfast and morning Intsagram feed. The weather was absolutely beautiful and the trees were starting to bloom so we decided to take the kids to a surpise trip to the zoo. We stopped at Aldi for some picnic snacks and headed out.

I wore one of my favorite dresses from Tatyana Boutique via Modcloth and snood handmade by me.


It was supposed to storm that afternoon so there were no big crowds but it never did rain!

I posted some silly animal selfies on Instagram and we had lunch with the animals. 



After the zoo, the kids still had some energy so we wore them out at the St Louis History Museum, which has lots of interactive stuff for kids and lots of beautiful fashion for mommies. I want this dress!!






Also, can I just steal this entire pink kitchen exhibit and put it in my house?! It's funny seeing things that you actually own in museums. Lots of these kitchen bits are very similar to fixtures and dishes in my own house!

It was a busy morning of running errands to the post office, grocery store and doctor's office. On days like this, I want something easy and comfortable so this is my version of jeans and a tee shirt. I always get compliments when I wear my Wearing History tee. It's super soft and the dark grey matches everything!

Wearing History is having a sale for 20% off all tees to fund new designs for their ready to wear line! 

So, last weekend we went grocery shopping and I found the most beautiful mangoes. I love juicy, sweet mangoes! They're wonderful in a smoothie or green salad or just by themselves. Unfortunately, I'm apparently very allergic to mangoes so I've been avoiding outfit pictures and lipstick all week! ouch!

During the past few days, I've been doing some spring cleaning, waiting for the allergy medicines to do their job and getting ready for some new sewing projects. In my craft room, I've had several boxes of vintage magazines that I had hoped to go through but since I haven't cracked a box open in months, I think it's time to find a new home for them. I'll be listing loads of vintage craft and womens magazines on instagram @wackytunavintage all weekend. I'm posting them in lots of 5 or 6 with super cheap media mail shipping to the US so you can start a vintage magazine collection of your own! I've been looking through them as I sort and even the 70s and 80s issues have some really fantastic retro style holiday crafts, housekeeping tips and recipes.



This morning I also listed some brand new knitting bags at Wacky Tuna since most of them sold out so fast last time! I also updated the listings with international shipping rates for you gals across the pond.

I originally wrote this tutorial for The Vintage Post. That site isn't around anymore but I was able to locate the instructions for this 1950s pin to share with you here! Make this adorable tambourine pin from 1957 with scraps from around the house!

Also check out my e-book, Pins for Pin-Ups: DIY Brooches for Retro Girls for 12 more vintage novelty brooches that you can make using supplies from the recycling bin!

Again please, feel free to follow me on my blog, my Pinterest, or on Bloglovin’ !

Yesterday, I spent a little time pouring over a big stack of vintage magazines from my stash. I find so many great ideas for outfits, crafts, recipes and home decor. Here's a look inside McCalls Needlework from winter 1942-43. There's some really killer knitting and crochet patterns in these. I need to scan and share them before these old pages crumble!

I recently decided to take my outfit pictures in the morning, instead of the afternoon. My husband set me up with a working tripod and remote so I can take my own pictures now. It's working out well so far. My alley behind my house is lined with adorable shabby garages in all different colors, old fences and the occasional friendly wandering dog. On sunny days, it gets really pretty light and since we live a block from the Missouri River, we get a lot of heavy fog, which I think will look gorgeous in pictures.





In my snapping away and prancing around in the alley, I didn't account for the carpet cleaning company a block over, which has its fleet of trucks leave every morning between 8-9. So this morning, every carpet cleaning guy took a minute to stop and stare at the weirdo in the alley, posing in front of a tripod at 8am in a skirt and heels.  That's my "go away, carpet guy!" face


 

In other news, I made some really cute straw purses that I just listed in the shop this morning! They're all a little different, with little swatches of knitting  that I knitted myself.  Check them out at Wacky Tuna. Also, horray for a good hair day!

We had a cold rain this morning in St. Louis but the grass and sprouting bulbs look so green when its cloudy. I have a feeling that I'll only have a few days of being able to wear jackets until fall so I'll take advantage of it while I can.

Last weekend, we had my niece spend the night. We had a balloon party with glow sticks in the basement with popcorn and movies all night long. The next morning was so beautiful that I had the idea to walk to the park and let them burn off some energy at the playground.

 The park is right next to the Missouri River. The water level has been a bit low for a while, allowing some rocky and sandy spots to stay dry so we climbed down a steep hill to get to the river's edge for an afternoon of play.



 
The kids had a blast digging in the sand and mud and finding fossils in the layers of rock. By the time we all got home and took our muddy shoes off, we were all ready for a nap.

While catching up on laundry and thinking about my spring cleaning plan of attack, I'm sympathizing with a certain fairytale princess this week. It's easy to sit around in yoga pants but I get more work done when I'm dressed for the job. Whether working hard or sneaking out for a night with Prince Charming, here are 8 steps to Modern Cinderella Style.





1.) Shabby (and Chic!) day dresses



2.) unforgettable shoes





3.) clear as glass accessories




4.) get ready with the help of forest animals



5.) keep an eye on the clock


6.) dreamy dresses



7.) travel in style



8.) A crown for every day

Today we take a look into the personal style of Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn's look was carefully cultivated almost to the point of looking effortless. Here are 10 Style Lessons from Marilyn Monroe

1.)  Sunglasses and a Scarf   Nothing says glamor like sunglasses and a headscarf. Although Marilyn probably wore hers to go incognito, today's starlets like Dita Von Teese use this trick to get out the door in a hurry when you don't have time for full makeup and perfect hair



2.) relaxed separates   although she was known to wear the tightest dresses in Hollywood, many of her sexiest and most loved looks are centered around relaxed separates.



3.) understated accessories  She was often photographed dripping with jewels or wearing elaborate earrings for the red carpet but on her own time, Marilyn stuck to understated accessories or none at all.



4.) messy curls  Marilyn experimented with all different hair styles and lengths but her messy curls are my favorite look!


Embed from Getty Images 5.) A neutral color palette   In her personal wardrobe, she chose mostly neutral colors like white, cream, black, peach, blue and red. Marilyn definitely played with bold colors and patterns on occasion so don't be afraid to break out of your comfort zone every once in a while!




6.)  perfect your beauty routine  Marilyn's iconic look was attributed to her top secret beauty routine. Along with her makeup artist, she spent years figuring out what worked for her but once she found the products she loved, she kept them on hand at all times.



7.) wiggle dresses  She was the queen of the wiggle with dresses tailored to fit perfectly in all of the right places. My favorite is this dress worn with Arthur Miller in England. If I were her, I would have never worn another dress again!



8.) capri pants   you don't have to load your closet with impossibly tight wiggle dresses to bring a little Marilyn into your wardrobe. She loved to relax in capri pants paired with a sweater, button up or crop top. Look for well fitting capris in solids and patterns.



9.) strappy heels  Marilyn must have had the most amazing show collection. She had 40 pairs made especially for her by Salvatore Ferragamo. Although she wore kitten heels, pumps, even flats, she was often spotted in a great strappy heel.


10.) tight knits  a staple piece in any iconic pin up girl's wardrobe is a snug fitting knit top to wear over a pointy bra



for more on Marilyn, see my posts: