Monday, July 30, 2007

Mad Men



Of course I am in love with Mad Men on AMC.
Set in 1960 New York, the daring new series is about the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising, an ego-driven world where key players make an art of the sell while their private world gets sold.

The booze, the smoking, the smarmy sexism and good God, the clothes!
Sexy secretary dresses, full skirt cocktail dresses and everything in between.
I think my favorite would have to be the body enhancing outfits Joan (Joan is on the right in the picture above) wears and the more "good girl" garments of Betty Draper.

Joan would have loved this Suzy Perette (which were copies of Paris designs that the working girl could afford) wiggle dress or worn this great pinup sweater from Darlene with a really tight skirt:

Betty would wear this perfect pink shirtwaist dress or the ice blue vintage cocktail dress below:Of course you can feed your inner Joan, Betty, Peggy and any other character you find compelling at Damn Good Vintage.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

And it ends....

If you have NOT read Deathly Hallows you are about to be spoiled:







I just finished my 2nd reading and I am even happier with the book then I was on my 1st reading.

I will admit that the only thing I did not like in the book was the use of "Sev" in the Prince's Story. That annoying nickname is now canon.
Ugh.

To me the deaths, even Snape's are all about the randomness of violence and how even after you have devoted your life to something you just might get screwed in the end and die alone and unloved, but I'm pretty cynical that way.
He was always gonna die. Would I have preferred a more glorious one for Snape?
Well sure.
But he was a man who never grew up, who could not get past his horrible childhood nor his 1st love or his childhood rivals.
He was not even close to being a nice person.
He was a bitter git who was ruled by his insecurities and petty hatreds.
Which is what makes him so compelling...plus he could fly.

I like Dumbeldore much more now that we know his shades of gray could be quite dark.
There is a nice tension between Dumbeldore growing and learning from his insight into his flaws whereas Severus never could.
He could not see why Lily turned her back on him, he could not see why it was NOT ok with her that he did not think she was a "mudblood", but all the rest of the muggle borns were, he could not understand that he was making the wrong choices that she could no longer support.
Tough love, eh.
He only turned aganist Voldemort because of his obsessive love for Lily he could care less about Harry or even the fight between the dark and the light.

Though I did like how he told Phinius not to call Hermonie a "mudblood".

I like that JK makes it clear in her interview that he was "immensely brave" but not really a hero. I also like it fits in with the whole "don't judge a book by its cover" theme that runs though out the books.

BUT she does throw us a bone in that we do not have a funeral or a headmaster’s portrait on the wall.
No one will ever make me believe Snape was not prepared for Nagini ...well at least until she says "he is dead" or puts a date of death in her encyclopedia.

While I wish Neville had killed Bella (and really he could have never beat her and in the end he was a hero by killing that damn snake) I thought Molly was made of awesome and deserved to seek retribution on those who had decimated her family.
Plus one of the main themes of the books was what love, a mother's love, could accomplish.
It turned Narcissa into a traitor (and how much I love the fact that in the end the only thing the Malfoys really cared about was Draco), made Molly a warrior and saved Harry's life.

On a forum someone was upset that Molly "who has not done anything for the Order" all of a sudden turned out to be this bad ass and that she did not deserve the glory of killing Bella.
I disagree that what Molly was doing was not useful to the order.
She provided a warm place in a cold world for order members, a place to meet, a place to find sustenance and companionship and proved once again that there is no such thing as "just a housewife".

Of course all the deaths made me weep.
Though I think Dobby's was the most unexpected and tragic....but we should have known Bella liked to play with knives. I actually cannot think of Fred without tearing up.
War is cruel.
I could go on and on...I feel drained and happy to see that Harry goes on to live a life of joy with the family he always wanted.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

And it begins...


The next few weeks will be fun as the Harry Potter fandom explodes with movie wank and then, OMG!, the last book wank.
I'm gonna need tons of popcorn.

On our way out the door to meet friends for food and fun and then the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Batshit crazy Bella.
Snape.
and Lucius.

In leather.

ETA:

~meh~

There is NO bigger Potter dork out there then me, but I was so sadly disappointed (and I am never one to complain about what gets left out, except for the Snape stuff).
I kept thinking "Jesus will this never end?".
That's pretty bad.

I can't even put why I thought it was just ~meh~ into words.
It just was.

Lat 30 min was great though.
Bellatrix was awesome.
Lucius in leather....yumm.
Lots 'o Snape.
Oh, and Mack Daddy Sirus in his velvets.

But I still am just ~meh~......
I have a feeling I will be alone in my opinion since everyone we went with last night thought is was all "OMG AMAZING".

EETTAA:

To show what a Potter dork I really am I actually went today and saw it AGAIN (yes a movie I was not happy with) and I am happy to report that on a 2nd viewing I like.
It could be that I was just too tired and old to go to a midnight movie, or that I needed to pee, or that the seats lean back and it kills my back.
I might of been focusing too much on stupid stuff left in (Garwp), added (Minerva being scared of Umbridge) or left out (hello, the screaming picture which while small added tension and emotional conflict to a flat start)....it seemed very flat at the beginning.
But I enjoyed it soooooo much more this time.
Ummmmm Lucius.
So view.
Enjoy Lucius in leather, Sirus in pimp velvets and lots 'o Snape.....

"We don't have many problems with our blacks."

I live in the South and even I can't believe this shit still happens.
Even in Bush's America.
Amazing.

Saturday, July 07, 2007

What I Like Today

Today I like vintage shirts with cats on them.


Wearing bows.

With rhinestone eyes.
The cute is killing me.

It is made of all kinds of awesome.

Kim over at Fast Eddies Retro Rags is selling it on eBay.
She has tons of cool stuff right now.

~meow~

Saturday; Clean Dogs and New Vintage

The dogs (all 4 of them) are all hiding from me at the moment. It was wash day.
I hate washing the dogs, but I love when it is warm enough out that I can hose them off on the deck and not have to put Fang (all 80 lbs) in the bathtub.

Plus, I get the deck nice and clean too.


Nico, one of the cats walked by and looked at me saying (yes she can talk with her eyes) "Bitch, you better not be thinking about washing me..." .....not in a million years.....

I'm also getting ready for the next load of vintage dresses and tops I'll be listing in the store this week.
Here is a fast preview for ya.

Got a nice little haul of pretty vintage cotton tops, a last gasp of summer for me since after this I'll begin listing fall and winter items.
A pink vintage shirtwaist dress and a really great 40's pink and gray day dress.
I could sell nothing but shirtwaist dresses and I would be a happy camper.

Pretty salmon vintage prom dress and a larger size cocktail dress.
I LOVE the striped dress, very cool and the middle dress in a snappy wiggle dress from Suzy Parette.

They should all be listed at Damn Good Vintage soon.

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Vintage Shoes

For some reason vintage shoes just seem to be better made and more comfortable.
I guess it has to do with the materials and attention to detail that is lost on today's third world manufacturing line.
~sigh~

I've got tons of vintage shoes listed at Damn Good Vintage, the ones above are early 60's Diors.
Here are just a few others:

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

RIP


07/01/07Schill, Juan M. GarciaDoD Confirmation

07/01/07Ruoff Jr., Michael L.DoD Confirmation

07/01/07Buchan, Raymond R.DoD Confirmation

07/01/07Garcia, Victor A.DoD Confirmation

07/01/07Rossi, Jonathan M.DoD Confirmation

06/30/07Rolfing, Robb L.DoD Confirmation

06/29/07Adair, James L.DoD Confirmation

06/28/07Crow Jr., William W.DoD Confirmation

06/28/07Kim, Shin W.DoD Confirmation

06/28/07Martinez, Michael J.DoD Confirmation

06/28/07Mendoza, Giann C. JoyaDoD Confirmation

06/28/07Workman II, Dustin L.DoD Confirmation

06/28/07Hiltz, Cory F.DoD Confirmation

06/27/07Newsome, Daniel A.DoD Confirmation

06/26/07Dixon, Derek C.DoD Confirmation

06/26/07Winder, Nathan L.DoD Confirmation

06/25/07Moretti, Trista L.DoD Confirmation

06/25/07Craig Jr., AndreDoD Confirmation

06/24/07Byrd III, Henry G.DoD Confirmation

06/24/07Palmer, Eric C. DoD Confirmation

06/23/07Kenny, Joseph P.DoD Confirmation

06/23/07Dahl, Joel A.DoD Confirmation

06/23/07Nathan, Jason D.DoD Confirmation

06/23/07Brown, William E.DoD Confirmation

06/23/07Riordan, Daniel P.DoD Confirmation

06/23/07House, Joel A.DoD Confirmation

06/23/07Malone, Jimy M.DoD Confirmation

06/23/07Calhoun, Derek A.DoD Confirmation

06/23/07Moody Jr., Michael D.DoD Confirmation

06/23/07Davis, ChrisDoD Confirmation

06/23/07Stinson, Shane M.DoD Confirmation

06/22/07Montpetit, Michael J.DoD Confirmation

06/22/07Gamble Jr., Carter A.DoD Confirmation

06/22/07Rodriguez, Dominic N.DoD Confirmation

06/21/07Veitch, Jerimiah J.DoD Confirmation

06/21/07Clifton, Karen N.DoD Confirmation

06/21/07Spencer Jr., Raymond N.DoD Confirmation

06/21/07Montenegro II, Alphonso J.DoD Confirmation

06/21/07Agami, Daniel J.DoD Confirmation

06/21/07Wood, Ryan M.DoD Confirmation

06/21/07Hebert, Anthony D.DoD Confirmation

06/21/07Leemhuis, Thomas R.DoD Confirmation

06/20/07Brookshire, Sid W.DoD Confirmation

06/20/07Charfauros Jr., Joe G.DoD Confirmation

06/20/07Bentz III, David J.DoD Confirmation

06/20/07Hubbell, Darren P.DoD Confirmation

06/20/07Martin, Shawn P.DoD Confirmation

06/20/07Wilson, Stephen J.DoD Confirmation

06/19/07Zapfe, William A.DoD Confirmation

06/19/07Modgling, Joshua S.DoD Confirmation

06/19/07Linder, Darryl W.DoD Confirmation

06/18/07Sandoval, Frank M.DoD Confirmation

06/18/07Tracy, Jacob T.DoD Confirmation

06/18/07Parks Jr., LarryDoD Confirmation

06/18/07Snell, Eric L.DoD Confirmation

06/18/07Wilkey Jr., David A.DoD Confirmation

06/16/07Walkup IV, Frank B.DoD Confirmation

06/16/07Soto, Danny R.DoD Confirmation

06/16/07Grass. Zachary A.DoD Confirmation

06/15/07Pittman, Michael PatrickDoD Confirmation

06/15/07Sonnenberg, Kevin H.DoD Confirmation

06/14/07Parker, Richard K.DoD Confirmation