Links of the Week

Susan Hayward as "Messalina" in Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954)

Vintage Film Costume Collector has an amazing post with fantastic photographs of Susan Hayward's costume as "Messalina" in the film Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954).  I've never seen the film, but the scenes look fantastic, and Hayward's costume couldn't be better.  So glamorous, yet fits in the film.  Amazing!


Need an amazing hair accessory?  Bobby Pin blog has a great how-to for a Christmas Poinsettia Hair Accessory.  It looks adorable, and I think I'll give it a try.

How to Tie a Perfect Sash Bow [Source: Sew Beautiful Blog]

When I tie a bow, it often seems just a bit off, so I was really excited to see Sew Beautiful's How-to about Sash Bows.  The steps were clear, the pictures were good, so I am excited to give the process a try.  After all, Christmas seems to be the season of bows.


Books are a great gift.  I am giving several as presents.  As everyone knows, I adore books, so I heartily endorse books as presents.  Imagination Soup has a great Christmas gift guide of the best books of the year for kids and teens.

Edith Head and Elizabeth Taylor

The Glamorous Housewife is spreading the glamour love with a great post featuring lessons from costume goddess Edith Head.  Ms. Head certainly knows about glamour.  Her costumes are wonderful.

I love blog Big Old Houses's home tours.  There is another one up featuring a Vanderbilt home in Florida.  Gorgeous!


Jessica over at Chronically Vintage always has amazing posts.  Literally, I could link to every post on her blog.  It is a rarity that I don't find something valuable in her posts.  Two I particularly enjoyed this week was her weekly dose of Saturday Snapshots and Ten Cold Weather Vintage Wardrobe Staples.  The cold weather staples basically is my vintage wardrobe wishlist while the Saturday Snapshots post really made me think.  

Nuggets of Note October 15 - 22, 2012

Mr Bug Goes to Town

Adored Vintage features some fantastic 1940s coat sketches.  It just proves that beauty is timeless.

Tuppence Ha'Penny comes through for me again with a fantastic tutorial.  This time it's on making your own buttonholes

Letterology, one of my new favorite blogs, has a great post about coloring photographs by hand.  There are some great pics that are definitely worth a look.

Letterology again with a great post about some fantastic skeleton calendars by Dr. Louis Crusius.  How could I have never heard of him and his wicked cool illustrations?

What?  Another great post on Letterology?  Of course!  This on the fantastic Edward Gorey.  I have been enchanted by his macabre sense of humor ever since I saw the PBS Mystery intro many years ago.

After seeing some interviews of him, I totally never would have guessed he was Edward Gorey.  It's like seeing the faces of those on the radio.  You have a preconceived notion of what they look like, and the reality is often quite different.  I've found out his house is now a museum, so of course there is another place to add to my wishlist of places to visit.


The American Duchess, another recent favorite, has a great post about starting the life of a costumed adventurer or adventuress

Sew Many Ways has a great tutorial about how to still receive e-mails when you have a Google+ account.

Book Patrol highlights the American Library Association's efforts to get books to soldiers during WWI.

Immortal Ephemera highlights one of my favorite actresses Miriam Hopkins.

Sticking with the theme of scary things, Mental Floss tells of some real historic werewolves.

Fudgett's Budget cartoon

The Old Foodie has a great recipe for pudding variations.

The fabulous Jessica of Chronically Vintage features a sizing guide for vintage gloves.  She writes one of my must-read blogs.

A list of the best Silent Horror Films on Balladeer's Blog.

Some great information on Cartoons On Film about the animation featured this past Sunday night on TCM.  I have to say it was a fantastic night and I couldn't drag myself away from the T.V.  As I've said before, most of today's animation doesn't feel timeless or important or clever and frankly, not even worth viewing.  It's very easy to bodily function jokes, not so easy to make art.

The Farmerette

The American Duchess has a fascinating post about Victorian plastic.  

Weird Wednesday - Sticking it to the Fuhrer

I found this fun ad on the back of my December 5-11, 1942 issue of Movie Radio Guide. I thought it would be a perfect fit for Weird Wednesday.

How did they know what I've always wanted to do?

Fantastic! It lasts a lifetime and even has his Prussian boots.

I looked all over the place for photos and video of FDR and the pin cushion, but was unsuccessful. It's got to be out there somewhere, but I haven't been able to find any today.

Definitely think Hitler would be hollering, but this women looks awfully pained having to stick him in the bum.

It's a club? And 10 days to decide? And a special 3 for $3.49? How could you not buy one?

Can you believe Hitler wouldn't endorse such an item? It's like he doesn't think it's funny that someone would stick pins in his bum. Obviously he needed a sense of humor

If you have one of these gems lying around your house today or see one at a yard sale, they go for $100 - $450. Not bad for a novelty pin cushion!