Easy Homemade Whipped Coconut Oil~Argan Oil Skin Lotion

Posted October 14, 2013 by finnfemme & filed under Beauty, Health.

I LOVE coconut oil! Not only do I consume liberal amounts of it, I also use it topically. Coconut oil has many health benefits when you eat it, but there are equally as many benefits when you apply it directly on your skin. It is unadulterated and free of harsh chemicals, has a high lauric acid content, is free of damaging vegetable oils, easily absorbed into the skin, aids in sloughing off dead skin, has long-term structural benefits, and is composed of triglycerides that convert to antimicrobial-free fatty acids that help fight infections when applied to the skin.

The one thing that always bothered me about applying coconut oil to the skin is its consistency. It is hard and not easily spreadable. The jar that I kept in my (cold) bathroom was usually rock solid. So to use it as a lotion I had to dig it out with a bit of muscle and apply it to my skin. It does melt when making contact with your warm skin, but it is rather messy and inconsistent. Somehow clumps of coconut oil managed to go flying across the room during application too. Like I said – a mess!

So I read about making homemade coconut oil lotion by whipping it to give it a fluffier texture –VOILA! I just had to try it. It was actually quite simple to do. You can make it by using just coconut oil alone, but I had some argan oil on hand and decided to use that too. I did not add fragrance because I find it irritating, but add it if you like a more scented lotion. All you need is:

One cup of organic virgin Coconut Oil
One teaspoon of Argan Oil (optional)
A few drops essential oil for fragrance (optional)
KitchenAid mixer

~Measure one cup of coconut oil and add to KitchenAid mixer bowl.

~Add one teaspoon of argan oil to coconut oil in bowl (optional).

~Using whip attachment, blend for 6 to 7 minutes on high setting.

~That was simple – done! Nicely whipped.

~ Spoon in desired container and cover. This lotion is absolutely sumptuous. Enjoy your soft, glowing, and beautiful skin! 🙂

~Marilyn

That Poignant Autumn Transition

Posted October 8, 2013 by finnfemme & filed under Daily Life.

All of a sudden it’s October and we’re well past the autumnal equinox. Even though it’s one of my favorite times of year, autumn always carries with it a certain poignancy. The active hustle-bustle of summertime with its parties, BBQs, and reunions has slowed to a standstill. My son is back at college, and I am once again dealing with a quiet empty nest. It’s a transition that is always, well, a transition for me.

The leaves are turning, the rains have set in (at least in the Seattle area), and the days are much shorter. I no longer use my outdoor clothesline, because it’s essentially useless to hang laundry outside in damp weather. My indoor drying racks are put to good use and fill a lot of space; I like to think of it as a a form of installation art. I cook a lot of roasted vegetables and healthy comfort food. I wear layers of vintage cashmere because my house always is on the cold side.

I get back to a more regular walking schedule in autumn. I am not really fond of walking in the summertime heat, but the crisp fall days are perfect for it. I have a 1.5 mile loop that I walk around my neighborhood, and one of my favorite things is to see the fall decorations that my neighbors have done. This photo is of a neighbor’s clever little gnome house that was made out of a tree stump. Even though I was sad when the big old-growth tree was cut down, I love how they decorate it for every season. The pumpkins at the door and the garland of leaves around the roof is adorable. It just makes things a bit more cheerful.

“Autumn’s the mellow time.” ~William Allingham

~Marilyn

Those Funky 1971 Fashion Fads: Hot Pants and Knickers

Posted October 2, 2013 by finnfemme & filed under Fashion, Vintage.

1971 was the year for quirky clothing fads, however fleeting they may have been. A look through the August 1971 issue of Seventeen magazine proved my point, as it was teeming with all sorts of (AHEM!) interesting styles. Brights! Knits! Hot Pants! Maxi Dresses! Knickers! Funky Boots and Shoes!

I am quite certain that these fads, thankfully, lasted only a year. I was a high school sophomore in 1971 and I do remember actually wearing a pair of hot pants that my mom had sewn for me. My friend Judy and I wore our hot pants on our high school orchestra trip to Victoria, B.C., Canada. I’m sure a pair of high platform shoes was involved as well. We were strutting our 15-year-old skinny selves down the street and people were staring, pointing, and a group of guys was yelling and catcalling from their hotel window. Gawd, I was positively mortified. Even though I had worn mini skirts for years, there is something about hot pants that’s so exposing. Pretty sure Judy and I hightailed it back to our hotel and slipped into something more comfortable, like Levis jeans. I will swear on a stack of bibles that I never ever wore a pair of knickers though. That was one ridiculous style that even I, Miss 70s Fashion Diva, did not wear. 🙂

This ad for Charlie’s Girls clothing says it all: bright colors, bold designs, hot pants, and knickers (with boots).

Peter Max designed some pretty groovy jeans and tops for Wrangler, all splashy colored and patched-pocketed. The jeans were $8, and the coordinating tops were $6 and $7.

Samsonite got into the action – even the luggage was brightly colored. Hot pink suitcases coordinated with Bobbie Brooks purple jacquard knit knickers, sweater vest, hat, and fringed purple suede boots.

Double knits were extremely popular. This Pandora “Liberation Knits!” hot pants and jacket combo, and maxi dress were all made of that “Freedom Blend”. Tall suede boots, of course.

This ad was for Bass Tacks shoes and boots, but the fashions are what caught my eye. The girl is in knickers and a funky belt and hat. The guy on the left is wearing rolled up jeans with some cool-looking bleached design in it. The guy on the right is wearing his tight jeans tucked into his tall lace-up aviator boots, red plaid shirt, and a super quirky crocheted vest that is a wonder to behold.

Then you had the sweater hot pants sets from Hewlett. Talk about clingy! Worn with brightly colored tights and tall suede boots, you were set for the winter scene. I’m certain this was the last we saw of hot pants. Thank goodness.

~Marilyn

Woe Is The 1930s Housewife

Posted September 29, 2013 by finnfemme & filed under Daily Life, Vintage.

I always love running across 1930s magazines because they are so hard to find, especially women’s magazines. At my local Half Price Books (one of my favorite haunts), they have quite a stash of women’s magazines from the 30s and 40s and I’ve been picking up quite a few.The particular magazine that these ads came from is the January 1936 issue of Pictorial Review. It seems directed at women featuring short stories and sewing patterns, but what really caught my attention was the ads. Goodness, the 1930s woman had a heavy load to bear, with keeping her vagina antiseptically clean and her bowels moving! Here are some great, yet agonizing, 1936 ad examples:

Ad for Zonite Suppositories: “It’s Never Too Late For a Wife to Learn”. The 1930s view of feminine hygiene was that in order to keep your man happy, you had to have a sterilized vagina. The entirety of your marital happiness depended on it. No worries – just use Zonite Suppositories – your delicate tissues will not be burned or desensitized. Who knows what horrible ingredients were in this stuff? The alternative, according to the ad, was carbolic acid which apparently lots of women were using. I am wondering if this was a thinly-veiled product for birth control. I mean, why else would you put such ghastly stuff up your vagina, even if it was ‘recommended’ by the medical profession?

Ad for Dr. Edwards’ Olive Tablets: “When Nature is Lax, Take a Beauty Laxative”. Accumulating body waste was both a big fear for the 30s woman, “an enemy of health and beauty”. No worries – if a day goes by with eliminating, just pop an Olive Tablet and you will get rid of ‘stored-up poisons’ quickly. Must have been wonderful popping laxatives every day.

Ad for Pazo Ointment and Suppositories for Piles: “I Couldn’t Sit, Couldn’t Stand, Couldn’t Even Lie Down!”. Maybe it was all that laxative use that caused her hemorrhoids? No worries – Pazo will soothe, lubricate, and provide astringent relief. I suspect hemorrhoid creams are pretty much the same today.

Ad for Mentholatum: “Break Winter’s Grip! Fight That Cold!” No worries – if a cold is making you miserable, just slather your chest and nostrils with Mentholatum. It will “soothe the irritated membranes, help open up the stopped-up nostrils, and check the sneezing”. I’m sure it was a lovely experience being coated with Mentholatum each night. Makes me very thankful for that modern cold wonder drug, Nyquil.

Ad for Woodbury’s Facial Soap: “When You’re Dancing Cheek to Cheek, Is Yours ‘The Skin He Loves To Touch'”? The 30s and 40s ads were ripe for suggesting that all you needed to do for beautiful skin was wash your face with soap, which is incredible considering the many products most of us use today for skin care. But nope, in the 1930s all you had to do was treat your face to Woodbury’s fluffy lather and in a month or less you would find a new, soft glamorous beauty in your cheek! It will cause his heart to beat at a new quick tempo…if you have “The Skin He Loves to Touch.” Wow. Promises, promises.

~Marilyn 😀

The 40th: High School Reunion, That Is

Posted September 27, 2013 by finnfemme & filed under Daily Life, Fashion, Vintage.

I had my 40th high school reunion two weeks ago and in a way, I am still trying to recover from it. I’m a social person, but big formal events where there are a ton of people who you don’t really know and have to make chit-chat with fills me with a certain amount of dread. I’m always fine once I get there and can get on with it, but anticipation is the worst part for me. I didn’t feel as though I could say no, because several good friends were on the reunion committee.

There were 501 people in my graduating class of 1973 and almost a third of them showed up for the reunion, which was rather impressive. The place was PACKED with 58-year-olds. There is no denying your age when it comes to high school reunions. We all knew how old we were. Everyone did looked pretty fabulous, but what struck me the most was that people were just very friendly, funny, and genuine. Lots of laughter and big happy smiles. There were no attempts to impress anyone that I could see. Not like the last reunion I went to -the 10 year reunion in 1983 – where classmates, in their 28-year-old glory, were boasting about their marriages, jobs, kids, and houses. It was such a horrendous night that I skipped my 20 and 30 year reunions because I didn’t want to repeat that process again.

I ended up having a pretty darn good time despite my initial reservation. Granted, there were a few shuddering moments where I felt like I was back in high school being around so many former classmates, but they were fleeting. 40 years out of high school, no one seemed to care about anyone’s marriage(s), divorce(s) jobs, kids, grandkids, or houses. We just enjoyed each others company and had a convivial evening full of good conversation. Although I’m still trying to figure out who the handsome blue-eyed guy I passed on the way to dessert table was. Our eyes met and we smiled at each other, but I was dead-set on getting that last piece of dark chocolate cake (old habits die hard). I didn’t see him the rest of the evening, and I neglected to read his name tag. ♪♫ Strangers in the night, exchanging glances…♫♪ It would have been pretty hard to miss me – the tall redhead in a giraffe print linen tunic lunging for her dessert – so maybe there is hope.

~Marilyn

Betsey Johnson ~ Alley Cat ~ Vintage 1971

Posted September 12, 2013 by finnfemme & filed under Fashion, Vintage.

Perusing through my old August 1971 issue of Seventeen magazine, I found a Betsey Johnson goldmine! Betsey started out as a “funky kid” designer at Paraphernalia , then joined Alley Cat in 1970. She turned out one smash-hit collection after another for Alley Cat, as well as being part owner of the New York boutique, Betsey, Bunky & Nini. In any event, Betsey’s designs were whimsical, fun, bright, and meant for personal expression. Needless to say, Betsey Johnson was one of my favorite designers of the 1970s. My mom sewed me many an outfit from the Betsey Johnson of Alley Cat “Young Designer” sewing patterns from Butterick. I always loved wearing Betsey’s designs – I felt kicky and happy!

Brightly colored flannel from Turkey made into a squarish super warm wrap jacket and big flare skirt. Pakistani boots. So FAB! I always loved Betsey’s little drawings and sayings that decorated her ads.

Big red corduroy Be Bop pants and even little shoulder pads in the shirt, saddle shoes. Fake fur Super Chubby and hat, with patterned stockings and embroidered shoes.

Wool patterned sweaters and hats in bird, fish, and floral designs. These are super cool!

Wool patterned skirt and pants, Colored tights, and strappy shoes.

Rosebud patterned corduroy super puffy “Wizard of Oz” coat, little jacket and straight skirt. Diamond underwear underneath it all.

Baby flannel nightgown dress and jacket, worn with good old cowboy boots. And Betsey with her trademark braids wrapped around her head!

A very cute ad for Alley Cat and Wool by Betsey Johnson. I loved how she would draw it so you could use them as paper dolls.

Über cool Betsey Johnson design for Alley Cat: a jacquard knit dress with a flock of bright birds. It sold for $48 in 1971.

As Betsey says, “Wishing you all happy days and nights.” 😀 ~Marilyn