Christmas Nails

Oops, I had a little Christmas vacation from the blog, but I doubt anybody noticed. I've been thinking about my blog lately. I don't get many new readers neither comments. I don't know if I write too different topics, too boring, too predictable, or if you don't want to see my nails or my scannings of vintage ALT for Damerne. I love Instagram, it is quick and easy to update and follow, and I've got a lot followers. But until now I've decided to keep my blog, so here are my Christmas nails for December:

But let's start with my Marilyn Monroe nails, stamped with my new MoYou plates:

The nude polish is from Oriflame. I've added a little gold glitter, because nude is too boring for me.

My birthday nails, stamped with Bundle Monster Holiday Collection upon Ciaté Spending Spree, my favourite duochrome polish:

My first Christmas nails:

A gradient with red and green glitter upon Sally Hansen's Bleech Babe.

Here I have stamped holly leaves upon a cheap gold polish from the super market and added small red rhinestones as berries:

I really loved this manicure and got over 20 likes at Instagram, which has never happened before.

Stribed glitter gift wrapping paper:

All three polishes are from ColorClub, my favourite polish brand.

And the last Christmas manicure, Rudolph stamped with Bundle Monster Holiday Collection upon a cheap gold polish from the super market and red rhinestones as his nose:

The red polish is ColorClub's Ruby Slippers, my favourite red polish.

I hope you had a lovely Christmas. I did. Santa came and although my sister's twins now are nine years old, they still look perplexed at him:

And he had a present for ME!:

I was SO surprised and HAPPY! I got this completely luxurious beauty box from Estee Lauder full of lovely makeup. I must have been very nice this year.

I wish you all a happy New Year and thank you for still reading my humble blog. :)

Giving and Receiving

I love getting gifts! Yep, I am still that childish, but I think I love giving gifts even more. Since 1981 I've made a Christmas calendar for my parents. This year it was glittery green with red bows, so nice. They love it very much:

Dad has taken the photo with his iPad, because as usual I forgot to take one myself.

Son has got Advent gifts since he was 11 (now he is 21), here they hang from the curtain rod:

He visits us every Sunday, so I can see him open his gift. I also suspect he would open all four, if I gave him the gifts to take with him home.

Dear Husband (DH) also gets Advent gifts, and this year I also have bought a licorice calendar from Bülows:

So he does not complain.

And I found this fabulous Christmas Calendar at Etsy for my sister:

Tanja Braun (in Germany) makes charm bracelets as Christmas calendar. The first day she got the bracelet, and then she each day take a little golden bag from the big brown bag, and find a charm in it. There are many different themes and you can also write to Tanja and ask for special charms. Sister is very happy, so I will not disclose more here, but you can take a look at the link.

I rarely get neither Christmas calendar nor Advent calendar, but this year I was lucky, because look what DH gave me for my birthday:

A super girlie calendar full of cosmetic and skin care gifts all through December! :)

ALT for Damerne, No. 48, 1963

Yesterday was my birthday. And precisely on my birthday ALT for Damerne (Everything for the Ladies), number 48, 1963 was issued. It is almost twice as thick as the magazines from 1955 I normally scan from, but there are also at least twice as many ads. I do want to say that there is also a lot more articles than in 1955. I don't know why, because I don't think the "ladies" had gotten more time. All scans can be clicked into larger formats. Although it is a Danish magazine, I hope my foreign readers will have fun reading my small recaps and get inspiration from the photos.

I cannot think of a more lovely cover for my birthday edition:

Yummi, my teeth are watering.

Letters to Everything and all:

Here are some great ideas for an advent calendar for mom, where her children instead of a drawing a little drawing write a task they will do for her - brilliant idea! A mom tells that she gives her little son a farm as an advent calendar, and there are lots for each day in December, counting the farmer himself, all his animals, fences, trees, etc. There is an advent calendar for the beloved ant, who is invited to a Christmas party. All sweet and useable.

Timeless everyday clothes:

The plaid skirt is indeed timeless, I've been looking for one like it for very long. But she can keep the round glasses.

Pattern on Fabric still existed in 1963:

This week a Jackie-like dress is offered. It will surely take you through all the Christmas festivities.

The earrings are back:

I didn't know they have been out, but here are a lot of nice ones for inspiration:

Mark your eyes:

Here is lots of good advice on care and makeup for your eyes:

Note the model's hair, the fifties are clearly behind us.

Decorate for Christmas:

Yep, Christmas is here before we know it, so here is some vintage inspiration:

The half Christmas tree on the door with the tiny golden ornaments is something I'll definately make one day.

Happy Santas in a ring:

Are you in need of a Christmas tree underlay, then you can quickly and easily make this one:

Here is the pattern for Mrs Clause:

Christmas gifts are easy to make yourself, and everybody will be happy to receive a pair of knitted boots:

Warm slippers are always nice to receive.

The best cakes in Denmark:

There is a lot of Christmas cakes and cookies, but since the recipes are in Danish, I've only scanned the lovely photos.

On to the ads, and there was a lot to choose from, and many in colour. Whipped cream works wonders:

I remember the school friend birthdays, when I was a kid. We were so happy to get cream horns with a little marmelade at the top. Simple, but fantastic.

Make every day festive with Taffel-chips:

I also remember a few dinner parties we attended at some of our parents' friends, where we were served chips for dinner. It was incredible! That kind of unhealthy sillyness was fortunately not for my mom.

Coca-Cola refreshes you best!:

And in a King Size bottle. I wonder how big it was, because the ad does not mention the size. I don't think it was especially big compared to modern bottles.

A watch in the kitchen is cozy and practical:

My mon had one like this for many years, I think it was named Peter. My clever dad repaired it several times, but a few years ago Peter had to give in.

Edet kitchen roll cleans the kitchen in a jiffy:

We are near the use-and-trash-era.

Fashionit, lovely twin-set:

I collect twin-sets, and have about 60,000 different.

Modern vacuum jugs from AWF:

Stop the time with Leciton soap. I really don't think soap prevents wrinkles.

Elegant, a set you collect:

And a classic - The Danish Weather is Ga-Jol Weather! It is still true.

New men's fashion from Richards:

From a time where a man did not go out of the door without shined shoes, and where shoe-shiners really was a job.

Christmas Nails

26 December, I just have time to show you my Christmas nails, before we pack away all the Christmas decorations.

The green glitter polish is Color Club's Magic Elf stamped with spruce forest, from one of my new PUEEN plates.

This is my favourite Christmas nail design, Candy Canes. The white polish is from Depend and the red one is Color Club's Ruby Slippers.

I made this design the day before Christmas. The trees are made with tape and decorated with rhinestones. The white polish with golden shimmer used as a base is OPI's new Ski Slope Sweetie and the green one used for the trees is Essence We Rock the Tree.

Merry Christmas to All of You

Christmas Fashion

What should you wear for Christmas? I like something red or green, and if you search for Christmas Sweater/Cardigan, then you surely get a lot of seriously ugly ones to choose from. But I was lucky to find this red one with hollies embroidered on (on Etsy):

Thick and warm. It will be nice to wear when reading in my sofa during December.

Just for fun I kept surfing on Etsy and found this lovely home made poinsettia circle skirt:

And no, I am not going to use the holly cardigan above with it, because I think it will be just a little too much. I think a thinly knitted simple green blouse will be a lovely match.

Well, I adore petticoats, so I simply had to invest in this red one:

It is also from Etsy (Dodo Trading), only cost about 25 dollars and is shipped from the UK, so no problems with Danish customs and VAT.

Yep, I am crazy, but why does it always have to be so boring?! ;)

Christmas Music

In 2009 I was a Christmas DJ, yes, it is already that long ago. I played nostagic, modern and Danish Christmas music. I LOVE Christmas music! Especially the oldies song by the American crooners. I have a large collection of Christmas music, both on CD and vinyl, because Christmas music is the only music I hear in December. But why is there never made any new Christmas music? I found out last year when I read an article in a newspaper about it that said it was "artistic suicide" to write a Christmas song! Well, I simply don't understand that, because I really don't think that Bing Crosby ever regretted White Christmas, which became the most sold single in the world:

Of course I have it in my vinyl collection, both as a single and as an LP

And I can quickly mention other great stars, who didn't ruin their career by singing a Christmas song. E.g. The King, Elvis. He could even do it wearing black leather:

And Madonna was almost as mawkish as Mrs. Kitt was:

Even Bon Jovi has made a rocking Christmas song:

I have the LP which is shown is in the video.

Bryan Adams has made a rocking tribute to Rudolph:

And The Boss has also joined the Christmas chorus without ruining his career:

So what are you waiting for out there? Write us a new Christmas hit, so we all get something new to listen to and you get a fixed income every December for many years to come. :)

ALT for Damerne, December, 1955

It's time for some nostalgic Christmas spirit from 1955. I've scanned from Everything for the Ladies number 50 - yes, I've made a translation error, it is not All for the Ladies, and I will go back and correct this later - and I could hardly stop when I got started, so this is the great Christmas edition. Remember that all scans can be clicked into large format.

We are in the middle of December, because I fell completely in love with the cover - so perfectly Christmas:

Notice the lovely Christmas decorations on the tree in the background. And THREE puppies! :)

Let's start with an article about Charlie Chaplin - Life and Laughter in the Garden of Happiness (unfortuntaly in Danish):

Here a SAHM has found a way to work from her home:

She makes fairytale elves of cones and has created her own little business. And it was before Etsy.

Look at the photo at the top left, I don't think they are difficult to copy:

Fashion is now about coats, because the season has gotten colder:

I love the big check patterns and elegant fur collars.

Here is the second part about the coats and there is also a diagram and guide for making yourself something warm for your ears:

But December is also a month with lots of parties and what shall we wear for all the dinner parties?

Well, an intermediate dress, of course. It looks very wearable for a lot of different occassions, because I think it all is in the accessories.

Bettina is wondering occurred every week in 1955:

Here she wonders if Christmas is too long and how early you are allowed to start your Christmas preparations. I think it all depends on your temperament and life style. Each year, I try to start in good time, but it is not always I succeed.

Back then gifts were often home made, which the hood (above) is a good example of, but this letter box is a brilliant gift for him:

Because then you don't have to look at all his paper mess. If I had talents within braiding round pith then I had made one for myself, because it would look lovely on my desk.

Dinner is served! Here is suggestions for all the dinners of the week:

When writing your wish list ... Then you could do it lounging in your chaise longue wearing this elegant Asani night gown and pretend you are a movie star from Hollywood:

But WHAT should you wish for? You can be practical and wish for one of these very smart and lovely coffee machines, that perhaps are too expensive to buy for yourself:

My granny always used the one at the top left, she said it made the best coffee in the world.

But the one below right is fabulous, almost art:

You can also wish for knitting yarn:

And knit this lovely winter blouse with the great detail at the back:

Or you can wish for these lovely warm boots:

I have long wanted the model below left. I know they are reproduced, but either they are too expensive or I cannot find them in Europe (they get way to expensive if they get caught in customs, sigh). So if you know where to buy them in EU, please let me know.

BUT - you could also be completely unwise and wish for some perfume luxury from Arden:

Just give me some of all of it, I cannot choose. :)

Or Dubarry face powder which gives the most beautiful teint in seconds:

And 4711 is still around today, if that is your taste:

Triumph promises Swing Action with their lovely slip:

Nivea cream was also popular back then, in fact I often use it as night cream during the winter months:

Let's end with the nice and classic watch, which I wouldn't mind wearing.

Did you notice? I went directly to the ads without mentioning.

Merry Christmas to you all. :)