Dad's Messerschmidt

It has been long since I last wrote a car story. Previously I've wrote about:

Dad's Chevy
Trille, my dad's first car
A Car with a Mind of Its Own
Frederik, my mum's car
Say Hello to Albert 

One of dad's strangest vehicles is his Messerschmidt, which is a three wheeler previously owned by the movie company Nordisk Film, used in the TV-series Øbberbøv . Here he is renovating it:

And here are the keys with a tag saying Øv &Bøv:

When dad bought it, it had no papers, so he got permission to register without. He is only the third in Denmark to do that.


The Messerschmidt is a little thing measuring only about 200 cm (6 feet) and only has 13 hp. Cockpits from F262 fighters excess from WWII are used, hence the name.

He is very charming.

Dad found it on dba.dk (Danish eBay). The man who sold it, had bought it from Nordisk Film, but thought it was to bad to renovate. Dad took it all apart and painted it. He went to Germany to buy spareparts and also had some things sent from UK. He has always wanted a Messerschmidt Tiger, and think that he some day might be able to trade this one for a Tiger:

The Tiger model is a four wheeler and has a larger engine.

Here is the happy owner:

Here it is open:

It has room for two persons, sitting in a row, not beside each other. When my sister's twins are celebrating their birthday it is a big hit when grandpa drives all the kids in it.

The exhaustion looks like a watering can:

All the insides were gone, so dad has made some new.

It doesn't have a reverse gear, but it has two sets of platins for each cylinder, so when you need to back you press the key in, start the engine again and this way you turn the rotation of the engine and get a reverse gear. So in fact it has four reverse gears.

The nice front emblem:

The famous Danish actors Dirch Passer and Judy Gringer has also driven it in the movie Peter's Baby, so it is a little celebrity which has always lived in Denmark. Now it is enjoying its retirement at dad, and I don't think any vehicle can wish for a better retirement.

Monroe Monday

ALT for Damerne, no. 5, 1954

I have for years scanned from ALT for Damerne (Everything for the Ladies) from 1955, but this year I have decided to scan from 1954. No particular reason other than for a change, although I don't think it will be that big. Yep, I am a rebel! :)

Let's start with number 5, which was the first magazine in February. 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.

Very nice cover, where you can get the pattern for the lovely sporty blouse:

In the binular you can read about this and that:

This time there is a tip on serving hearts in a different way, good advice on fabric and knits, a clear purse for you purse, so that it doesn't get ruined in bad weather (not a bad idea at all), and advice on how to know the difference from fireproof glass (if it has a matte bottom it is meant for electrical hotplates).

Travel with housewives' league to Rome and the Riviera:

It must have been every housewife's dream.

Glimpse of spring from Berlin:

The geometrical dress at the right is fabulous.

And at the right there is a guidance on sewing a nice bed blouse without pattern:

It is so nice that it can easily be used during the day, depending on the fabric you choose.

Patterns of the week are for those who are busy and chic:

This is an illustration for a novel called The Unrestful Heart:

Fabulous dress. No wonder the main character is nervous about how beautiful the woman is.

Nice, homemade bast lamps are flattering in the living room:

So if you are looking for an old-fashioned lamp, you can make it yourself:

Just look how nice it looks on the little drawing.

Dinner is server:

I love how dinner was served back then. It takes so little effort to make it look nice.

On to the ads. Let's start with an ad for Sanderson cretonner:

Lovely patterns in colours that says "NO" to fading.

Elegant suits in Hartz jersey all year long:

And Cutex Spillpruf, whic we have seen before, but not this one. It contains enamelon, whatever that is.

Here I had a muddy complexion - it is of course past with Tokalon cream:

At the orphanage the children's clothes are sewn and repaired on an Elna sewing machine.

An ouverture to future happiness:

Back then it was high-class to say one came from a home with a piano.

Monroe Monday

Handmade on Etsy

I have for long thought about opening a ”handmade” section in my Etsy shop, but I didn't know what to sell and I didn't know if it would be funny to make, when somebody ordered it. But now I’ve done so, and at the moment I offer bookmarks, small crocheted things, and bead jewelry, which I customize from my customer’s wish.

I have taken photos of all my beads, so my customers can decide which colours they want:

  

I offer this lovely Russian flower bracelet:

And I also offer making a set with a matching necklace:

I make this nice twisted necklace:

And I make this almost royal necklace with crystals:

You can choose from these crystal beads:

I also crochet, and have made the pattern for this snowflake myself. You can use it as a coaster or under your tea mug:

I make them snow white (!) and white with silver thread, but I don’t have much left of the silver thread, so buy them while you can. I sell them in sets of four, either four white or two white and two with silver thread.

I also sell my nice crocheted acorns:

You can buy one of your choice or buy a set of all three. I make them in beige, green and gold.
I love acorns and think they are perfect for autumn or Christmas decoration, but you can use them all year round if you like. They will also look nice as a decoration on a present.

And I make customized bookmarks:

Where my customers can choose background colour and what they want me to write with my over hundred years old typewriter:

I hope you will take a look at my new shop section, and if you have any wishes, do let me know, then perhaps I might be able to make it.

Monroe Monday

Sorting, Part 2: The Makeup

This is part two of my clearance project, see part one about my wardrobe last Thursday.

I love red lipsticks, or should I just say lipsticks, and glosses in general, and my collection is very big. It became even bigger when Santa gave me this fabulous Estee Lauder beauty box:

So I want to test and sort out, because I can hardly find space for it all in my vanity drawers. But there is also another good reason to clear some of my collection. I have become older, sigh, and then it is good to change your makeup. A few months ago I attended a birthday party and met a woman I have known for long. She is in her late forties and a good example of how it does not become you when you use the same makeup you have used since you were young. You should fade your makeup when you get older. Softer colours look better when you are not in your teens anymore. Metallic eye shadows enhance wrinkles, and who wants that? I love red lipstick and use it very often, especially during winter, but I also have a lot of other nice colours, which I want to use for a change.

Here is an example of a purple lipstick, which I have changed to a dusty plum colour (number two from left), which becomes purple clothes perfectly without being eighties purple. And a red lipstick I loved in the late eighties and the nineties (number three from left), where the last colour is my favourite now, a much softer colour:

I don’t think any of these colours are still for sale. And I also want to add that I still might use the bright red now and then, but then the rest of my makeup is very toned down?

If you don’t want to part with your favourite lipsticks, then you can use a lighter shade in the same shade on top of it. Marilyn was known for using up to six different lipstick colours, then we can too. But I think I will sort out the shades I never use. If you know a teenage or little girl, they will love to play with them. But do ask their mother first, so neither you nor the girl gets into trouble.

During winter I love using a grey/black eye shadow, but I mix them with a pale eye shadow. This is easiest to do with an eye shadow brush, but you can do it with the foam-thingy too. Buy a matte pale beige eye shadow, most brands have mono-eye shadows, and use it for mixing. This way you still have your favourite shadows, but in a softer more age-friendly shade. My black eye shadow is only used as a long, slim, triangle, like winged eyeliner. During summer I always use a very pale eye shadow that matches my clothes, and a thin fifties style eyeliner. I am lucky not to have many wrinkles, so I will continue doing so.

Do change your blusher to a softer natural colour. I was young and smart in the early eighties, so I have had bright indian war paint on my checks and used up several neon pink lipsticks. Back then I also had mascara in all colours, and I really mean all, also neon green and pink. Now I only have black, which I only apply in a thin layer.

I hope you can use some of my advice and want to change and clear some of your makeup too, if you, like me, not are in your teens anymore.

It is good to look at your style with new eyes.