You know you're a bit of an unusual gal when you take your fashion inspiration from a 1940's movie. The Shop Around the Corner is one of my favorite holiday movies. (It's so good that the plot was recycled in 1949 for "In the Good Old Summetime" and in 1998 for "You've Got Mail.) As I was watching it last week, I realized for the first time that Margaret Sullavan was incredibly styled for her role.

First of all, I love her ruffled polka dot blouse, but if you look closely, her skirt has wide suspender straps! Adorable. A look I am totally going to try. And that hat? That hat!

And speaking of hats, look that this lovely straw number. I had always thought straw hats were for the summertime, but this hat paired with a velvet ribbon is quite nice for chillier months.

Lately I can't get enough fur collars. You can mix and match them with any outfit. But now I think I need a fur coat. Not real fur, mind you… but look how chic she looks all cuddled up with her leather gloves and felt hat!

Now if only I had the funds for a little vintage shopping trip…

Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to have lived during the 60s. I wonder if I would have worn pretty dresses and attend proper social functions. Or if I would have worn cigarette pants and rocked out at The Who concerts with my dad. Maybe I would've been a political activist. What would you have been doing in the 60s? Or maybe you were already there. I just think it was such a fascinating time and I wish I could have seen it firsthand. Good thing they took pictures.

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My dad said something the other day…. that people had better be careful with their stuff, or I might find it and scrapbook about it.

“Or blog about it!” I was quick to add. And then I informed him that someday his scrapbook was going to make its way here….

And today is that day.

My dad and I have a history, I suppose. (That might be an obvious statement, but it goes deeper.) When I was growing up, my dad had a tumor growing in his brain that none of us knew about until I was in 8th Grade. It made him sick all of the time, and though he tried his best, but it was hard to be super involved as sick as he was. My mother thinks that I developed an attachment to him as an effort to make up for lost years. Whatever the reason, it’s true that I idolize my father. And I look for ways that we are alike.

I was the nerdy Middle Schooler who listened to old Carpenter’s records. And I’m pretty sure I can blame that on my dad’s love for the Carpenter’s.

He has slides and slides of Carpenter’s photos that he took when he was in college. Once he told me that he was going to have one blown up into a poster for me. I really hope he does, because I would treasure it (even though I’m not that into them any more, it would be the connection between us that would make it special).

Some things I’m recently learning about my dad… before he got sick, he was really into photography.

He took pictures of lots of silly things that really have no purpose (like I do, I suppose!). But I love looking at them and seeing what his friends from college were like.
Another surprising Dad fact that I found… he had lots of dates. He even went on a date with Miss Universe! I saw this one lady in particular, and couldn’t help but wonder about her…. But I think it would be more lovely to wonder about her than to know the actual history.

I guess some people think it’s silly to scrapbook about “selfish” things, like my favorite food or favorite t.v. show, because who will really care about those things when I’m gone? Well, I think it’s silly to think that such a thing is silly! My dad did it, and I think it is fascinating to see them!

I’ve loved looking through my dad’s things that I found, and I think I’m going to ask my mom if she has some hidden memories somewhere for me to find… It’s a blast. I highly recommend it.