In the contest between cateyes and wayfarers, I decided to call it a tie with a pair of eyeglasses that were a bit of a compromise. GlassesUSA.com has a great collection of men and women’s frames for affordable prices, so many nice styles, in fact, that I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to choose just one pair! I started out my search by checking out their vintage revival glasses, browsing through frames that were priced between $38 to $254. I ended up loving four pairs of glasses (these, these, these, and these), so I took them all to the virtual try-on page to see what they looked like with my face shape.

The virtual try-it mirror at Glasses USA is helpful, but not perfect. It’s difficult to get your face to be the appropriate size comparatively with the glasses, but it at least allows you to see what the frame shape looks like with your face shape. I recommend making sure you get a straight-on shot of your face, and if you have a camera on your computer- it’s much easier. And don’t worry- if you receive buy glasses and don’t like them- you can return them for free!

In the end, I selected this pair, and after having some trouble checking out with PayPal, I called the customer service line, got through to a representative right away, and was able to order the pair I wanted with minimal fuss. Since I checked out over the phone, I had to e-mail them my prescription, and about a week later, my glasses arrived at the door in a nice case with a cleaning cloth to keep them nice and clear. I’ve really been enjoying these prescription glasses, and feel pretty sophisticated when I wear them. Sophisticated enough to pull out a couple of my old textbooks and take pictures with them! I’m so studious like that.

Receive 30% off your Glasses USA order and enjoy free shipping
with the discount code: MARCH30FS

This is a sponsored review for Glasses USA. For product review opportunities, contact me for a media kit. Photos by Phil Johnson 

I just couldn’t kick the hankering for a classic spy movie, and since James Bond wasn’t available, I figured Charade was the next best thing. WRONG. It was the BEST thing. I forgot how much I love this movie! It’s packed full of mystery, style, quirky characters (the quirkiest!), intrigue, and romance. It’s well deserving of the movie promoter’s favorite phrase: There’s somethin’ for everyone!

Regina Lampert (Audrey Hepburn) has escaped with a friend to a mountain resort where she confesses she’s been considering leaving her husband Charles. After all their years of marriage, she hardly knows him and it seems to her that he’s living a double life. But Regina doesn’t get the chance to divorce her husband. When she returns home, she discovers he has been killed, and learns from an American CIA agent (Walter Matthau) that Charles was actually a spy and had hidden a fortune from a group of rough-and-tumble war buddies who were out to find the money no matter the cost.

A mysterious man (Cary Grant) whom she had met during her vacation seems to be the only one she can trust as she launches her own investigation to find Charles’s money and evade the scary men who are also after the fortune. But soon she begins to suspect his motives as well.

Charade is often mistaken for a Hitchcock film, and though directed by Stanley Donen, it does bear the marks of what we all love about a good Hitchcockian thriller- amiable characters, edge-of-your-seat suspenseful moments, witty dialogue, and two people who fall in love during the midst of personal crises. Hepburn’s character is delightfully doused with the perfect amount of quirkiness (she never stops stress-eating throughout the entire story), innocence, and remarkable drive to delve into a dangerous investigation. Cary Grant is charming as usual, albeit a bit too old to be playing Hepburn’s romantic counterpart. But enjoyable nonetheless. They don’t have the best chemistry in this movie, but not everyone can be Grace Kelly, I suppose!

All-in-all, Charade is a tremendously enjoyable film I always recommend, even to those who aren’t usually into “old movies.” I promise, it will not disappoint. Charade is available to watch instantly on Amazon right here.

And you thought my favorite treasure trove couldn’t get any better! Well, folks, it has. A local vintage seller, Violet Velvet, has consigned a section of The Bomb Shelter where affordably priced vintage clothes and accessories for men and women are bountifully displayed for our shopping pleasure. Come on out to Akron, Ohio, and places like this might make you second guess ever going back home. You think I’m kidding? I’m definitely not.

Even though Violet Velvet is located in an annex of a larger store, The Bomb Shelter, there’s plenty of room for several organized racks of clothes, and space for several shoppers to comfortably browse the great vintage selection. You won’t find high-end vintage at Violet Velvet, but I bet you’ll be surprised at the friendly price tags on the easy-to-wear ’50s-’70s clothes that are for sale there. Since there aren’t dressing rooms, I was happy to find measurements listed on many of the tags. I walked away with two garments that I happily discovered fit me perfectly! If you’re not a regular Etsy vintage shopper like me, you might want to know your measurements and bring along measuring tape to be confident that whatever you buy will fit you when you bring it home.

First and last photo by Kyle Michaels. All other photos by Mandi Johnson