Dree Hemingway for Margaret Howell Fall 2011
05/08/2011 § 2 Comments
Noted that there has been quite a bit of Dree Hemingway on the blog lately…decided I was okay with that…especially when she’s modelling for one of my favorite designers…and looks this dapper.
Her eyes are amazing, are they not?
I really want a hat like this. Like really, really, really want a hat like this. Do we think Margaret Howell also made the hat, or it was gotten elsewhere? Please interwebs, reveal the answer to me…
Images via FGR.
Shortlist #1
05/08/2011 § 1 Comment
I have to admit that I didn’t come up with the idea for this post on my own. I frequently notice that there are little things in my life that may not warrant an extended discussion on here, but I’m momentarily all about them, nonetheless. Inspired by Jessica and her “A Few Things I Love,” Diana and her “Things I Like Right Now,” and Lani and her “Currently Obsessing,” I give you my inaugural Shortlist:
Giles & Brother Hook Cuff: While I like the railroad tie bracelets by G&B, I really love the dainty feel of this cuff.
Sketching pencils and eraser: Spending a lot of time sketching and painting lately. (Fun fact: The only person that gets more excited than I do when I get new art supplies is my Mom. Isn’t she sweet?)
Big Apple Red by OPI: The most perfect red ever, hands down.
My vintage Torcan fan: Picked this up from a lovely seller on Etsy. While I still aspire to own a GE fan like the one my grandparents had, this one is a darling little member of the household. Don’t let the size fool you, though. It’s so powerful I have to make sure I secure it before turning it on!
“Nobody ever lives their life all the way up except bull-fighters.” The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. Picked this up on the recommendation of Cooper. Loving it.
A photo I picked up recently: How precious is his outfit? I kind of wish he was actually wearing the hat… Added bonus, the back of the picture is almost as interesting as the front.
“If you have beauty, come, we’ll take it,
if you have none, come, we’ll make it”
Ask Me Anything: Curl Tamer
04/08/2011 § 2 Comments
If there’s anything I might be able to help you with, drop me a line: contact@quitecontinental.net
Yours Truly. My specialties are curly hair and mischievous looks.
Hi Mariah,
I noticed you’ve got curly hair, just like me. I was wondering what products you use?
Over the years, I’ve gone through a number of phases in my relationship with my hair. (I blogged about it a few months ago, if you’d like to read it. It’s a bit wordy, so consider yourself forewarned…) But yes, my hair is definitely curly and rather full. I had a Brazillian Blowout back in the winter, which rendered my hair completely — amazingly! — straight. I loved it and completely recommend it for curly girls who want wash and wear straight hair for a couple of months. It gradually has worn off and this summer I am rediscovering my love for my curls. You can see the current state of my locks above.
Everyone’s hair is a bit of a puzzle/middle school science fair project. You’ve got to experiment until you find what works for you, but here are some of my tips for taming curly hair:
- Never ever EVER brush your curls…unless you want to look like a poodle. Curly hair should be combed through when soaking wet, and left to its own devices after that. I only use my fingers to style my hair after it is dry.
- Curly hair is thirsty. After you think you’ve put in enough product, add more. And don’t be afraid to double or triple up on your products. At present, I’m working with three or four to get the curls you see above. In the shower, be sure to use a good conditioner, as dry hair invites frizz. Lastly, unless you have super oily hair/scalp, don’t wash it every day. Try going a few days. If you absolutely can’t go without washing your hair, try merely rinsing and lightly conditioning it.
- Air drying is always best.
- Lastly, find a stylist who understands curly hair. In New York, I go to Angela Soto at the Whittemore House Salon in Greenwich Village, and I **highly** recommend her. She’s amazing.
Secret summer weapons.
So what’s on my hair right now? The two products you see above have been a godsend to me this summer: Je Veux Argan Oil and SACHAJUAN Ocean Mist. Both were recommended to me by Angela, and can be purchased at the Whittemore House, if you’re so inclined. I especially like the Je Veux because it conditions my hair without weighing it down — a problem I had when I tried using pure argan oil. The Ocean Mist does an excellent job of defining my curls, especially in the morning after I’ve slept on them. I’ve also heard good things about Fekkai Beach Waves and Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray.
My summer regimen is as follows:
- Wash, comb through a deep conditioner (the only time I comb my hair), wrap hair in towel to wring out excess moisture
- Apply generous amount of Je Veux Argan Oil, evenly spritz SACHAJUAN Ocean Mist, scrunch
- Air dry. Once dry, finish off with a bit of hairspray. I love Elnett.
Hope that helps. Do let me know how it goes for you!
**Sidenote** It seems like argan oil is everywhere lately, and I didn’t have the faintest where it came from, so I asked Tara Cole, holistic health and nutrition coach (and good friend/partner in crime) to explain:
“I am always on the search to uncover healthy, holistic solutions to heal the body. I discovered argan oil and its multitude of uses last year, and have been hooked ever since. This amazing oil keeps my skin young and healthy and looking fresh.
It can also be used to re-hydrate the body, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and soothe skin ailments such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema. It can reduce appearance of scars and stretch marks, moisturize cuticles, and it’s a great way to nourish and add shine to your hair. I also dab a little on insect bites in the summer to heal quicker.
This ancient healing oil is derived from the kernels of the slow growing argan tree, exclusive to the dry lowlands of Southwest Morocco. I recommend finding an organic, cold-pressed oil for best results. I like both Josie Maran Cosmetics argan oil, and Arganica Oil.“
For help with organic questions and holistic health tips, you can visit Tara at her website, Green Tara Wellness.
If there’s anything I might be able to help you with, drop me a line: contact@quitecontinental.net
The Mating Game, 1938
01/08/2011 § 3 Comments
Way to go Robert. Way. To. Go.
This coming weekend I am headed up to Portsmouth, New Hampshire to attend the wedding of two very special friends. They are amazing people and a doubly amazing couple and I can’t wait to celebrate them.
Apropos of the impending nuptials, I wanted to share a charming little article from my LIFE Magazine collection on the very subject. It seems in Detroit in 1938, young couples like Robert Cannell and Dorothy Frances Stark (pictured above), attended lectures and courses in order to figure out if they were suited to marry. (When Robert wasn’t hitting Dorothy in the face with his badminton racquet, that is). The main motivation for attending the classes? “…the experience of two out of ten married friends who a few years ago were wed in a shower of glory, love and rice, and now are divorced, separated or miserable.”
Catch that? The “two out of ten” part? Wonder what they would think about our five or six out of ten situation today…?
The would-be couples attended group sessions with doctors, social workers and budget experts, and had private consultations with a priest, all in the pursuit of a “successful” marriage. It seems the attitude in 1938 was that any problem could be solved, if you threw the right combination of scientists and religion at it. The article is full of amusing euphemisms, as you might expect from a family magazine from the 1930s — my favorite example: “A great percentage of divorces are due to physical maladjustment often resulting from lack of knowledge or training,” under a picture of a gynecologist pointing to a large medical diagram of a uterus. Sexy.
Concerned couples. Seasoned experts.
Don’t they look happy?
Now, for readers who didn’t happen to be in Detroit (and for those of us living in 2011), LIFE generously included a questionnaire used in the classes that was supposed to give a clear indication of whether or not a couple would “make it.” Some of my favorites:
- Do you believe sexual harmony is necessary to happy marriage?
- Do you love your fiancee more than your mother?
- Will you live with your parents?
- Do you attend church regularly?
- Do you show your fiancee little courtesies?
If any couples out there are itching to take the full length quiz, I’d be happy to send it along. I’m not sure on the shelf life, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say that living with your parents is always a bad move. Oh, and physical maladjustment. Avoid that one at all costs.
LIFE Archives: Grad Nite
26/07/2011 § 6 Comments
I was recently inadvertently reminded how awesome it is to grow up in Los Angeles — not that I actually ever forget such things, but I realized that there was something I needed to add to the list. Being a high school senior is great fun no matter where you attend school, no doubt. You go to the prom and graduation, and do all the things that seniors do. But for seniors in Los Angeles, there is an additional graduation tradition that has been around since 1961, called “Grad Nite.” Held every year, Los Angeles seniors are let loose in the Disneyland theme park from 11pm to 6am, for an all-night party just for them.
My mother did it, and so did I. Somehow I have no pictures from my trip, but perhaps my mom might have a few from hers. We can attempt to bribe her, but I’m not sure it will work. In the meantime, I discovered that LIFE sent a photographer to Grad Nite in the early 60s who captured some darling pictures. From the photos, you can see the graduates were required to adhere to a strict dress code that has since been completely relaxed. What was once sport coats and party dresses has become t-shirts and sneakers.
I’m pretty sure her feet hurt more.
To this day, pavilions are still set up throughout the park for dancing.
It gets to be a rather late night…
Because of the late hours, Grad Nite presented seniors with the opportunity to have an extended — albeit highly chaperoned — date, as you can see from the pictures. By the time I went, the experience was a lot less focused on couples, but you were still allowed to bring a date. At that time in my so-called life I was dating — somewhat against my parents’ wishes — a ridiculously beautiful older boy who drove a huge pickup truck, raced jetskis, swore like a sailor and chain smoked. He also modeled for Calvin Klein. Paging, Jordan Catalano. Textbook bad boy, right? Well, not really. When I asked him if he’d like to go to Grad Nite, he declined on account of his fear of buses, since we’d have to take one there.
Now, I’m not sure if he just made the whole thing up because he didn’t really want to go. It’s possible. But to this day, it still makes me laugh. I ended up going with one of my best childhood friends and it was probably for the better because I had absolutely no qualms about falling asleep on him on the (big!! scary!!) bus on the way home the next morning.
Happy Liberation Day: Battle of Guam – July 21, 1944
20/07/2011 § 5 Comments
First US flag on Guam on boat hook mast being staked in ground by 2 US officers on Guam 8 minutes after US Marines & Army assault troops landed on Central Pacific island during WWII. Taken July 20, 1944, via LIFE.
July 21 marks the 67th anniversary of the Battle of Guam, considered the official date America regained possession of the island of Guam, during World War II. Guam, the largest of the the Mariana Islands, remains a US territory to this day. Lasting over two weeks, the battle was difficult, but the victory was decisive. The day is celebrated as Liberation Day in Guam.
Now, why do I know this? Purely self interest. Because my paternal grandfather fought in the Pacific Theatre during World War II, was stationed in Guam, met my grandmother-to-be there (a pretty native Chamorro hula girl), and fell in love. Unfortunately, I was never able to meet my grandfather, as he passed away when my own father was a boy, so I did not get to hear his wartime stories. I did, however, hear stories from my grandmother, who has also passed, about her harrowing experiences during the Japanese occupation.
And so, I wanted to share a bit of history as I remember both my grandparents and celebrate the liberation of a place that I am yet to see with my own eyes. Of course, I’m also deeply thankful to the servicemen and women like my grandfather who sacrificed so much to recapture this tiny speck in the South Pacific.
Happy Liberation Day!
Photos from the LIFE Archives from the Battle of Guam
Last image via US National Archives.
Honored Revisit: LIFE Archives: Circus City USA, 1947 {Hugo, Oklahoma}
19/07/2011 § 4 Comments
Betty Jean Pratt Cannon, 1947.
Just wanted to draw your attention to something that I think is kind of amazing that is currently happening on QC, that you might not have noticed… A few months ago, I discovered a cache of beautiful images taken by Cornell Capa for LIFE magazine in the city of Hugo, Oklahoma in 1947. This city has a very interesting history, due to the community’s long and storied connection to the traditional American traveling circus. I was entranced by the pictures of the town, the multigenerational families of performers, the trained animals, and the beautiful costumes. I ended up posting a bunch of them in April and they drew a pretty average number of viewers, who loved them as much as I did.
Then, around 4th of July, I noticed that the post was drawing a outsized amount of people, and I couldn’t figure out why this was happening. Finally, someone commented. A longtime resident of Hugo let me know that one of the beautiful young women in the pictures had recently passed and that her services were to be that very week. Suddenly, I had an outpouring of comments from current and former Hugo residents, thanking me and letting me know that I had found pictures of their friends, their relatives, and of themselves. I also was honored to receive heartfelt messages from the daughters, granddaughters, and nieces of Betty Jean Pratt Cannon, the woman who passed, and who is pictured above.
If you have a moment, please stop by the original post to view the amazing pictures and read the touching comments. I always figured that this silly little blog was something I did to amuse myself, and I never expected to experience anything so poignant. I am humbled and honored to have this opportunity to connect people to their history.
Original post, April 25, 2011: LIFE Archives: Circus City USA, 1947 {Hugo, Oklahoma}
Summer in New York: Happy Bastille Day
14/07/2011 § 1 Comment
Military planes in formation, 1954 parade
Bastille Day has arrived. This national holiday in France commemorates the storming of the Bastille, considered to be the beginning of the French Revolution. Today, France puts on the world’s oldest and largest military parade (ongoing since 1880, almost without exception), down Avenue des Champs-Élysées.
François de La Rocque, leading the parade in 1935.
While many New York celebrations took place over the last weekend, there are still a few places where you can raise a glass in honor of “liberté, égalité, fraternité” today. Eater has done an excellent round-up, available here. My favorites are the free bottle of Veuve to Marie Antoinette impersonators at Artisanal and the pétanque tournament at Cercle Rouge with big band performances.
How will you celebrate Bastille Day?
Actress Elke Sommer playing pétanque.
LIFE Archives: Chesapeake Bay Retriever
11/07/2011 § 2 Comments
Trigger and Donald. Image via LIFE, taken 1949.
Now, before you accuse me of going all Horse and Hound on you (btw, that YouTube clip features Julia Roberts in a tie! Love!), this picture explains how I got on the path to the images of the sporting ladies. I recently learned that Maryland had an official state dog called the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and was one of only eleven states to designate an official state mutt. The “Chessie” is a breed that traces its roots back to two Newfoundland pups rescued from a ship called the Canton that foundered off of Maryland in 1807. The dogs were then bred with local retrievers, eventually resulting in this curly-coated, water-loving, gundog that somewhat resembles a Labrador. George Custer was a fan of the breed, taking his Chessies with him on the battlefield. Teddy Roosevelt also had a Chessie, named Sailor Boy, who was supposedly a descendant of Custer’s dogs.
So, why the duck picture? Well, in an effort to find a picture of this storied American breed, I came across these images of Trigger and his best friend Donald (yes, the duck) in the LIFE Archives. Evidently Donald hated the water and whenever his owners would throw him into the pond so that he could be with the rest of the ducks, Trigger the Chessie would immediately jump in the water and gently retrieve Donald. Too hilarious not to share.
Rabbit Hole: Sporting Ladies
11/07/2011 § Leave a comment
I have never been hunting.
Image taken 1915, via State Library and Archive of Florida.
Nor have I ever shot a gun. Or held a gun, for that matter. But for some reason I found myself drawn to these images of sporting ladies this weekend. I have to say my curiosity is piqued. Piqued enough to make it down to a shooting range? Well, we will just have to see about that…
Image taken 1885, via State Library and Archive of Florida.
Image taken 1920, via Montana State University Libraries.
Image via Forks Timber Museum.
Otter hunting, taken 1901. Image via National Library of Ireland.
A young First Lady Lou Henry Hoover, in 1891.
Image via US National Archives.
Image taken 1910, via the Library of Congress.
Harriet Hammond, President of Nemours Gun Club, the first women’s shooting club in America. Image taken between 1910-1915, via Library of Congress.
Nemours Gun Club.
Image taken between 1910-1915, via Library of Congress.
Nemours Gun Club.
Image taken between 1910-1915, via Library of Congress.
Image taken 1941 by Bernard Hoffman.
Quite Continental 