Last week in photos

 

1926 Fashion at the Races (part 2)

Source 

I think I left the best to last. All these ladies look so cute, I cannot choose a favorite! Never ending fur trims, cloches and drop waist, what a dream!

1926 Fashion at the Races (part 1)

Source: parisenimages

I believe Parisienne is my favorite website at the moment! You can find wonders of bygone times. All these images are by the photographer Maurice-Louis Branger taken in 1926 races throughout the year. Look at those fashions! I love to get a look at what real people looked like compared to the film stars, and these pictures do not disappoint. I am very much getting into the 20's, something that has been developing slowly since late December, not sure what will come out of that, but at the moment this is more relevant for me than any other eras. My favorites in this batch are the 2nd and the 5th. I want that fur trim coat...

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm ~ 1938

What a darling film! Shirley Temple is so adorable I just want to squeeze her. And I made screencaps to prove it! Very entertaining, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm is a coloured 1938 moving picture based on the novel by Kate Douglas Wiggin. You can watch it for free here.

vintage books: The Dud Avocado (1958)

I will try to follow this like a series of vintage book reviews (anything before the 70s) as I think it is an interesting and real aspect of the culture of the time. I don't know how often I will be able to keep this series, but I will definitely give it a good try!

The Dud Avocado is a delightful book that I wish I had read earlier in my life. It is the fun story of Sally Jay, coming of age American girl who moves to Paris for 2 years to live la vie en rose. It is loosely based on the author's life, Elaine Dundy, and I wish to read her two other books (if only I could manage to get my claws on them). Sally Jay is not a character, she became my friend, telling me all her adventures, successes and disasters included. I did wish I could keep on reading it for longer, I didn't want to depart from her stories! 

I love it for a book written in the 50's to discuss female sexual desires and casual relationships from a woman's point of view, not only the lovey-dovey or tragedy stories. Elaine Dundy certainly was ahead of her times, or we just don't have too many examples like her still reaching out to us after 50 years. 

I would recommend this book to anyone wishing for a bit of fun! And if you've been to Paris is even better because you can relate to the places mentioned and have a great big image of the scenes in your head.