Chucky Blossoms (Vintage Style Crochet Cloche Hat)

 This year I picked up the crochet hook again. It's been a while... like Winter of 2010 in NY 6 feet of snow ago. Didn't take long to relearn. I like to go all out when I do something, so my first project was a remake of Katniss' cowl neck in Catching Fire. It was surprisingly successful! (I will be posting on this and when up will put a link here.)

 This hat was the next thing I made. I had collected this yarn from Dollar Tree, yes Dollar Tree! Their craft sections are starting to look like an old fashion Joannes' Fabric store or at one time named Cloth World when I was really young. But yes, Dollar Tree carries yarn. It's nice yarn too. I picked a few balls of these colors because I just liked them. These two were chunky weight 100% Acrylic. The gray is a tweed. I believe it took a little over 2 balls of the gray and 1 and a little over of the red.

   I found this pattern on YouTube. I'm a lover of vintage hats! The first hat I ever made was from a 1916 pattern. This pattern is modern by Littlejohn's Yarn...

She does crochet product reviews as well so check her out!

   I had a little trouble with the twist in the hat's brim. I finally had to get help from my mom. It's quite confusing... now when I see a pattern containing a twist like this, I'm like... NOPE! :-D But I like how it came out. I made it with bigger size thread and hook so that's why it doesn't look quite like the original but oh is it warm! It's made with a cable like stich, so it turns out thick and warm.

    I added the decorations on my own. If you want to know how to make these flowers go over to Pinterest and look for crochet puff flowers. I made three for this.

Made this hat too? Let me know on FB at Glitter Glam Mandy - Manda K's Universe Blog Facebook &/or let's be friends on Ravelry:AmandaKay

Fashionably Young at Heart - Luv for Disney Doesn't Die (The multi-generational appeal of Disney)

  I had not gone to a party since Feb 2020. Call me crazy but as someone with underlying health concerns I would like to reach a happy ripe old age in the distant future. There is also the fact if I did get Covid I would not wish to give it to someone else. Thier life in my hands like that? While some people take that responsibility lightly, for me... not so much... Judge your own actions before you go after mine, just saying...

   My personal safety zone was when the transmission rate reaches >3 in my area and that is where we were when I was invited to celebrate my Niece's 6th birthday. I had not seen her in 2 years. TWO YEARS!!! 

The last time I saw my nieces in 2019

    With that said... I've not dressed for anything but going to a store and such in nearly 2 years. Putting on mascara... I realized it was not worth putting on for making TikTok videos a while back. I have clothes I bought before the shutdown that I have never gotten around to wearing. Nowhere to wear it too... I also have lost a little weight since March 2020, so I was able to get into a shirt I bought a number of years ago that I have never been able to get into. I must have gained weight right after I bought it. I know I tried it on before buying it!

   It seemed appropriate for a six-year old's party. The Little Mermaid was one of my favorite Disney movies growing up and Disney is not something you ever completely grow out of. So many from my generation loves these movies to this day.

   My niece was really into Minnie Mouse the last time I saw her so that was what I made for her - Minnie Mouse Scarf - and afterwards I sat down with her to ask her what Disney Princesses she's into now for future reference :-D

Letting my Freckles show :-D

   Also note this was in Dec, which was oddly warm, so I didn't have anything cool enough that was more Christmas time like. 

    I also had this bracelet I also bought in Early 2020 online from the app Wish.com... I never got to wear it. I actually when buying it thought I might take it apart and use the charms for something else. It only cost about $4 at the time but it went fast, and I doubt it's available anymore, but you can look, maybe I'm wrong. If you do come across one somewhere, I will say it's well worth more than the $4 I paid for it. Here I turned it into a necklace by adding another plain bracelet at the back.

   Ok, lets get to the makeup!

I mean, my makeup skills after almost 2 year of very little use is suffering... (I have used makeup because I made TikTok videos and such, but I did the bare minimal. Thats not a bad thing though. Make up is for fun... you don't have to completely cover your face with it. Ur beautiful without a speck of it on... just saying...)

    MegaLast Liquid Catsuit Metallic Eyeshadow- You Copper Cat

(I acquired this product at Dollar Tree, yes, I said Dollar Tree! I had started buying from Wet n Wild directly on their website which I do recommend. But to walk into a store and finding a whole bunch of those liquid eyeshadows for just ONE DOLLAR?!?! Happy Dance!) You can pick this up currently at Wet n Wild's website for $3.44 Click on above title for link to product.

  

NEON - by Profusion

    Next I used one of my FAVORITE eyeshadows palette! This was the second I bought from this brand. The first palate was call Spectrum with 10 very bright colors. I had been wanting a palette with bright colors but most available were just different shade of browns. I saw Spectrum and bought it then and there... It was only FIVE Dollars at Walmart!

   I pick this palette up when my family went on a shopping mission to prepare for the coming shut down. I spotted Neon and didn't know when I would be coming back to Walmart, so I bought it too. 

   This brand is SO GOOD. I don't know how you're going find any shadows any better than this this without upping your budget dramatically! It's so smooth and pigmented!!! The price does not represent the quality of the product in any way!

VOLUM' EXPRESS® THE COLOSSAL® WASHABLE MASCARA

    This isn't my favorite mascara of all time (they seem to have stopped producing that one) But I do like it. It's good! I would defiantly recommend someone trying it. I have a mini size here I got in a gift set which is easier to carry around and last a fair amount of time. It takes me a while to get through a tube of mascara, so I like having a mini. I did have a large size, but I may have used it all or it dried up, not sure... Like I said above. I haven't been using Mascara much the last 2 years.

CONTOURING BLUSH & BRONZING POWDER - ELF

   Honestly, I used this partly because it had a mirror with it! But it's not a bad blush. I don't really use the bronzer with it. Maybe when life goes back to seeing people and showing our faces, I'll give it a try again... It's very smooth and soft. No complaints. The packaging is the selling point though. I found it on Clearance at Walmart quite a while ago, but it looks like Elf still sales it and at a very fair price! I actually remember this being more then $3.40 not on sale as they are stating here... but right now it's $1.92! I'm not sure what shade I have as I misplaced it currently...

Color Icon Lip Gloss Zodiac Collection - Wet n Wild

 (Color - Capricorn)

 I don't know if you can get these anymore or not. They were selling them at Walmart for a while which I got this one. I later ordered the ones they had on clearance on WetnWild.com after Covid kept me out of stores. I had a good experience buying from them. The second order did have an issue, but they were very good at addressing it.

   This may not be a gloss for everybody. I love glitter and Capricorn is pure glitter. It is a duo chrome changing from a purple to a yellow gold. I have also used this as a glitter highlighter on my cheeks. 

UPDATE: I just found this color for sale on Wetnwild.com Link above. $1.90!

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Follow me over on FB at... Glitter Glam Mandy - Manda Kay's Universe

Buying Movie Memorabilia Jewelry on Wish.com (Is it worth it or a SCAM?)

 

Necklace was from Ebay that I believe was bought as an officially licensed item. On the back it is marked LGF & a tag on the latch with The Hunger Games & marked Lionsgate. These markings did not come on the other items. But you cane see they are all good quality.
I would have bought more official items had I got into the books sooner but it was no longer available by the time I became a fan!

 A few years ago I started buying off a website called Wish.com  This started off with me on Youtube watching videos of people buying really cheap priced stuff from them and seeing what arrived in the mail. There were some good laughs. I watched quite a few of these videos. It slowly dawned on me not everything they were getting was junk! The clothes, yeah 99.5% of that was laughable (there was this one video that was so funny... I wish I had the link but lost it) but the other stuff... hmmm, now that was interesting. So I downloaded the app to see what this Wish app was all about. Around this time I had recently bought a necklace and pin Mockingjay on E-bay. (If you do not know me I'm a bit of a Hunger Games fan) Wish had them too... plus more! They had one bracelet I really liked. It was around, if not under $2 !!!! It took PayPal which seemed pretty safe to give it a try so I did...

  I got it in the mail and was really happy with it! (To this day it looks as good as the day I got it besides a small area on the metal bar that corroded or it was glue that did something funny but nothing too bad.) AND Yes, it takes a long time to ship but when you are ordering something unusual you can't find just anywhere at such a good price I certainly will not complain! I eventually picked up a pair of Mockingjay earrings as well. Very detailed, highly recommend those too.

Anne Boleyn's necklace from Wish.com
& French hood I made based on portrait.

  Another item that caught my eye that I thought was pretty cool was a necklace. Pearls with a large letter "B". If you do not recognize this it is a replica of the necklace worn by Anne Boleyn wife of King Henry the 8th (the Tudor King who had 6 wives, beheading 2 including Anne) You can see more of my costume using this necklace on my Blog Post Here. I've had an interest in Henry and his wives since I was a teen. Family lore said we were related to them. I have come to find that there are a number of fans of this era. If you are into Broadway you probably are aware of the musical SIX. I have some thoughts on this production, good and bad but I will spare you at the moment as this post is not really about that. But should you know Six, Anne Boleyn also wears this necklace. I bought mine before that and was a bit surprised how famous that necklace actually is. If you should want one... I'm not sure they still carry them on Wish but I didn't pay much over $4 including shipping. Looks like you can still get is on Amazon.com for a little more but I'd recommend checking out Wish to see if you can snag one cheaper but prices have gone up on everything over the past few years. They all appear to be the same necklace being sold by different sellers. The pearls are not high quality (light weight plastic) so take that into account when buying but it's still a cool piece to have. So far mine has not turned but I've not worn it much. As I said the quality isn't the best so I baby it. You could paint it with clear polish to help insure it won't turn on you.

Post of the Titanic inspired ring on my Instagram

  Another item I have seen on Wish.com that I have seen a lot of but have not bought because I already had one is The Heart of the Ocean necklace from Titanic. I did however buy a ring clearly inspired by it.

   For Disney fans I found Belle's necklace from the live action version of Beauty and the Beast. Again I baby it a little in fear of it turning but it hasn't shown any signs that it wants too. However the chain is a different story. It has turned a little dark but like I said the pendant has not.

 Odd thing is it comes in more then one color of gold and though I've seen the movie and looked at pictures I don't know what color was used in the movie. I'm gonna assume gold but why did they make a choice of rose gold or gold? Reminds me of another necklace in the live action version of Aladdin... but anyway, I ordered it in Rose Gold cause I just really like Rose Gold, you don't see it much in real jewelry these days.

  My mom liked this necklace so much that she wanted one and she had never even seen the movie!

  I don't believe these are officially licensed. You can get them that are though. They look a little bit different in style but I'm not quite sure which are the most accurate due to the fact I have hardly seen any close up shots of the real necklace. Maybe there are some out there I just had a hard time finding them. I'm not a huge fan of this film so... I'm not that concerned with accuracy. But if you are, I'm giving the info I have in case it helps you find the best reproduction to fit your needs. As for cost this one will be a little cheaper. I payed not more the $4 for it I think it was in 2019.

 Side note: There is a lot of hate on this dress and I personally think it was a horribly bad design for the iconic yellow dress... however just looking at it as a stand alone dress I have to admit it's gorgeous. And I'll leave it at that for now.

 One thing I like about Wish is their return policy. Yes, you will get duds and sometime things just don't arrive on time or at all. After years I have yet not been able to get my money returned nor did I actually have to return an item. Case in point is this necklace I bought right before the pandemic struck. A year before I read the series The Maze Runner (Blog on that HERE) after that I watched the movies. I liked both thought they are wildly different from each other.

  Looking on Wish I came across this necklace based on the maze in the movie. I don't know if this was a knock off of a real product or what but the quality was not great. The latch was broken and the maze is stamped slightly off. While it's a neat item I would suggest you not pay much for it if you do want to chance that yours might arrive in better shape then mine. I got my money back. But did not have to return it. I have worn it in irony now that the whole thing was about a pandemic... I even wore it to get my first Vax. As you can see I just used a safety pin to keep it on. I could do a better fix but hey, this works... (btw: I wish they had done one of Newt's necklace)

First Post Since We Entered a Global Pandemic... Looking forward and back

    It's been since 2019 that I've posted on this blog. What can I say... a lot happened since then. We are now reaching the two year mark of a global pandemic. Can you image telling 2019 me what 2021 me would feel about the world she is now living in now? Early 2020 I basically stopped posting on my YouTube Channel. It's was struggling as it was with the new rule YouTube had slammed on us. Adult Disney fans just didn't make since to YT. I did had my GlitterGlamMandy Vids but I never even posted the last one I filmed. When a Pandemic struck maybe there is something wrong with me but I had a hard time adjusting to the "New Norm". Really only now am I really getting my mind into some sort of order. These are things I loved doing before and I find myself wanting to going back to. 

   One thing I didn't drop despite of a global Pandemic was dressing up for Halloween even though I went NOWHERE for the 2nd year in a row... but I've worn a costume EVER YEAR since I was around 3 or 4 years old. After a track record that long I didn't want to break the streak.

  Last year I had an idea what I wanted to do with a costume but didn't have the time or quite figure out how to make it (have to cover that in another post *spoiler: Mockingjay) So I grabbed a black dress and a costume piece I made back when I first started theater. A French hood based on the one worn by the mother of Queen Elizabeth the 1st, Anne Boyleyn. I was preforming with an acting troupe and they were doing The Prince and the Pauper.

Originally I was cast as Lady Elizabeth but we had some casting changes and I was moved to Lady Jane Grey... In these pictures you will see Lady Elizabeth wearing this hood. I am also the maker of the hood I'm wearing. I love these outfits! I do still have them! But no, not dragging them out (aka: not knowing where they are stashed around here... :-)

 I did a TikTok on different costumes I've worn during the years but didn't get to that one... so I'll throw a shot on here of it. And I did make a Tiktok of me in the dress so I'll try and link it here... 

@amandakayhowell

Anne Boleyn actually be like... NO! Halloween 2020 #halloween #six #musicaltheatre #anneboleyn #theaterkid #tudors #wivesofhenryviii #girlssupportgirls

♬ NO - Meghan Trainor

(In case you are wondering the B necklace was bought on Wish.com a few years back, not sure they still carry them but I didn't pay much over $4 including shipping... I should do a seperate blog post on this!)

  This year I did almost completed the Mockingjay costume... but I hit a creative block and since nobody would see it in person anyway I felt more like going simple and leaving the Mockingjay for another time. BTW: Also in my crochet adventures this year I recreated Katniss' cowl neck from the movie... but again, just didn't feel to drive to wear it. But then browsing through YouTube I came across a pattern for a really cool Halloween crop top! This was only a few days before Halloween so it was like, I won't get that finished in time... but I had everything I needed to make it and decided to attempt it. If I didn't finish it... well, there will be more Halloweens ahead (where people will actually get to see it!) And I had a back up plan if needed...

But it was not! I completed the top in about 3 days! I didn't want it to be as skimpy as the original was so I added a few more rows to make it larger. I also wanted it to tie farther in the back then the original and it did. It was cold outside so I just ended up wearing a black T-shirt under it. Not too bad but I think I need to give a little more attention to the fit, the neck does not want to lay right and the bottom is rolling a little (might be my fault for making it too big but it's not bad and being a little more covered is important to me)

I used the color scheme (black and White) she did mostly because it reminded me of the memorable black and white dress from the movie Sleepy Hollow (honestly I have never even watched it even though I worked in the real Sleepy Hollow for years at an Halloween event based on the The Legend of Sleepy Hollow 

Oddly, I discovered I'm am a descendant of the Crane family... yes it was a real family that lived in the area. In honor of this I named my Tux kitten "Ichabod" who would have been my cousin.

  I found the Spider Crop Top pattern on YouTube made by PassioKnit Kelsie If your into crochet tops you might like her stuff!

  As for the rest of my costume I'm wearing a dark stone tiara I got from Wish.com  The Spider web earrings were from clearance from Walmart a number of years ago as well as the spider cape.

   As for Ichabod, (my kitty) he also got costumed as well. I found a YouTuber that has a lot of crochet cat and dog collars and such... you can find her here.... Lingzhi Handmade

Spider Queen & her Pumpkin

 This one didn't take long at all to make. Going for a pumpkin vibe. He took to it well. I learned quickly to put the tie at the top because otherwise he thought he was wearing a toy! (4 months old, so still just a kitten wanting to play) He eventually took it off himself and left it in the middle of the yard which is fine, LOL. He allowed a number of pictures to be taken in it. That's what he gets for picking me as his person...

Denim and Lace (Gloria Vanderbilt Jeans, Wet N Wild, Elf, HardCandy, CoverGirl, Maybelline)

Denim and Lace Outfit and Makeup I'm sure this blouse was a thrift store find. I don't remember exactly where. Size: Large Made in Indonesia. I've really started to take note at where my clothes are made. I've found the clothing that I wear that falls apart in mostly made from China. The best outfits in my wardrobe (other the designers made in the US) are made in Vietnam of all places. Take note of all the pin tucking all over the front. The shirt shown here is a light weight cotton and it is a little big on me but comfortable none the less. Pant made by Gloria Vanderbilt "All American Slimming Effect" size 10 bought at +Costco These are quite comfortable and ended up buying a 2nd pair! These are also made in Indonesia. I've very impressed with these and would recommend them! You can find really good deals on them if you are a Costco member. I recently bought a pair of Calvin Klein Jeans and in those I wear a 12.

MAKEUP Brows : Elf 81303  Dark

I really don’t understand the brow styles these days. So many brow products coming out but I’m just familiar  with using a brow pencil but found this ELF brow kit on sale and wanted to try it. It even comes with a little mirror. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I do. On the right is a dark wax and on the left is a lighter brown powder. Now I don’t understand why the colors are not closer in color. The applicator  that comes with it on one side has a stiff brush for the wax and a soft for the powder. And guess what I haven’t lost the applicator yet! You can find it HERE for $3

Face:
Hard Candy Sheer Envy Color correcting Primer
      I’m not wearing any foundation. Just a layer of SPF moisturizer. My eyes were a little dark this day (hate allergies!) so used this product for the first time. I do have a W.N.W color corrector palette that is not easy to work with and I don’t use a lot because of it. THIS however is pretty cool! It goes on smooth and your skin get the lightest tint of green. You know, enough to work but not enough to look like you painted blobs of green on your face! The finish is really smooth and not at all sticky, un like the WNW on I have. I think I may have found a color corrector I like! You can find it HERE $8
Wet n Wild Coloricon Blush in Rose Champagne C326B
      I’m not sure why this is a blush… I mean… it’s not pink. To me it is a nude with a warm tone. No “rose” in it’s color. That being said it is useful to me as a face powder or base eyeshadow base. Here I wanted to make sure there was any visible green from the color corrector so I set t with powder just in case.
You can find it HERE $2.99 Maybelline NY Fit Me! Blush 104 Light Pink

     This is another blush that looks very close to my natural skin tone but has more pink to it then the Wet n wild Pink Champagne. I have a lot of pink in my skin tone so I use this also as face powder or eyeshadow but since it is pink I will use it for a very pale blush.

You can find it HERE $5.99

Eyes:
E.L.F. Eye primer Sheer 21711
      This was only $2 not on sale. I had a more expensive primer that I like but I hated using it on days I was just playing with my make up so I bought this. Is it great? No. I was not happy with it at all when I first started using it but the more I use it the more it grows on me (and maybe I’m just getting the hang of how to use it) It tends to burn a little if I put it really close to my eyes directly so I put it higher and then I smooth it around to my lids and it’s fine. You can find it HERE $2

Covergirl trunaked Jewels Dazed useing color “Quartz”
      Watching reviews on this palette I saw people did not like this shade. It didn’t show up on their skin. Well, this is a case where it just depends on who you put it on. I think this color is so pretty and looks good on me and you can see it! I have found cool tones look better on me and that might be one of the issues. This is a very cool blue pink. On me it works. It is also quite soft and creamy in feel. It is the only matte in this palate and I’m using it for my transition. You can find it HERE
E.L.F. Aqua Beauty Molten Liquid Eyeshadow
      I was trying to be clever and a little desperate for something I could use as a glue for some of my really glittery shadows. I pulled this out and decided to give it a try… I apply it over my base shade on my eyelid. And YES! It worked. Glitter shadows cling to this very well. Use a blend brush to get rid of any harsh lines.
Maybelline NY The CityKits Urban Light Eye+cheek Palette

      I got this palette because of these light colors! (and it was on sale) I have very hooded eyes and I like to use bright colors so not to darken my eyes more then they are already. I used the gray shade in the crease. I used to yellow next to the green on my lid.

You can find it HERE $4

Maybelline NY Lash Sensational Full Fan Effect
      Big Lots sent me this mascara and it’s pretty good. I’ve had so many issues with mascaras through the years. Eventually found that I’m safe with Covergirl and Maybelline when it come to irritating my eyes. It’s been many years since I’ve tried another brand except when I bought a tube of Loreal… I could barely use it cause of the bad design and it dryed up after a few uses. As for Maybelline and covergirl I have has a problem with the formulas being too watery. This one is one is not too bad and it does fan your lashes! I bought another tube in this line when I saw it on sale cause I liked this one. Won’t open it till I finish off a tube though.

Note: I have a lot of problems with mascara getting on my eye shadow when I put on my mascara last so to solve that I now put it on first before the shadow. I might put on another coat after I finish if needed but it cuts down the mess. This is why I hate watery mascara. It really goes EVERYWHERE when I use it!

Find it HERE $8.99 MSRP

Lips:
  Covergirl 323 Delicious Exquis
      I like Covergirl lipsticks. When you put them on let them dry down for 10 or so minutes before drinking or eating and they will stay really well. I got this stick from Big Lots. This color is a darker version of Quartz in the eyeshadow palette! This color looks to be discontinued but I did find it on Amazon HERE

How Old is This Dress... Leslie Fay - 1975

So FIRST, what was going on in the world in 1975?

March: Charlie Chaplin was knighted by Elizabeth II
April: 
The Vietnam War ends with the Fall of Saigon
June:
Jaws is released
September:
Patty Hearst is captured.
October:
Queen's single Bohemian Rhapsody is released.

….Just to give you a little atmosphere of the era this dress was worn.

How can I tell how old this dress is?
 Take a look at the label. The tags indicate the mid to late 1970's... after 1974 by law washing instructions had to be on the label. Not only does this one give washing instructions but even tells you the product to use! +woolite Pretty sure this payed product placement...
The designer label tag actually dates from the late 1960's early 70's but I'm assuming they just used them till the ran out.
    You can also use the Ladies Garments Workers Union Label if a dress was made in the US. (You won't find this in other countries.) The Ladies Garments Workers Union ILGWU tags changed through the year and it can give you a idea when a garment was made. The Union tag in this dress is what seals then deal on pinning down a date. The red, white, and blue tags where used between 1974 to 1995. The Woolite tag is from the 70's. I think it is safe to conclude this dress was made somewhere around 1975.

   This is a Leslie Fay Original... Leslie Fay was founded by Fred Pomerantz in 1947. He originally made uniforms for women during WWII. After the war he decided to use his knowledge of dress making for real women.
    This dress fits me like a (what I call) a vintage size 8 or 10. The labels on this dress are hard to figure out. One sticker says 38 which that would be a 8 or 10 in UK sizing's but I'm not sure if that is the size or it means something else since it's a sticker rather then a tag. There is another label that had a bunch of numbers on it I don't know their meaning. All I can make out are MM and a 6 but this dress is not a vintage size 6. (any help for figuring this out is welcome) Clothing made before the 80's are not the same sizes as we know today and even the clothes today are hard to figure out... like, is it a real size small, junior size, a vanity size small, a pattern size small, China size small... yeah... there is also a vintage sizing! If this dress is a size 6 it could have just meant to fit much loser then it fits me, so that could be the explanation.

    The fabric content is not listed on the tag. It's pretty rough to the touch. I'm pretty sure it's polyester... the awful kind that doesn't breath... ugh! We should be thankful they have moved on from this era of fashion when it comes to a lot of the fabrics used. There are some clothes I really like from the 70's but they are simply too unconformable to wear in everyday life. 

    This is your classic Little Black Dress for a party with a little bling. The neck is decorated in rhinestones in a plastic setting. There are pockets in the front for you pocket lovers. I'm wearing a Diamond star necklace with it and slouchy leather boots. These pictures are when I wore it Christmas 2017.

*Just think... we didn't have Star Wars in 1975!
    

#lesliefay #lbd #littleblackdress #Woolite +wooliteusa #vintageclothing #dressup #christmasday #vintagestyle #lesliefay #70sfashion #littleblackdress #dresswithpockets #glitterglammandy #howoldisthisdress