Quacker Factory: Fun in the Snow

   My mom has been a little bit of a Quacker Factory fan for years but never actually had one in her wardrobe. So she was quite happy when she got her hands on this one.
  She even remembered seeing it on air on QVC years back and was one of her favorites. Don't ya love it what things like that?!
_________________________

• Quacker Factory

     Size L
    RN 118161
    Made in China
     Modern

   This sweater is made of a cotton and the snowflakes are done with an Angora rabbit. (60% cotton/40% acrylic; trim 59% nylon/38% angora rabbit hair/3% lambs wool)

   When I first saw it I thought something was wrong with the snowflakes but it's suppose to be that way. I have a hat made with rabbit that is fuzzy as well. Using it like this is an interesting design. It looks like it came in at least three colors, red, pink, blue, and black, I personally like the black the most.


   I do not know what the original retail price on the sweater is but you can pick one up on E-bay for around $20-$30.


She likes this one...

Stock photo in red

   Quacker Factory is sold on QVC +QVC . The original creator of the company, Jeanne Bice died in 2011. This line had it's own look to it that other novelty sweaters did not. After the original designer's death the line has started losing the feel it had. Another reason my mom was so happy as it was from when Quacker Factory was making their best designs.

Blue Christmas: Vintage Snow Dress by Alyce Designs

   Sometimes I run into vintage gowns that makes me scratch my head... this is one of them.
_____________________

• Alyce Designs (aka Alyce Paris)

     Size *16 *vintage (around a 10 in modern sizing)
     Vintage - Mid 1980's

   My mom some years ago back saw this dress at a yard sale and brought me back to see it. I ended up buying two gowns there. This one and the other, one which I wore in a production based on the writings of Edgar Allan Poe.
   Being a performer some of these odd designs can come in handy. While a formal gown in teal blue lame and sequined in shapes of snow flakes on the bodice makes a lot of since in a Christmas Parade, partially after the Disney hit Frozen came out! ... but in the mid 1980's.... Why?!?!
   You have to wonder what these dresses where worn to when they were new... did some poor girl actually wear this to a prom? I have to wonder about the histories of these gowns that leave me scratching my head in wonderment and then end up my collection of costumes.
   I totally enjoy them though! They are beautiful dresses! I just would love to know who wore them and why.
   My teal blue Alyce appeared in a parade this year and was worn for an event last year as well. I even used it in a music video.

Peanut Butter & Jelly: Gluten Free

"PEANUT, Peanut butter and Jelly! PEANUT, Peanut butter and JELLY! "Know the song?... actually I don't even know where that came from... anyone where that song came from?

   Anyway: Today's Gluten free goodness we are going to hit the Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich. :-)

 

• Step 1:   Start with Rudis Gluten Free Bread. I like to toast it in a toaster. This in my new favorite Gluten Free bread. Before finding Rudis we ate Udi. I like Rudis better in sliced because they have whole grain which even when I did eat Gluten I liked whole grain. Rudis is Soy Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free, and Non-GMO

   Click Here for more info on Rudis Breads and more Click Here-Gluten-Free Products. They also have Gluten Free Recipes Here-Rudi's Gluten-Free Bakery^™ Recipes They also have a where to find Here.

• Step 2: Lets put on the jam first! Smucker's Natural Strawberry Fruit Spread. Funny how brands are now coming out with two lines of their products. It's great though that are starting to make product for people searching for more natural healthy foods. I first found this line in a store near by in a clearance bin. It was Orange Marmalade and SO GOOD! Sadly these are sort of hard to find. Most of the flavors on their site I have never seen in a store! Wish I could they look good! These jams have real piece of fruit in them which is pretty cool.

   And check this out! Only 4 ingredients!

Ingredients

STRAWBERRIES, SUGAR, FRUIT PECTIN, CITRIC ACID.

Click to enlarge

• Step 3: Peanut Butter time! Remember when you bought real peanut butter and you go to get some you are greeted with a layer of yuck liquid oil stuff on top of and impossible thick peanut putty... yeah, it was pretty bad but hey I have to say the stuff was good once you got it in eatable condition! Well, I've got good news for you! They have now come out with a natural Peanut Butter that won't separate on you. You can get it in at least two brands now! I'm using here Skippy Natural Peanut Butter Spread with Honey Creamy. ,Sorry, I was looking on Skippy's site and found they have this in SKIPPY^® Natural Peanut Butter Spread with Dark Chocolate!!!! WANT!!!!!!!!!!!! Another short ingredients list! Roasted Peanuts, Palm Oil, Peanut Oil, Salt, Sugar, and Honey

• Step 4: I like a crunch in my PB&J. I also really like pecans. I will actually take pecan halves and dip them in peanut butter... but that for a another meal, let's stick with the sandwich. Pecans are a good source of protein, btw. We normally buy Fisher Pecans.

   I'm only making half a sandwich here.

 You can make a big one if ya want ;-) Eat and Enjoy!

Gold Evergreen Leaf Nails: How To

   The effects you can do with polish these days!
 I saw this eye catching color in the store and was like, that is so pretty!!! I kept going back looking at it till I bought it! I was not disappointed in the least on the way it turn out looking!!! It looks like shiny gold leaf but in green!
     Here is your "How To" from your Glitter Glam Mandy.....
_________________________________

• Salon Perfect Professional Nail Lacquer "For-Evergreen" Holiday Sparkle Collection
• Salon Perfect Professional Nail Lacquer "Glitzy Green" Holiday Sparkle Collection
• Pure Ice Nail Polish "Lucky Charming" by Bari
• Avon Nail Experts Quick Dry Oil

Step 1: Two base coats of "For-evergreen" This is a simple green polish.

*Step 2: Then we bring in the glitter! This is a very dense glitter gloss. One to two coats of "Glitzy Green"

Step 3: Ah, now what tops it off! That lovely bottle of glitter I found. Two coats of "Lucky Charming"!

Step 4: It's best to dry as soon as possible for full shine and least amount of dings from hitting them against anything or everything... me.

* If you are wondering why I am using two glitter polishes on top of each other, it's to create depth. Glitter glosses have clear polish that can be seen through so you should have some thing to see. I have tried "Green Charming" without a glitter gloss like I did here and it turned out flatter looking on the nail.

Merry Christmas; Brought to you by Taco Bell

"Cause it's all about the beef, about the beef, no chicken..."

   Tis the night before Christmas and I REALLY wanted Taco Bell +Taco Bell. After a little shopping and heading home we made a quick stop to grab a Beefy Fritos Burrito. Being Christmas Eve it's understandable that only the drive through was open. While heading to the drive-thru another was trying to back out of it... should have taken a clue from that. They had RUN OUT of BEEF!!! You were good if you wanted chicken!
   SO, we go the long way home so we pass another Taco Bell... it wasn't that late, about 6:30pm. We rounded this next one we stopped at... talked into the drive-thru... nothing.... the light was on and there were people inside... so we went on. Looking back as we left they turned the light off. I guess we reminded them they had forgotten something...
  Well.... there was one more Taco Bell we could try. Light on? Good sign. There are workers inside looking like they are cooking? Good sign. Door locked... well, lets hit the drive-thru! Hello??? Nothing... You could smell the Taco'y goodness cooking... Nothing.... we drive to the opening... drive-thru closed at 6... it was almost and hour later why are there people still in there!!!
 I just wanted a Beef Burrito on Christmas Eve... thanks Taco Bell. Guess I'm going to have to have to wait. Thanks for ruining my Christmas Eve dinner ;-)

                                                   Merry Christmas Eve, My Friends!
                                            Remember Christmas is NOT about the food!

*Sorry, I just thought it was so amusing that a Taco Bell could manage to run out of beef, LOL*

Frozen Fractals Nails: How To





• Rimmel 60 seconds Nail Polish 595 "Marvel"
• NYC Long-Wearing Nail Enamel 104A "Scandalous Blue Glitter"
• Salon Perfect Professional Nail Lacquer "Platinum Party"

   Base color is "Marvel" a blue teal. I do not remember where or when I got this bottle. It's a pretty color... 1 to 2 coats, basically till your nails are a uniform color.
   Next comes lovely pale-pale blue gloss blue with icy glitter. Very sheer so I mostly use it over other colors.
   And last to make a noticeable contrast I used a deep silver glitter gloss starting at the base of the nail and streaking down toward the tip.
   Be sure to set it with a quick dry oil to keep from messing it up before it dries!

Elsa's Snow Queen Eyes: How To

  I found this tutorial by +makeupwithtammy! You can find it at Disney's Frozen Elsa inspired makeup look!

   I was in a Christmas Parade recently and needed a look to go with a Vintage Teal color dress with sequin snow flakes. I'll talk about the dress later. But you could not help but notice a it looking like it came from Frozen. So, I figured I'd go with it and go with Elsa's eyes.

   It turned out rather well. To be honest I used the pictures not the written instructions. It's great they're there though! I had to make due with the colors I had which made me realize that I don't have a reddish eye shadow in my makeup case. I ended up using lipstick! :-) Just when you thought you had every color eye shadow you could need...

   This was a bit more complicated then How To Eyes Tutorial: Pin-xperimentation.

Disney T's of Our Generation

    Found some interesting gems at Walmart +Walmart.com.mx ! Talk about bringing back memories! Take a look at the Lion King +Disney  sweat top! I'm old enough to remember the original T's sold when the movie came out! The pink one really captures the early 90's. I actually owned two original T-shirts. One of all the characters on Pride Rock and another of which I can't remember what it looked like even though I just saw it not long ago. Yeah, I still have them! I guess they are "Vintage" now! My mom splurged on buying me the Pride Rock one. They weren't cheap. Most of these are cheaper then what we paid back in the 90's! These range from around $7 - $9!
   They've got The Little Mermaid, Pocahontas, The Lion King, Frozen, and more! Some are pretty cute and creative like the one of Sleeping Beauty saying "Wake me when my Prince arrives." So cute! Also Snow White, Arora, and Belle appear as "Royal Perfection"

    I mean, my generation grew up with Disney's best! We STILL want to see our favorite characters! Thank you for making these in adult sizes!!! They are junior sizes and I fit best in a Medium in these. I wear a 4-6 in women sizing.

   I found these a few weeks back and keep going back to look at them nearly every time I came to the store. I even looked for them in other Walmarts but none others had these!!! I finally gave in and thus resulted in my Christmas presents to myself! :-)
   My most favorite is the one with Eric holding Ariel! Being a quarter length sleeve it cost more then the short sleeve one but it's understandable and worth it. I guess it's what you would call a graphic print? The others are printed in a more traditional manor.
   But then you have the Lion King one I bought! A bright yellow with an orange circle with silhouettes of several characters with Simba in the center in VELVET!!!


   My third shirt is of the classic poster from The Little Mermaid. I wanted the one with Arora waiting for a Prince but alas, they didn't have it in my size.

   So.... where can you get these... that's the thing. I was searching Walmart's site and I can not find any one of these shirts! Not even the one from Frozen! I don't know what the deal is with that! The only place I could find any of these were on E-bay! These people are buying these and trying to sell them for profit. Before buying online check out if your local Walmart has them! They may or may not but it's worth a try if you want to save a few dollars. They are worth the extra though if you do have to buy them through a third party.

KhakiZing Dupe

My 10 year old+ bottle of KhakiZing

I have a bottle of nail polish called KhakiZing made by Revlon +Revlon Trends  from their Zing collection which has been discontinued. I used it recently with... Granite Nails: How To. When writing that post I found that as I said they don't make this color anymore but there are still fans out there. I've good news for you KhakiZing fans! I think I found a Dupe!!! Find a bottle of Grey's Anatomy by Wet n Wild. I just happened to spot it last night at a Dollar store!

Wet n Wild's Current color Grey's Anatomy

Holiday Party Mix: Nails How To

Be sure to read the end of the post for a extra tip!

   TIS THE SEASON!!!

 OK, yeah it's that time of year again... not that you would not already know that by turning your radio in the car.
 Feeling festive I threw this combo together!
 (I wish the photos did justice to how sparkly and pretty this turned out, but alas it doesn't)
__________________________

• Avon Nailwear Pro Nail Enamel N701 "Sunshine"
• Milani Nail Lacquer 725 "Fruitcake"
• Wet n Wild Fastdry Nail Color "Party of Five Glitters"
• Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtrene Wear 40 "Emerald City"

   Step 1: I started with two coats of Avon's Pro Nail Enamel "Sunshine". It's a lovely yellow but I've always had difficulty using it. It's a bit think and very unforgiving... near impossible to apply perfectly. Avon has good products including nail polishes but this is not one of them. It works to use it as a base coat with glitter so the flaws are hidden. I liked how this turned out and it did last longer then other manicures I have done.

My mom's manicure and mine interlocked, I thought it was a cool shot.

   Step 2: I wanted a 3 dimensional feel and a more Christmas'y feel so I used Milani Nail Lacquer "Fruitcake" This may have been my mom's at sometime because I don't remember buying it... it's a little glob'y but hey it's old so that could be why, I don't know where it came from. 1 to 2 coats. This is a glitter in a clear gloss.

   Step 3: At last the topper. Wet n Wild "Party of Five Glitters" is a favorite of mine! Not sure why it is called "Party of Five Glitters" I don't know because it's really only 3 colors small red and green specks and larger silver specks. But what the best part of it is, the gloss goes on thick and dries quickly, glossy, and hard. I've used a lot of it considering I've only had it less then a year.

   Step 4: Now for the twist pick a finger or two to be the odd one out by painting it a matching solid color. I went with Sally Hansen's "Emerald City". This I know was my mom's. She has a matching green glitter too that I didn't use in this. Not sure how old it is but I'm guessing 10 years +! What is neat is it matches my created Emerald ring! So Emerald is a good name for this!

Finnish: I recommend using a quick dry. I use one made by Avon

   Extra: You're liking the Emerald ring, right? Right here.... Sterling Silver Created Emerald & Diamond Accent Ring ... your welcome!

Changing Decades

  At least two people I know changed decades this year! One my friends planed a surprise party for which was pretty fun! I've never been to a surprise party before!
   I threw this little outfit together. It has such a retro vintage look to it. Reminiscent of the 1930's and maybe even going back to the 1910's due to it reminding me of a photo I found of my Great Grandmother around 1910. (Did you know there were photo booths in the 1910's? Yeah, nether did I but I have a strip taken of my Great Grandparent!)
_____________________________

Top:

   Jacket

•    Last Kiss

   Size Large
   Modern  

 I found this jacket in a little town in NJ one day when the stores where having an outdoor sale. They would do it like once a week in the summer... something like that. This was on clearance at a shop called Raimbow. I loved how many little shops there were with such affordable prices! Rainbow actually opened a shop in my hometown in AL! I haven't had a chance to go in it.


Blouse

•     No Label

    Size around a 8/10
    Vintage

Love Victorian lace? I believe this was my mom's originally and somehow I ended up with it. A lovely cotton embroidered and cut out lace work blouse. My estimate is it is from the 70's or very early 80's. Not only does the needle work go down the front but there is embroidery on the sleeves as well.
 I don't know why the label is gone but people cut them out through the years. Back in the day those labels could be quite annoying! They would just be scratchy and ichy! I'm sure this is not a homemade piece but the lace work is quite nice.

Skirt:

•  Isda & Co

   Size M (around an 8)
   Made in China
   Modern

  This skirt is crochet with a matching underskirt. Not sure if the photos do justice to the detail in the crochet.
 I found this article on Isda & Co. Isda & Co. Mysteriously Closes After 25 Years in Business so I don't know what is up with that but I also came across this article from The New York Times The Skirt That Loved Me 2006 remarking on how the brand harks from another era. Kind of sad she thought a skirt would be "too pretty" to wear in a subway! What!?! Since when is there dress codes in a subway! LOL....

Shoes:

• JINMANG Shoes

   Size 10
   Made in China

   I was in a show and needed Victorian style shoes... This was my find. As I told a friend recently, after the show I was like, hey these are cute!
Also wear them here...
Pintucks & Ruffles

Makeup:

Face:

• Cover Girl Clean Pressed Powder 150 Creamy Beige +COVERGIRL 
• E.L.F. HD Blush #83231 Headliner
• Cover Girl +e.l.f. Cosmetics  Cream Foundation

   I don't enjoy putting on full foundation unless I have to, it's just takes more time then I want to spend and then you have to get it off. There was a time when I work full foundation nearly ever day due to my Dermatitis Herpetiformis. After going Gluten Free I don't have to deal with a face full of boils. If there is a bump here or there I cover it here with a cream foundation from Cover Girl But I don't cover my face with it. I'm using it more as a concealer. I checked their website and I can't find where they sell the one I'm wearing here anymore but they do still carry it for dark skin tones!
  For Blush I went for E.L.F. HD Blush #83231 Headliner.
  To set everything I powdered my face with Cover Girl Clean Pressed Powder 150 Creamy Beige

Lips:

• Rimmel London +RimmelLondonUS  Lasting Finish Kiss Stay Lip Gloss 500 "Red Alert"

   One of the best of this type of lipstick I have tried. The way this works is you put on the color and let it dry on your lips. You then after waiting a minute or two apply the gloss on top. I first came across this stuff over ten years ago and they did not work as well as this one does. The problem I have had in the past was after it dried and you apply the gloss and the gloss would cause the color to become liquid again and come off! Pretty madding! The gloss with this does what it's suppose to do and protect the color from rubbing off. It's also near over the top glitter and the color of this one is very RED! Fun! :-D Sadly looking on Rimmel's site they don't sell this anymore!

Eyes:

• Maybelline Eyestudio Color Explosion Luminizing 15 Forest Fury +maybellinenewyork 
• Maybelline New York The Colossal Volum' Express Glam Black

Step #1 Starting at the lid I placed the dark green in center that is in a V shape in Maybelline Eyestudio Color Explosion Luminizing 15 Forest Fury.
Step #2 Lighter green on the middle right goes in the eye crease.
Step #3 Last place above the eye crease to the brow line the yellow at the top.

 What I love about this pallet  Maybelline Eyestudio Color Explosion Luminizing 15 Forest Fury is the rich colors and the glitter!

Step #4 Maybelline New York The Colossal Volum' Express Glam Black is what I use a lot now since I've ran out of my favorite Maybelline mascara and they don't make it anymore.

Perfume

• Believe by Brittany Spears

   I bought this bottle not having a clue what the bottle looked like nor what it smelled like! Only that I had sampled a Brittney Spears perfume in the past (years ago) and liked it. I was in luck as the bottle is lovely and it has a nice scent as well. I really don't know how to describe what it smells like.. I like it though! Sort of a spicy sweet Mountain Dew... it's different.

Accessories:

• Flower Clip

    New York & Company +New York & Company

   This pretty little clip was picked up in a shop in Astoria Queens. Made of beads, glitter, and velvet I've worn it a lot. The back has a clip and a pin. Here I'm using the clip wearing it like a fascinator.

• Bar Pin

   Modern costume jewelry. White base metal and a green stone.

Pintucks and Ruffles

   As a teen you would most likely  find me doing flash backs with my style from the 40's and Victorian eras. I don't do it as much now as I actually like the new trends that are current but as a teen I did not care for what other teens were wearing. A history fan I would dress the part. It's still fun to do when I find the right combo.
_____________________________

Blouse:

• ANTILIA FEMME (Stretch)

   Size S
   Made in China
   RN 104954
   Modern

  This is a lovely Victorian/Edwardian style blouse! It's modern though 97% cotton and 3% Spandex. Blouses like these were worn in the 70's but in totally different fabrics that I can hardly wear today! They had no breathability to them at all! I have a number of them but wearing them is like wearing a plastic bag! I wish I could find a few more like this one in cotton! The front of it buttons with a flap of pin-tucking covering them. Very comfortable to wear.

 Looking through their current site they look to be pretty reasonably priced ranging from $20 - $25 for a top. They also have a clearance section as well where with half off deals! I didn't seen anything they are selling currently like mine but I will tell you my blouse is well made! Unless you run into a random GEORGEME at Wal-mart you are not going to be getting anything near this quality at that price!

Skirt:

• the eagle's eye

   Size M
   RN 61847
   Made in India
   Vintage (1984 - 90's)

   This skirt is actually pieced like a quilt! I've had it a while but haven't worn it much but when I saw the blouse I thought it would look really neat with this skirt! It is 100% cotton. This skirt is definitely vintage. The company branded the name in 1984. Other then that I'm not sure of the age but I've seen a lot of clothing labels and this one I'd guess 80's to early-early 90's. It's not really dated to any era so much as in style. Has simple buttons that go all the way up the front of the skirt.

Shoes:

• JINMANG Shoes

   Size 10
   Made in China
   Height 4 inches

   These are so cute! I acquired these when I was doing a run of Scrooge in NJ. The buttons are more for show. There is a zipper on the inside side of the shoe to get in and out of them.

Make-up:

Face

• E.L.F. HD Blush #83231 Headliner

I didn't put any foundation just blush. E.L.F. HD Blush #83231 Headliner is great! I have a lot of pink in my skin and it use to be a very hard color to find in blushes! ELF came up with the perfect natural color for me! Thank you ELF!

Lips

• Wet n Wild MEGACOLORS 910B

 This is a very unique color. Good luck should you want to buy it but there is a little story to how and why I bought it. My mom had a tube of lipstick that belonged to my Great Grandmother and I got a hold of it and liked it. Thing was the lipstick was no longer it's original color. My grandmother died in the 1970's. Something weird happened to it after 20 or 30 years and it turned this cool coral gold metallic effect. I really liked it! One day at Target I was looking at a bunch of lipsticks and found this one that looked nearly exactly like my Great Grandmother old lip stick only it was made to look like that! Pretty cool!

 This tube is an old style  lipstick that was very thick and smelled funny, I mean it was normal at the time but now lipsticks have more pleasant feels and smells to them. I still will wear it though cause it's a great color you can't find anymore! (p.s. no, I have never been harmed by using old makeup. Just use your common since like don't use something you don't know where it came from, or you had some bad illness you don't what to catch again, or it looks like it's REALLY gone bad .... just use your brains is what I'm saying ;-)

Eyes

• Black Radiance +Markwins Cosmetics Shadow Crème (Markwins Beauty Products) "Stunning"
• Cover Girl Eye Enhancers "Tropical Fusion" 205 +COVERGIRL 
• Maybelline New York Lash Stiletto +maybellinenewyork 

Pretty simple here. The dark blue Cover Girl Eye Enhancers "Tropical Fusion" 205 goes on your lids and using the wand drawing a line around the eye crease with Black Radiance Shadow Crème in a gold color.
 Then comes the mascara. I got this in a set of 3. Maybelline New York Lash Stiletto not so much makes you eyelashes look thicker but more long and thin and shiny black.

Granite Nails: How To

   I'm one for cool effect nails. Always have been. There has been a lot of effect nail polish out lately and one that has really caught my eye looks like granite... not just for you countertops anymore... :-)
  However they are a bit more complicated then throwing a layer of polish on your nails. The way I managed the look is to layer 3 different polishes. My version here had a glittery spin which some granite has sparkle and you know I like sparkle!
  You may have to do it differently depending of what polish your using but here is my formula...
_________________________________

• Revlon 1706-01 "KhakiZing" 376
• SP Salon Perfect Professional Nail Lacquer 311 "Platinum Party" Limited Edition
• SP Salon Perfect Professional Nail Lacquer 321 "Loves Me Loves Me Not"

  Step 1:   You need a solid coat of color for the bottom layer. I used "KhakiZing" by Revlon. This is an old bottle I have had for YEARS. They don't make this color anymore. It's very similar to the color of peacocks. Changing colors of purple, green, to blue.
   After removing "KhakiZing" I found it stained my nails! So, note, don't apply this color to you naked nails. A base coat is needed to keep from having awful looking nails when removed.

  Step 2:   This is a clear gloss "Platinum Party" with various size gray colored glitter. Made by Salon Perfect from the collection Holiday Sparkle, according to the website this color is only sold at Walmart. Do one to two coats of this. It covers well so you might be good with one coat.

  Step 3:   And last what makes this look really cool! :-) This is labeled as a "Top Coat" on the bottle. This is not meant to be worn alone. "Loves Me Loves Me Not" is also made by Salon Perfect. It's a clear coat with specks of black and pale-pale pink. It took two coats for me to get it looking like I wanted it to look. I like it!

And, you're DONE!
(I recommend you use a drying coat when your through. I don't know about you but I am awful at banging up my nails after painting them!)

Also Check out....
Purple Potion