Gone with the Wind – 75th Anniversary

This year marks the 75th Anniversary of the iconic film Gone with the Wind. Dealing with the classic love story of Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler set during the Civil War era and based on the 1936 book by Margaret Mitchell. I’ve read the book which even surpasses the film. I was lucky enough to see it on the big screen a few years ago.

This past Saturday I got to see the restored Blue-Ray edition at a movie theatre as well. Wow, amazing quality! Crisp, clear picture and beautiful color. The detail is incredible. You can see the lace details on the front of Scarlett’s white ruffle dress. The green velvet curtain dress looks super velvety. Vivian Leigh’s eyes are gorgeous. You can see the skin texture and details in the hairdo like never before. The darker scenes of sunsets, silhouettes and Melanie giving birth are much easier to see. It also had restored audio tracks.

Technicolor film was an interesting stage in movie making. Most people are familiar with either black and white film or color film. Technicolor is actually three strips of black and white film shot simultaneously, each one picks up only one color (ie blue, green or magenta). This process was used on other popular films that have been also been recently restored such as the Wizard of Oz. Since these indivdiual strips still exist, the restorers were able to re-align the image for crystal clear picture and detail. As well as digital grading to remove scratches, dust and create a uniform color during a scene.

If you missed it you can see it Weds Oct 1st in select movie theatres or buy the DVD now. My only complaint was the intermission was too short and they didn’t announce how long it was going to be. This is a 4 hr movie, the Intermission was 6 mins! How can an entire theatre get out, go to the restroom and be back in their seats?

My gosh, the costumes in the film are breath-taking. Corsets, bonnets and bustles, oh my! Scarlett’s eye-catching dresses at Twelve Oaks, Tara and in Atlanta. Huge hoop skirts from before the war all the in to the 1870s with the narrow skirts with bustles. The more subdued dresses of Melanie are a little more realistic to the period though.

Still want more Gone with the Wind goodness. Check out the University of Texas at Austin which is showing a special exhibition of “The Making of Gone with the Wind” at the Henry Ransom Center. It features three Scarlett O’Hara dresses and other costumes, amoung them the green velvet curtain dress and the red feather sequin dress. Also tons of never before seen photographs, storyboards, drawings, screen tests, make-up test shots and more. They are also selling a companion book.  

“The Making of ‘Gone With The Wind'” can be seen starting Sept. 9, 2014 thru the beginning of January at the Ransom Center Galleries. Mon – Fri : 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday extended hours until 7 p.m. Weekends the galleries are open from noon to 5 p.m.

Public tours are offered every day at noon, as well as Thursdays at 6 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. “Gone With The Wind” screentests will be shown in the Ransom Center’s first-floor theater at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on weekends.

The Henry Ransom Center houses a huge collection of Gone with the Wind memorabilia and archives in their David O. Selznick Collection. Now thru Jan 2015 is your chance to get a glimpse of some of these treasure’s.

How to Colorize Vintage Photos

I recently tried adding color to a vintage black and white photo for the first time. It came out pretty well. It was neat to see the picture sort of “come to life”. I used Photoshop but most image programs have the capability.

Traditionally Hand-Coloring has been around almost as long as photography itself. Starting in the 1850s, daguerreotype could be hand painted with dyes or water colors to give a colorized effect. Now it can all be done digitally.

Step 1: Scan the black and white photo on the highest resolution possible. Scanners, copy machines and Kodak Picture Makers at local Walgreens can do this. Or take a photo with your camera.

Step 2: Find a color photo of a similar type to your B&W one. (ie is your photo of the ocean, the mountains, sunset, people with blonde hair, etc). This will be your color palette.

Step 3: If it is a portrait then start with the skin tone. Use the color picker tool (looks like an eyedropper) to pick flesh tones from your color photo.

Step 4: Select the Color Replacement Tool. This places color in a transparent wash similar to water color or airbrushing but doesn’t obscure the details of the photo. In photoshop, it is in the Paintbrush, then you select from a dropdown at the top for “Color”.

Step 5: Lower the opacity (aka the strength) of how much color is deposited. I start with about 30%. You can go over the same area several times to build up the color.

Step 6: Be sure to change your color palette as you go along. The forehead may have a different tone than the chin. For a rosier cheek common in Hand-Colored vintage photos pick up color from the lips.

Step 7: Change the size of your brush and zoom in for fine detail areas like eyes, hairline and jewelry.

Step 8: Save often so you won’t lose your work. I like to save a new version after finishing the skin tones in case I want to change the colors of the clothes or background later.

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How to Get the Best Deal at Chipotle

One of my favorite lunch places is Chipotle. Although they are a chain restaurant, they try to do things a little differently. Sustainably and naturally raised meat without hormones added. Locally sourced ingredients when possible. There food is delicious and fast. I don’t know what magic they are using but their meat is so flavorful, juicy and tender. The seating area is sleek and modern in a casual dining atmosphere.

Ordering is pretty simple. Most items are around $7

Step 1: Pick your type of entree, Burrito (warning they are huge), Tacos (soft or crunchy), Bowl or Salad.

Step 2: Pick your main ingredient (Carnitas (pork), Barbacoa (shredded beef), Chicken or Steak, or Guacamole

Step 3: Pick your Rice (White w/ cilantro & Lime, Brown w/ cilantro & Lime or ask for plain white rice)

Step 4: Pick your beans, salsa, sour cream, cheese and lettuce

If you are on a budget or on a diet, your best option is actually under the little known Kids section of the menu. The “Build Your Own Taco Kit” is a great deal. You get 2 tacos, choice of main ingredient and two additional ingredients. Also comes with a bag of chips and a kids drink or milk or juice. Generally, if you ask nicely they will give you a side of salsa for free as well. All comes on a cute little tray for you to assemble your own taco. Designed for children and picky eaters. I find it perfectly filling for an adult. It comes in at just under $5.

Ruff Life – Vintage OKC

This summer I had a chance to visit a few neat vintage shops in Oklahoma City. The Ruff Life in located in the Plaza District on NW 16th and Indiana. Hours: T thru Sat 11am-7pm, Sun 1pm-5pm, Closed Mondays

It is one of the newer additions to the Plaza District. The Ruff Life opened up in 2013. They sell quality lingerie and corsets which are a little more unique and with a wider range in sizes than you might find in the local mall. They also sell an ever changing selection of vintage clothing. I was really impressed with the quality of 1950s and 60s, dresses, swing coats, shirts and purses that they have. Most pretty reasonable priced around $20 and up.

RetroOKC – Plaza District

A few weeks ago I was visiting my parents in OKC and had the chance to explore the Plaza District. This is a shopping district on NW 16th and Indiana, that is revitalizing an old area that has been around since the 1920s. They remodeled the old movie theatre and now it is surrounded by cute vintage and antique shops, art galleries and a few restaurants.

One of the shops is called Retrokc. It is a nice store packed with mid-century furniture, art work, atomic dishes and knick knacks. The owner is very nice and new items tend to rotate in pretty quickly.

Address:

1708 NW 16th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73106

Hours vary a bit and they are closed Sunday & Monday.

Tues-Thurs – 1pm-6pm

Fri & Sat – 2pm-8pm

 

They also have an Etsy store if you can’t make it there in person. Prices are fairly reasonable and they do also buy vintage items. They focus on 1950s, 1960s, mod and tikki.

 

Thrift Store Review – Assistance League Thrift House

I’ve been trying to make it into this thrift store for about 2 years! Whenever I’m in this area of town they always seem to be closed.

Assistance League Thrift House

4901 Burnet Road, Austin, Texas 78756

Hours: Weds thu Saturday – 10am to 4:30pm

The Good:

This is a local charity which is all run by volunteers so 100% of your purchase or donation goes to charity. This is one of the more neatly organized thrift shops I’ve been into. The workers are a lovely group of nice old ladies. Great location! Across the street from a fab little diner called The Omelettry and a vintage store called Top Drawer. Down the street from Savers Thrift.

The Bad:

Limited Hours!! If you work during the day it means it is hard to get there before it closes. Not a lot of cute vintage finds on this trip but I’ll keep trying. Prices were a bit high for what seemed to be mostly stuff from the 1990s. Dresses ranged from $10 up to $60. Some framed photos were $30. Smallish shop which was surprisingly crowded for a Friday at 3pm.

 

Stitch Lab – Austin Fabric Store

Last week, my best friend and I checked out an adorable fabric store called Stitch Lab. It is in central Austin and is located in several adorable little 1920s bungalows on 1st street. You will notice them by the colorful paint jobs and cute sign out front.

Stitch Lab

1000 South 1st St, Austin, TX 78704

Hours: M-Sat: 11am-6pm, Sun:1pm-6pm

They have super adorable prints. Lots of thread, buttons and ribbon. If you are looking for quality felt for crafting or for plastic coated fabric for making tablecloths or lunch bags this is the place to go.

Everything is arranged beautifully and so colorful and stylish. This staff are friendly young ladies and very helpful. They also offer a wide range of classes for people who have never sewn before up thru people trying to learn more advanced techniques. They even have sewing machines you can use. They also sell vintage sewing machines and do repairs.

Tips on Thrifting

Tip: Check the Bedding Section for more than just sheets

One of my recent thrift store finds came from a section many people overlook: the curtain or bedding section. I found a gorgeous red sari with gold trim mixed in with the same section as the sheets. The person pricing and stocking it didn’t realize it was actually an Indian wrap dress. So I picked this lovely sari up for $6.99 from Savers on Burnet Road here in Austin. Could be used as a dress, a curtain or tablecloth.

The bedding section will also have good deals on curtains and shower curtains. Sometimes you find pinch pleat vintage curtains for cheap or nice new double lined black out curtains for less than $10. Great source for fabrics for sewing projects as well.

Picked up the above set of 3 ceramic blue and white Asian soup spoons with a fish design for $3. Savers also has a section along the wall pre-bagged items. Each has 3 to 5 items with home decor, toys, office supplies or kitchen ware for very cheap. Sometimes you may not want everything in the bag but they are generally still a great deal. You can always re-donate the unwanted item. My bag had the spoons and happened to come with a cute ceramic teacup or sake cup. I use it for dipping sauces rather than tea as it is quite small.

What is Steampunk?

What is Steampunk? Well, it is many things. It is sort of like the past meets the future where steam stayed the main source of power rather than electricity and petroleum. The cutest answer I’ve heard is that it is what happens when goths discover the color brown.

Steampunk is a genre of science fiction literature and art, a style of alternative fashion, a style of home decor and a lifestyle. It is a type of neo-Victorianism, that imitates the style and manner of the Victoria era (aka the 1840s thru 1900) and sometimes the Edwardian period up thru WWI. Think of Victorian authors like Jules Verne with 20,000 Leagues under the Sea or H.G. Wells with The Time Machine. Movies like The Wild Wild West, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen or Robert Downey, Jr’s Sherlock Holmes.

Steampunk fashion is an off-shoot of gothic fashion. It began in the 1980s, gained real popularity in the late 1990s and in the 2000s began to bleed over into mainstream fashion. Steampunk has a fascination with steam powered things like steam trains, steam boats as well as Victorian era science like clockworks and machinery, hot air balloons, zeppelins, botany, early flight, bicycles, and early motor cars. In home decor you can thank Steampunk for the recent rise in wall art like old fashioned clocks, signs, and vintage maps. Take a look at Restoration Hardware or Pottery Barn for items with rustic or vintage touches like riveted steel aviator chairs and ottomans, metal and wood shelves, wire baskets, apothecary jars, and hammered copper bathtubs. Dressing steampunk is a bit like a blend of romantic goth, Victorian fashion, Western cowboys, pirates, and mad scientists.  Characterized by romantic touches like lace, ruffles, earth tones like browns, tans and oranges, fabrics like satin, brocade, linen, leather or taffeta. Accessories like goggles, top hats, boots, pocket watches, gears or cogs, spats, gloves, parasols.

Check out the wikipedia article on Steampunk and the Victorian era both of which are quite interesting. All also my own post on a more accurately historical look at Fashion by the Decade for 1790s up thru 1890s.

Flickr

One of my photos got 1000 hits on Flickr. This is more views than any of the other vintage items I’ve posted. It is a lovely gold rhinestone watch fromthe 1950s or so.