10 Gifts for 1930s & 1940s Fashionistas

Taking take the guesswork out of vintage shopping for you—these essentials will be the foundation of your vintage flair, taking you from summer to winter. They will anchor whatever other fashionable pieces you already have in your closet (or populating your purse & dresser!).

Most of these have been tried and tested by myself, or better yet, the celebrated starlets that used them. Here is short list of your 10 absolute must-haves to channel your inner starlet, whether she most resembles Elizabeth Taylor, or Grace Kelly, or Audrey Hepburn, or Marilyn Monroe, or....

The Cateau Marmont, Vasquez Rocks, and Other LA Oddities

The hubby and I have traveled to San Luis Obispo, and we are loving it! From hiking Bishop Peak to viewing humpback whales off the coast of Morro Bay, it's been an amazing getaway.

The cold weather is setting in though, some nights it gets super foggy. I love pulling out my favorite sweater, pouring a cup of tea, and digging into a good book. I am reading through the 1001 Books to Read before You Die list -- an ambitious endeavor to be sure! But it will keep me occupied on long road trips.

Classic Cinema, Inspiration, The Cocktail AdventureStefanie CosmanAugust 28, 2017News, Hollywood, cinema, architectureComment

This Classic Hollywood Tip Will Make You the Most Popular Gal in Town

Hollywood is no stranger to elaborate parties, from Beyonce's masquerade ball where guests were brought to the door by horse & carriage, to Justin Bieber's circus-themed shin-dig complete with Bozo the clown. But there is only one thing that can truly make your party stand out, and that is making each and every guest feel welcomed. Hollywood celebrities of yesteryear knew how to do this well -- but Carole Lombard stood out. What she did, you should be doing too.

Classic Cinema, Carole LombardStefanie CosmanAugust 14, 2017Comment

END OF JULY! MODERN HEADLINES FROM THE MONTH SERVED WITH A CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD TWIST...

It is shaping up to be a gorgeous summer here in Salt Lake City – sunny skies with just enough of a breeze to make it bearable. My hubby and I have been biking the canyon trails that run up and down next to the raging river (fed by a beautiful watefall).

I love these summer nights with nothing to do but enjoy the people we care about. What are all of you up to this summer? I hope it is full of laughter, running barefoot in the grass, and friendship.

Enjoy the stories that inspired me this month, featuring...

Classic Cinema, Inspiration, The Cocktail AdventureStefanie CosmanJuly 31, 2017Summer, News, Hollywood, cinema, architectureComment

Classic Actress Jean Harlow’s Favorite Jewelry

In a recent blog post, I wrote about charm bracelets in Hollywood history. Even Queen Victoria wore them (she was kind of the Olivia Palermo of her time). Today I am going to write about something a bit different -- a piece of jewelry that Jean Harlow believed made her lucky.

In the book Platinum Girl by Eve Golden, Harlow's childhood friend relates the following tale; it seems that one time, young Jean was disciplined at Ferry Hall, a prep school for privileged young girls. It wasn't for making out in the hall, or cussing, or smoking in the back of the school.

It was for wearing an ankle bracelet.

Fashion, Supernatural, Jean Harlow, Classic CinemaStefanie CosmanJuly 17, 2017Charm Bracelets, Jean Harlow, Lucky, SuperstitionComment

Marilyn Monroe Decor: Bright in White

Marilyn was the classiest woman when it came to fashion, but that sense for what worked and what didn't work certainly carried over to her interior design skills. Are you wondering how you can take a cue from her sophisticated style and incorporate it into your own style?

Sadly, a quick Google search will not be of much help. Go ahead. Type in any combination of the words "Marilyn Monroe Interior Design" and you will find a somewhat hideous array of Andy Warhol knockoffs, black & red hued rooms, and fluffy pink chairs.

A Memorial Day Toast to Hollywood Stars that Helped Win World War II

Today is Memorial Day... I hope you are celebrating life with your loved ones. While you are eating BBQ, jumping into lakes, and splashing in the hot sun, I hope you will drink a toast to the men & women who fought to give us our freedoms...

And I can't think of a better drink to do so than one steeped in the history of the White Lady.

1930s Fashion: How Charm Bracelets Held Hollywood's Secrets (And Still Do)

When I was a little girl, my mother gave me a charm bracelet she had worn as a child. Picked up from a souvenir shop in San Francisco, the bracelet oozed with kitsch... a small spinner with a true/false dial could tell the future, much like a Magic 8 ball. A small telephone had a rotary dial that actually spun! I was so mesmerized that later in life, I used various events in my life... including my first trip to Europe... to collect charms to tell the story of where I had been. Gibraltar was a monkey... Santiago de Compostela was a shell with a tiny cross inside... and for the Tower of London, a miniature guillotine (macabre, I know!).

Grace Kelly Fashion Inspiration: my thrift store wedding dress

Most girls dream about what their wedding dress will look like when they grow up... and the $ they are willing to spend on their dream dress once they get there is, to some, bordering on insanity. The national average is over $1400! That is a lot of money for a dress you are going to wear once, although I am all about unique life experiences so I can't begrudge any gal her one day of being a princess.