Crazy 4 my collectables

Classic Fun at Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

October 12, 2018 By: Fan

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! San Francisco

This weekend we decided to take a trip back to our childhood. A trip that would include good ol’ fashioned fun, the strange, the shocking, and the amazing. It is called Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

Ripley’s Believe It or Not is located right in the heart of Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. Traffic wasn’t too bad and within a short drive there we were waking into the colorful museum where we were greeted by friendly staff. To all you Dolls that are reading this, Ripley’s is the PERFECT place to get all glammed up and put your prettiest Pinup outfit on, as you will be taking lots and lots of pictures.

Warning: This post is loaded with pictures!!

Once inside the museum there is so much to see. We saw several figural statues and displays. The Ripley’s Shooting Gallery was a lot of fun and many visitors were taking their turn to see if they could hit the targets. I loved seeing the vintage themed exhibits like fortuneteller Zoltar and others. As we expected there are some very cool and slightly creepy things to see too!! One of the most beautiful exhibits was the intricately carved Asian themed camel bone that depicts daily life in ancient Asia and was incredible with the unbelievable amount of details it had. We saw a Human Unicorn man; two-headed weasel and this friendly fellow with a mouthful of razor sharp crocodile-shaped teeth, I sat right next to him to take a closer look. Check out my unbelievably tall friend here, I felt like a shorty even though I was wearing heels. We also enjoyed that the exhibits are designed to be interactive and you can step on things, push buttons and open boxes for surprises. We were laughing and screaming and having a blast!!

One of my favorite experiences was the spinning psychedelic vortex that you can walk through to get to the other side of the exhibits. The colors and shapes were awesome and made me feel like I was in another dimension. My hubby Gary and I had a lot of fun taking our shadow portraits and here we both are smooching.

There is so much to see and to do at Ripley’s Believe It or Not!. I seriously can’t remember when hubby and I laughed so much and learned so much in one day!! It is a great place to visit with friends, family and children. There is also a Laser Race you can do that involves getting on the floor and moving this way and that, and the Marvelous Mirror Maze complete with LED lights.

If you are looking for something different and fun to do for date night, or with friends and family then head to the San Francisco location of Ripley’s Believe It or Not. The awesome Ripley’s Believe It or Not team even gave me a coupon code to share with you all to save you 20% on the 3way combo ticket that includes Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium, Ripley’s Marvelous Mirror Maze and Ripley’s Laserace!! Use code “crazy4me” Tickets: http://bit.ly/2QBxVO8

All pictures by my sweet hubby Gary

The Cat’s Meow

October 8, 2018 By: Fan

It’s Fall time and I am out and about enjoying the season. I love Fall when the leaves turn colors and start to fall. There are still lots of plants and flowers in bloom too and it is such a pretty time of year.

It was such a pretty Fall day around the neighborhood and my outfit was perfect. I am wearing the prettiest clothing by Voodoo Vixen made in the UK and my very first Voodoo Vixen cardigan in Annabelle Blue Cat that has a lovely black applique of a retro kitty cat and floral embroidery. I paired it with the beautiful Lucy Mustard Cat Flared Skirt with floral and cat kitsch print. The skirt also has the deepest pockets!! My cardigan is very soft and stretchy. It feels incredibly luxurious and has pretty floral buttons. I love how the cardigan is made for a curvy feminine figure hugging me in just the right places. The skirt is made of a nice weight cotton and really holds its shape beautifully. I felt so chic and comfortable and could have worn this lovely outfit from breakfast to a midnight snack. I thought my vintage kitty cat purse and my teal blue shoes were the perfect accessory. My sweet hubby Gary took all the pictures and we had such a lovely day. Hope you are all enjoying the lovely Fall season.

Weekends in Petaluma

October 5, 2018 By: Fan

Petaluma is such a great walking town with a fantastic downtown that is not too big and has so many historic buildings and a wide variety of coffee shops and restaurants. The shopping is pretty good too and you will find everything from vintage and antiques to hip and trendy shops. Petaluma also hosts the yearly Salute to American Graffiti classic car show as well as the Spring and Fall antique fair.

Hubby and I spent a lovely afternoon in Petaluma having lunch and visiting the historic museum and bookstore. The historical museum had a fantastic vintage vintage wedding dress exhibit and it was a thrill to see how lovely and treasured the dresses of the late 1800s and early 1900s are, the vintage cake toppers and hair adornments of the era were so well preserved.

The historical museum also has an upper section that is rich in the history of Petaluma being The Egg Capital of the World. We were fascinated and enjoyed seeing all the old photos and historic documents. By the early 1940s there were over 4,000 egg farms with 612 million eggs laid and by the year 2,000 approx. 1 million eggs are laid each day. Fascinating!! Here I am posing with a antique chicken…. I couldn’t help myself.

With hints of Fall in the air I wore my lovely Lindy Bop book print skirt and cardigan. It was the perfect outfit for a visit at the bookstore. I really miss the feel of books…. Something that is tangible. I enjoy visiting bookstores and sadly there are so few left these days.

Halloween is nearly here and we have some super fun projects coming up that we can’t wait to share with you all!! As always, a huge thank you to my wonderful and sweet hubby Gary for all the pics and being on life’s adventure with me.

Plaid in San Francisco

October 1, 2018 By: Fan

After working all week it is so nice to take time and have some serious fun. Hubby and I drove into San Francisco this weekend for some delicious food and fun activities. Although still early in the Fall season the weather sure had that crisp Autumn feel and I was really excited for the start of sweater weather.

Today I planned on being comfortable and cozy while maintaining my vintage vibe. My outfit was denim jeans, retro style cape and vintage inspired robot sweater (both from ModCloth) and my Gucci bag. The perfect outfit for lots of walking, sightseeing and fun.

Lunch was at Cioppino’s down on Fisherman’s Wharf. The menu is extensive with just the right amount of Italian fisherman flair and flavor. The famous Cioppino seafood soup might just be the best you will ever have!! The food is seriously delicious and fresh. Outdoor seating provides for some of the best people watching and a dining room that over looks the San Francisco bay.

There is so much to do and see at Fisherman’s Wharf… I am finishing a post about the top must-see and must-do things at Fisherman’s Wharf so stay tuned. Here are some pics of our fun day and I will be posting more pics on my Instagram and exclusive content on my Instagram stories so be sure you’re following along. All pics by my sweet hubby Gary.

A Day at SFMOMA with Matisse, Picasso, Magritte, Rothko, Motherwell, Warhol and more

September 14, 2018 By: Fan

SFMOMA is said to be the largest museum in America devoted to modern and contemporary art having over 12,000 pieces on exhibit. We had been planning a trip to SFMOMA for a while and when the opportunity to go came we headed into the city. I am an amateur when it comes to art but I know what speaks to me (Vermeer, Fragonard, Watteau, Rembrandt, Goya, Delacroix, the old masters, to name a few) I knew SFMOMA would have awe-inspiring works!! The paintings at SFMOMA are famous enough that you’d recognize them from books and prints but getting the chance to be up close was an incredible experience. Hubby and I had a magnificent time and here is a little of what we saw.

The René Magritte Exhibit: The Fifth Season at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. It contains some of the Belgian Surrealist’s most famous works. Most of us I think will recognize a Magritte painting as it has a mix of fantasy, whimsy, and dark philosophies. Think his bowler hat series that has been in movies like the Thomas Crown Affair and his paintings of clouds, birds, nudes, apples and rocks. I was excited to see the bowler hat series and it truly was amazing. Aside from the subject matter Magritte paints, his style is so clean, smooth and clear and his artworks does make an impression on the admirer.

The Pop, Minimal, and Figurative Art is an ongoing exhibition at SFMOMA and it did not disappoint. This exhibit includes works from the 1960s and beyond and features Pop and Minimal artists. Works by Richard Artschwager, Philip Guston, Donald Judd, Sol LeWitt, Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol, among others.

SFMOMA is a huge location and we were in need of coffee and found the fabulous rooftop coffee shop that serves the most delicious espressos, art-inspired deserts, and has a sculpture garden.

The Open Ended Exhibit of Paintings and Sculptures was incredibly awe-inspiring and featured:

Henri Matisse, Femme au chapeau (Woman with a Hat) 1905

Henri Matisse, Flowers 1907

Pablo Picasso, Nature morte “la cafetière” (The Coffee Pot) 1944

Also included in the Open Ended Exhibit are Paintings by:

Frida Kahlo, Frieda and Diego Rivera, 1931

Jackson Pollock, Gaurdians of the Secret, 1943

Mark Rothko, No. 14, 1960

Robert Motherwell, Elegy to the Spanish Republic No. 57 1957-1960

I wanted to wear something comfortable yet fun that had the 50s Pinup vibe and ended up with my kitty cat boarder print skirt, top and cropped cardigan. I received so many compliments. The day was fabulous and so inspiring. We explored only a few floors of the museum with many more to go and we are looking forward to returning. All pics of me by my sweet hubby Gary .

Vivien of Holloway: 1950s Style Skirts and Tops for Curves

September 4, 2018 By: Fan

Vivien of Holloway is based in London, UK and are very well known for their Halter Neck style dresses, Sarong sets and Tartan circle skirts. They are a brand that produces styles from the 1940s-1950s that are full of vintage charm. I have admired the brand’s outfits for quite sometime but was a little hesitant to order as I was unsure how their outfits would fit a curvy body and full bust. I finally went for it and ordered the Circle Skirt Red Palms and the Slash Neck Top Flame Satin Jersey…spoiler alert…. I am thrilled!!

I selected my size based on my measurements and Vivien of Holloway makes it very easy to order as all sizing is listed in measurements via their handy online size guide. The first thing I noticed about the Circle Skirt Red Palms when it arrived was the quality of the fabric. The skirt felt luxurious and very high quality. It is made of mid-weight crisp cotton sateen and could easily be worn year-round in California. How perfect to have an outfit that can be worn year-round!! I tried on the Slash Neck Top and literally squealed in delight because it fit my full bust perfectly. The colors in the skirt were so bright and vivid and top too was bright and pretty!!

I was excited to shoot this outfit and didn’t want to over accessorize so I added only my pearl necklace and my vintage cardinal Enid Collins purse. I did add a light petticoat under the skirt. The fit of the outfit was perfect; the skirt was comfortable and did not wrinkle!! The top matched perfectly and felt so good on that I was really glad I ordered it. I am so glad I tired the Vivien of Holloway brand that they do have beautiful outfits for curvy girls that enhance an hourglass shape perfectly. I am excited to try the halter style dresses next so stay tuned for that.

A big thank you to my sweet hubby Gary for all these pics