Ruby's Musings my Year in Review

So here we are. The last week of 2016. What a year it has been. First, let me apologize for an epic fail with the Ruby's Musings month of holiday recipes. I do not have a good excuse. I simply could not manage the energy to look up recipes, get in the kitchen and photograph etc etc. I have as of late, not had the energy to even be retro fab ( aka getting out of pjs. putting make up on and doing a productive job as a retro housewife) , my days seem to be starting later and later, and by the time I finally get to the point of the day of finishing my pot of tea ( a must to function) , it is late in the day and chores must be completed and dinner thought of ( and hubby has been doing nearly all the cooking so even that has not played into my day as of late) and then hubby comes home and it is time to sit and spend time with him. Before I knew it, all my best of intentions went by the way side and I did not even open and turn on my computer. I have failed to do much with my YouTube channel and efforts on FB and Instagram have been slim at best.  That out of the way, let's wrap this year up! 

The year of 2016 has blown by! It started off with a bang, right out the gate I knew that in February I was going to be traveling to Vegas to have a whirl wind weekend of meeting fellow retro ladies that I had connected with on Instagram, meet with a fellow blogger ( Senior Style Bible) and do some major shopping . What fun it was. Oh and while planning for this jaunt to Vegas, I decided to bite the bullet and begin a YouTube Channel! Me who really does not deal with web/internet/technology very well decides to do a weekly show! That really means an all week long project along with my blog, and social media presence. Then, upon returning from Las Vegas, life did not slow down as my daughter and myself started our Etsy shop Housewife Chic by Ruby and it really took off, in between handling customer service and the social media aspects, plus being responsible for getting packages to the post sometimes two to three times a week, the youtube show, my blog et. etc.,  it kept me hopping! 

Every day of 2016 thus far was centered around social media. I took it upon myself to further my ambitions with it and really dive in head first and try to start a promotional aspect of my brand "Ruby's Musings".  It started slowly, but began to grow, where each weekend it seemed I had a client wishing me to promote an item of clothing, or accessory and weekends were spent going out and finding places to take photos in which would help in that and then my weeks were spent mapping out blogs and editing photos, and doing promos for my blog and youtube show to get these products noticed.  The days, weeks and months passed and new clients would pop up just when needed it would seem so that I could keep up with it, and it seemed that maybe just maybe I could make a real go at it and could handle it along with my "real life" and that my having fibromyalgia and a host of other issues, was not going to get in the way, so I charged ahead.... I planned a blogging tour for the Fall. I started promoting and hoping that I would get sponsors....I expected a couple, BOY OH BOY was I surprised, but more on that in a bit. 

This was the year I turned 50. It seemed like it was going to be no biggy, I mean honestly I did not think I was going to feel any differently, I did not think it was going to influence anything in my life at all, the day came and went, and I was correct in that assumption, for a time. I had a great party, family traveled in , loads of fun was had. This was also the year of my 30th wedding anniversary , and my baby girl, the youngest of my three daughters also turned 25. Suddenly something clicked in my head and took seed, and I never felt older. I felt out of place in the retro world as well as in my own skin, and almost over night I also began to really feel it physically, and emotionally... maybe it was coming off of artificial hormones or perhaps it was the non stop being tied to my phone, computer and social media that had taken it's toll, either way, each day had started to become a battle. A struggle against myself. I did not have time for this. but I was loosing whatever fight I had....regardless, I  had obligations to my fans, clients, sponsors and my family and I had an up and coming blogging tour , already planned out, paid for and sponsors lined up for each day. 

My blogging tour not only was to include a photo shoot, but also visits to landmarks, two amusement parks,  or three if you divide Disneyland and California Adventure, a professional photo shoot , and my normal, photos taken by hubby, photo shoots, major shopping and a trip with a new destination and hotel nearly every day for a week! BUT that was not all, in between I was also supposed to do mini live broadcasts and interviews for Pin Up The Movie. WHAT?! I may not seem like it, but I am an introvert and have social anxiety....what was I thinking at accepting that challenge??  But I somehow ( despite technical difficulties and nausea the entire time) managed. The tour took it's toll in so many ways physically, I was in such pain, I was exhausted and totally drained on a daily basis from day two till the end, but I made the very best of it and do not regret it in the least. I am actually eager to do it again, but with quite a few tweaks to make it easier to handle. 

Upon returning it took me nearly a complete month to share and give the proper amount of promotion across social media for all my sponsors, I had not thought that part out and it was nearly as exhausting as the trip itself to make sure it happened and before I had a moment to even catch my breath, my online bestie, a fan who became a friend came for a visit in October for several days of fun and adventure. It was wonderful to have a gal pal that was also into the retro culture and mind set and with whom I could laugh with, chat with and have girly time with. I actually handled having a house guest that I was unfamiliar with,  far better than I thought I would, the visit was a success and I hated to see her go...in fact upon her leaving I realized how very alone and lonely I actually am. I have not had a close gal pal that lives close since moving back to California from Texas a little over 10 years ago and I fell into a complete funk.  I am one who is ok with being alone, but day in and day out with no one to hang out with ( physically) that has the same interests as myself , it gets very hard from time to time. 

As the time continued to pass, I crawled deeper into my shell and started distancing myself from social media and the outside world for the most part. My four walls became a safety zone. During this phase , which I am trying very hard to climb out of even as I type this, to get things back on track , I began to slack here, on youtube and even with my own self care... the fact that at this time, beginning in early November I suddenly had a major allergic reaction to all hair products ( something that seems to be calming down... a fibro flair maybe?) and could not even stand to physically take care of my hair without pain....so I made the decision to chop off all my hair....the one major retro thing in my life that was constant and was as important to my look, if not more so than my clothing. It was part of my brand, who I was, and suddenly it was gone.  I felt even more disconnected. I have had a short pixie before, but was never in the public eye as much as I am now. I know from research there was starletts of the 50's who had shorter hair, even pixies ( I even discussed that here on the blog and on my Youtube show) and there are ladies in the current retro scene that also have very short pixie cuts, but each day that I scrolled through my feeds  made me want to hide  more, turbans and hats became my friends.  I started posting less of myself . I started to feel like an impostor,...not from anything anyone said to me , everyone has been supportive and have cheered me on, my own inner demons are quite powerful I am afraid. And that is where I remained, more behind the scenes, and withdrawn til the other day when I posted a Christmas message online without a hat, scarf or turban on. 

Despite these binding ropes my mind, emotions and physical issues are keeping me in at the moment, I do have so many fond memories of this past year. In addition to the fun activities and some minor successes and getting to meet my online bestie, as I mentioned , my middle daughter, Rebecca, the talented artist behind Housewife Chic and all my art across social media became engaged to a wonderful man and wedding preparations and plans have begun for a May 2018 wedding. We could not be more thrilled since after the tragic death of her first husband nearly 4 years ago she is due some happiness.  I am however very ready for this year to be over and done with and try to get back on track where I was before the year started in many areas of my life. 

I am looking forward to 2017, continuing to build my brand, at my own pace, but build it all the same, going to Viva Las Vegas and meeting many of the wonderful ladies that have shown me so much love and support on line, and having many adventures past that, including another visit from my bestie and maybe even another, much shorter and relaxed road trip to the coast , with mini day trips and adventures here locally....AND OF COURSE,  getting back to spending more quality time with all of my fans here on the blog, YouTube, and across social media...because without all of you, life would be far more mundane than even I can stand! You all mean the world to me and I look forward to connecting with all of you as much as I can!

 I would love to hear in the comments what you are ready to move past from, and leave behind from 2016 and what you are looking forward to and wanting to make happen in your own life in 2017! OR what you would like to see here in this blog as well as as my YouTube show in 2017.....remember I am always just a click away! You can contact me via email,at rubysmusings@gmail.com,  messaging on FB on my Ruby's Musings fan page, DM on I.G. or comments here or on YT and Twitter. I will always answer back!  If you are a business owner and I have not scared you away with this post, and want to place an ad here on the web version of my blog as a sponsor or collaborate in any way, feel free to contact me as well. I will work tirelessly to make you happy and to promote your product. 

Next week ...... The second annual Ruby's Musings Lust List for 2017 

Embracing Going Gray ~ Turbans

Turbans available Lacey Rose Creations 

Recently I shared needing to cut off my hair due to health issues and not being as comfortable with the look as I once was, especially in my retro look lifestyle... even tho Jean Seberg once made a similar crop very chic to have after she cut her hair off for Joan of Arc, as well as actresses like Audrey Hepburn and Leslie Caron to name a few who also went short, but not quite as drastic as Jean or myself. Health was the driving force, but I could have left the hair a bit longer, but was just not wishing to deal with the "skunk stripe" , especially with being in the public eye. I did not even consider how I would feel with a "buzz cut" however. So here I was, 90% of the colored hair was gone, but so was what was to me, a retro style identifier...but that is just rehashing my last post. I shared then that I was now wearing scarves and true turbans, and that even my entire family had not seen my hair. That continued for a week, even after revealing my new cut via my latest YouTube episode; they really do not watch. I finally decided to unveil it to them and it was a mixed reaction, not bad or negative, just maybe taken aback. I still have not posted photos to Instagram or FB, so unless you have seen my video.... OH and just two days ago I shortened the fringe so that it would be less whispy and it removed even more of my faux color, leaving me with just a tinge of blue black on the top. I am now obsessed with berets, scarves, and turbans even more! Especially during the colder months and well I am not ready to unveil to my nail gal either...sometimes it is easier to hide than explain. 

Short hair has me hiding....
*Jean Seberg 

Now when I ordered my turban from Lacey Rose Creations via Etsy, I was not too knowledgeable about them in 1950's or early 60's style, I had seen a few photos, but for the most part I thought of Turbans as a more 1940's style, and of course they were very popular then, they were bigger and elaborate and I often see many of the ladies on Instagram that do the more 1940's look using them to top off their look ....even when I received my turban in the mail in the note card it was mentioned that they were more 1940's. I was curious, so I started doing a bit of research on the subject and collecting images. Now I do not mind rolling in a bit of the 1940's to my look, you have all seen me with a scarf on ala "Rosie the Riveter" , but that seems more accepted and the norm and is done with a  chiffon scarf or bandanna style scarf. I was amazed at how many images I did find that was women from the 1950s wearing turbans. 

Wearing a chiffon scarf ala Rosie
*brooch and earrings from
Housewife Chic by Ruby on Etsy 

  

 

If you are not familiar with the definition of the turban, here is a break down.... The word Turban is a description of a millinery design where fabric is wrapped and twisted and secured to create a turban/head wear that is now closely molded to the head.  It usually covers most or all of the hair. Of course how it looks, how big, be it stuffed, stiffened or adorned depends on the era, or fashion choices or even  ethnic/religious groups that may be wearing one. Turbans have been worn by women since as early as the 18th century, perhaps even further back, and there has been varieties of turbans through to modern day and not just by retro/vintage women or by women forced to cover their head due to health, religious or cultural reasons. 

Examples of turbans over the years in Hollywood

So what about in my style pocket, the 1950's ? Well, draped turbans sbegan to regain popularity again in the mid 1950s .  The Times reported in 1955, upon a ensemble designed by Dior that was  compromised of a sheath dress created in brocaded silk, with a  matching jacket trimmed with sable fur and then as a finishing touch a brocade silk draped turban. Turban styles were adapted to accommodate more bouffant hair styles. There was also a report of  Milliner Claude Saint-Cyr , who was in charge of designing hats for the Queen. One that was mentioned within all my research was a soft "supple" felt turban created in 1956, that covered the ears and rose to a draped peak at the back of the head. Similar if not the one to the one in this photo from 1960/

The Queen with Harold Macmillan in November 1960
Photo found via google search and not owned by me. 

I can imagine that if the queen wore it, it would not be long before a style firestorm would begin and many a woman would work a turban into their wardrobe, much like how women in the states followed the starlets and first ladies to guide how they dressed in their own life. That has not changed, don't we all still look up to those in the public eye to inspire what we wish to look like and how we dress? But I digress. This is about the fact that I am now trying to embrace my grey, but getting started on that path ( yet again) and do it in a drastic way; by cutting off all my hair. The thing is I still want that feeling of being chic and retro ( in my own eyes), and avoid a lot of explanation when I go out and run into people I know, or when I post photos to social media. This is also about me trying to cope with how I feel when I look in the mirror having just recently having had hair and a hair color that inspired others, and was an instant visual that represented to others and even to myself that I was a retro/vintage lady, even if in just a pair of jeans and a T shirt. Having hair this short , although it being something women did have in the 1950's as photos ( all of starlets mind you) I shared in my last post showed , for me , in my eyes, when I look in the mirror does not scream 1950's. Askewed thinking, yes, but it is what bounces around in my head. So turbans and scarves ala Rosie it is, at least for a couple months when the buzzed portion lengthens and softens a bit. At least now know that turbans ARE something that was around and worn quite a bit in the 1950's so I can feel a bit more like myself while I follow this path of embracing grey and my new much shorter hair. 

Shades of Gray

It is that time of year when days are shorter and gray days out number that of sunny days, and that is applicable to many things, some days my temper is shorter, my patience, and often my mood is more gray. I hate to think I have seasonal disorder as I actually do not dislike that the days are shorter or more gray, but obviously it does play a factor into my daily life. But that is not the shorter or grayer that I am here to chat about today. Today I am here to chat about going shorter and grey AGAIN!

A couple of years ago I shared cutting all my hair off and going all natural ( and not for the first time in my life) and embracing it and loving the ease and never having to color again. That rarely lasts with me. Each time I tell myself all that and even last time I honestly think I believed it and flaunted my silver, till one day I dyed my hair, just in the fringe with a bit of pink, just for fun. Before I knew it I was doing my whole head in shades of purple....it was a hit with my fans, friends and family. I eventually decided over the summer to go more fuchsia and shades of deep ruby pink, but it began to become a really hassle to keep it looking fresh...and would fade to an ugly tone that made me just want to cringe. Then I discovered Overtone conditioner and I thought that would help, but no luck, not by fault of the product, just my hair, so on a whim I decided to go over it with a deep blue black....OMGoodness it looked amazing and I felt snazzy, and the compliments came flying. But it faded VERY quick and that sickly pinkish brown came through, so I decided to go over it with GHASP permanent blue black...which it turns out was more black than blue *SIGH* ....so I added more blue via ION brand ( my favorite) in a few shades mixed together...not helping myself, at least as far as I could see, but I did "bleed" blue each time I shampooed more than I had ever done . I ordered Overtone silver and deep blue conditioners hoping to create as my hair grew, a denim shade and blending out the black some, softening it. Before I knew it, my head began to burn, YES BURN! Was it the non stop playing with color? Was it the permanent color ? Or was I suddenly having a reaction to the dye components in the Overtone colored conditioners ( as I did not have any reaction to pink I feel that was the only thing it could be), I did not know, but what I did know was my scalp was on fire, daily, and all day! When it was not burning, it was itching and feeling warm and even hurting.

 Now I do have fibromyalgia and so my head, even my hair does hurt on some level, but my scalp has never itched or burned. Could this be a flair? Or as I stated above did the over use of coloring products do it?  I have never had a reaction to any hair coloring in my past, I have been coloring my hair since I was 12! No matter the reason, I made the decision to go get my hair cut, cutting off my signature "Housewife Flip" last week and I shared this fact and the new haircut on my weekly YouTube video. I did not cut all the hair off, instead choosing to go with an Elizabeth Taylor style choppy pixie cut. it did not really remove all that much color, but I figured it was a start, and hopefully within a few months and before my photo shoot in April when I will be going to Viva Las Vegas, would be a good length and color all gone by then. The hair cut was a hit, but I was not loving that I suddenly had to blow dry, flat iron and work against my cowlicks just to look decent....Ok before you roll your eyes as you all know I used to have to wet and set my hair daily, using curlers and clips, prior to the cut , but I never used heat or at least not often, and as I soon found out was that my hair quickly dried out, my arms due to the fibro and arthritis, holding the blow dryer was difficult and uncomfortable, and then my scalp stayed on fire due to the heat! So here I was, color not gone, skunk stripe emerging, scalp on fire and not really even totally loving my hair. I was no better off. 

As each day became torture over the last week, I did a spur of the moment thing. I drove, while out running errands for my youngest daughter's 25th birthday, stopped at a Super Cuts near where I needed to pick some things for her party, went in, told the Jeanette, the stylist there to cut it all off. I said " Just take it! She looked at me wide eyed. I clarified and showed her a photo f me taken the last time I cut off all my hair color, two years ago, clippered short on the sides and back, and scissor cut very short so the hair only goes forward towards the front of my head, leaving my fringe long. She was a bit timid and suggested first a 5, then a 4 setting on the clippers, but I said do a 3, tho I was tempted to do a 2. I then made her take the top even shorter and shape it with the clippers as well as I have a horrible cowlick that makes my hair stand up on the side of the crown of my head. She did the best she could do to make it all lay smooth. Not all the color was removed on the top of my head, I probably have one or two more rounds to go, but 98 percent is gone from the sides and back up to my crown in the back.  It was a relief but also on some level I lost part of my identity. My Ruby's Musings Housewife Flip was gone, my 1950's Elizabeth Taylor cut was gone.... How would I be "me"? Would when I dressed in my 50's esq wardrobe and go out, be looked upon as authentic, instantly recognizable as being a retro/vintage woman? I do not even have enough hair to wear my hats right now! Suddenly I plunged into despair and regret and even embarrassment. I came home and put a scarf on my head and three days later not even my husband knows what I have done, other than seeing the charge on the bank account because of wearing a scarf during the day and a sleeping cap at night.  I shared with my bestie who told me she loved it. I shared with my youngest as I knew if anyone would "get it" she would. A couple random Instagram friends know, but have not seen. 

Two years ago, when all the color was cut off ,
except fringe and so I bleached it and dyed it
bright blue till it grew out. 

With a scarf on you can not tell I have gotten another
cut as the fringe still has color. 

There are a few ladies within the retro/vintage/pinup culture that have short pixie haircuts, but nothing like what is under my scarf...which is like the one above with blue fringe. I shared in my YouTube video "Power of the Pixie" all the actresses of the 1950's and early 1960's ( my style pocket) who had varied lengths of pixie haircuts. some where very short, even dare I say as short as mine is under my scarf, and tho they were not the general populous, they still wore feminine clothing as I love wearing, with the skirts and petticoats, but not living in that era I have had thoughts of would I still be identifiable? Would my brand I have built still remain intact?

Jean Seberg queen of the very short pixie,
mine is shorter. 

Mia Farrow, still longer than what I have.

Audrey Hepburn at her shortest length

 Yes, hair grows and eventually I could have my flip back, and look like my banner at top, but that will take nearly a year or longer. Certainly will not happen by the time April rolls around , when Viva arrives and some of the most "famous" pinup and retro ladies gather all in one place and I have a photo shoot that I have already partially paid for... what then? Will I stand out for the wrong reason? No longer fit in because my look is incomplete. Irrational thoughts? Yes, maybe, probably, most likely , won't know until the time comes. Am I being silly? I am pretty sure my bestie would say so with the utmost love. I am sure my hubby could really care less, and I have had a few in the culture that I shared this with support and comfort me...but for right now, for this day, or for the next few days, maybe weeks, my mind is as in as many shades of gray as the strands on my head...and I will most likely be rocking a turban quite a bit. Have you ever had a crisis of identity, made a beauty blunder or changed your appearance in a big way and regret it? I would love to hear from you. Have you embraced the gray and never looked back? Did it take you several tries? Go back to color? Perhaps you grew it out and just lived with the roots etc or did you cut it all off and then grew your hair back? Again would love to hear from you.

A Great Deal of Amusement ~ A Ruby's Musings Blog Tour Post

Let's go on an Adventure together....

Continuing on with the recap of my blogging tour of the Los Angeles area and points north towards home, this week it is all about the amusement parks that we visited. After such a busy day the day before, what with an early wake up call to have my make up done for a photo shoot, and then shopping on Magnolia Blvd in Burbank and then wrapping things up at Clifton's Cafeteria for jello and drinks and to watch the swing dancing, it was hard to get up that Sunday morning. We had another very full day ahead of us, besides checking out of the Safari Inn, also located in Burbank, we also had on tap to go to Hollywood and walk through the Hollywood Museum in downtown Hollywood and from there go to Universal Studios! I was already worn out from the trip and the previous day, but I was also eager to start on the days adventure. But first breakfast. 

We found Franks very close to where we had been staying....
great food, great service and a true 50's style coffee house...
and famous too.... recognize the couple in the photo? Look
up the movie Larry Crowe !

After having a really great breakfast, we drove the short distance to Hollywood and the Hollywood Museum. Housed in the former Max Factor building located just off of Hollywood Blvd and next to the famous Mel's Diner, sits this iconic home to all things Hollywood. I really wanted to do a video tour but that is not allowed, and neither is flash and that made it very hard to get enough material to share with you...but I did manage to get a few choice shots here and there. Each and every room is a piece of Hollywood movie history. We started with the downstairs portion, dedicated to horror in the movies, complete with a Silence of the Lambs life size set! Filled with props and costumes and videos talking about the different movies it was both spooky and fascinating all at once. On the main floor you can tour everything dedicated to the stars and starlets and what as well as who made them beautiful Max Factor. Each small room is dedicated to a different hair color and had props, costumes, make up and even wigs and of course loads of history for each star or starlet that fell into a certain category. There was also a science fiction room and halls filled with all the photos of the stars who had once strolled through and sat to be made up , and even a hall of autographs. Upstairs was the child stars of Hollywood display and a special section dedicated completely to Marilyn Monroe...the display that I was most interested in seeing. But it is not just filled with old Hollywood, but also current or recent shows.  I could not even begin to share it all here and truth is there is no way without spending an entire day to see every little thing...you just have to see it for yourself! I highly recommend it and after go have lunch at Mel's Diner. You can even park, for a fee right next to Mels! 

Be sure to watch the end of my YouTube episode dated 10/7/16 to see more photos 

Once we were satisfied ...my feet already feeling the pain (my body too) from all the walking around, we drove the next short distance to Universal Studios. I was beyond excited to visit Harry Potter World, get photos with "Marilyn" and "Lucy" ...I am happy to say I accomplished all three! Harry Potter World was magical, it truly was a complete escape into one of my favorite movies of all time. First stop was to buy my wand. I was flaberghasted that this little piece of plastic, needed to be a true part of the experience was 50.00, over and above the entrance fee to Universal and the expensive parking...but I bought it all the same as did so many other people as the little shop was wall to wall people. Once my wand choose me and I paid for it, we walked around following the map that comes with the wand ( mine was the "Birch" ) , and succeeded at completing all the interactive tasks. Looking back , I am not sure I would have paid for the wand, and would have just watched others activate the window displays. Once we had exhausted the tasks, we headed to our first and only ride, as we decided to skip the long line for the roller coaster, instead choosing to ride the 3 D , "Forbidden Journey" ....let me tell you that ride starts the minute you enter the famed Hogworts ...there is something to see and experience at each turn far before you get on the actual ride and then it is an exciting ride that puts you in the middle of the action while riding a virtual broom. I think I could ride this over and over many times. Left parched after, it was time for a Butter Beer and if you have not had the pleasure, if ever you have the chance, be sure that you have one... in a single word, it was YUMMY! After strolling around a bit more we went in search of Marilyn and Lucy so I could get photos, and then it was off to the new and in my opinion improved studio tram tour. Myself and my husband was able to advance in line because the line keepers were impressed with my outfit..I was thankful because by now my feet were throbbing! We filled the rest of the evening strolling around and riding as many of the 3D style rides that we could manage before grabbing a late supper at Bocca. So concludes our experience at Universal and we drove the longer than it should have been to Anaheim and our next hotel, the Castle Inn. * For more images of Harry Potter World and Universal tune into the 10/7/16 YouTube video and follow me on Instagram @rubysmusings 

Wo-man can not survive on water alone...she must have
Butter Beer ! 

Marilyn and I  talking about our outfits. Mine was a Heart of Haute blouse, skirt from Amazon, shoes from Pin Up Girl Clothing, gloves from Amazon, hat from Ross, purse Vinatge ,  petticoat from Malco Modes and the Golden Snitch brooch from Housewife Chic by Ruby 

  

Monday started bright and early. It was time for Disneyland! I had not been to the most magical place on earth for at least 12 years.  Feeling beyond drained already as I underestimated how much I would be feeling the last few days, I got dressed in my Disney Bounding outfit details below, and slipped my shoes on my already swollen and blistered feet ( OUCH) and walked to a local restaurant to grab a hearty breakfast and walked the short distance to the front gates ( staying at the Castle Inn it was a close and easy walk, under 15 minutes).. the lines were not bad, being there on a Monday a bit after opening helped. Of course despite my pain I was beyond excited to be there again after such a long absence. If you have never been to Disneyland, let me say you should experience it at least once. The things to be prepared for, lines crowds, and needing fast passes for the most popular rides and the fact that you can not hold more than one fast pass at a time...oh and there is even lines for fast passes. But what annoyances there are the magical surroundings make up for it. It just brings out the little kid in you... complete with a few tired tantrums LOL ... I had a list of must rides and secondaries...the Haunted Mansion was my goal, especially since the park was all decorated for Halloween and the ride had just unvielded for the season the Night Before Christmas theme... and past that and wanting to ride Pirates to see if I could spot Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow ( not the real Johnny of course)  I really did not care if we just walked around and people watched....hubby had other ideas of course. The Haunted Mansion was closed for the better half of the day, but we finally managed and it was just as good as I had hoped.. so many new things to see and enjoy; though I will forever be a fan of the original .  We managed that day to ride all the big rides that were on our collective list with the exception of the Indiana Jones ride, closed for refurbishing and the Snow White ride of which the line was never shorter than an hour! I even got to meet the wonderful and talented young woman behind Vance Clothing who created my Golden Afternoon skirt that I wore that day.  The day ended with dinner at the Blue Bayou ...a greatly anticipated meal, which I am so very sad to say was not as it had always been. The service was good, the food.. well half was either under cooked or over cooked and I ended up leaving most of it and wishing we had just eaten at the place with the good smelling fried chicken. I was done. We slowly strolled back to the hotel, my body aching from roller coasters and my feet unable to put one in front of the other without sheer willpower to have my shoes off and my head on a pillow.  Was the day a success... yes and no. Was the day enjoyable and magical, I would say it is the same answer. Do I want to go back one day....ABSOLUTELY! Maybe next time I will take a friends advice and have hubby push me in a wheel chair. For more images see the 10/7/16 YouTube Video etc etc 

Outfit details .... blouse is vintage, skirt by Vance Clothing
head piece by Deviously Sweet Designs on Etsy , Bread and Butterfly earrings
Housewife Chic by Ruby also on Etsy , shoes Jessica Simpson
purse bought at Rockin Betties in Las Vegas , Gloves Amazon,
Alice Brooch Tangerine Menagerie on Etsy Glasses via Retro Betty on I.G. 

The gorgeous Miss Lillian Vance aka Zoe behind Vance clothing and my skirt.
Custom made and made one of a kind by the amount of bread and butterflies on the
body of the skirt. Just wish it was not a blurry photo.. *sigh*

My favorite ride in the entire park

The little girl in me absolutely adores Fantasy Land. 

Yes that is a bread and butterfly you see peeking out of the flowers and on my ears too!

Tho tired and worn out I was still very sad to call an
end to the day. 

The last of the amusement park adventures was to be California Adventureland. After passing out and a slow to wake morning after I got into that days Disney Bound outfit, a 1950's themed Snow White outfit. We made the slow walk back to the front gates and headed for the otherside where the first goal was to eat at Flo's Diner and have breakfast. The day was actually perfect! The night before a small storm front had moved into the area and we awoke to rain and cooler temperatures, that suited me just fine. The park was half empty, there were no lines and I was not over heating in all my layers. We went strait through to Cars Land there within C.A  and found Flo's and it was basically empty. which suited me...I was tired of the crowds. We were shown through the door and our order taken and we enjoyed a delightful breakfast , scrambled eggs and all the fixens for hubby and banana caramel  french toast for me... all while listening to the the top tunes from the 1950's to early 60's and surrounded by the same era style diner decor. After it was time to go get a fast pass for our first ride, the racers....and while we killed time, strolling, site seeing and riding a few rides here and there we finally got to use the fast pass, and it was so worth it! The ride was a mix of a slow but so cute Cars movie theme to a rip roaring and speedy race to the finish line....tip, if you do not mind riding as a single person to fill the odd third seats, you can zip through the line. After that we strolled though the Hollywood area of the park, watched the odd performance, and going on the Monsters Inc. ride before calling it a day at 2 p.m. YES...SHOCK, only a half day. my body had called it quits the day before ( fibromyalgia body was not made out for such activities three days in a row) , and so it was time. We made the walk back to the park and the shoes came off and we started the drive towards our next stop, Solvang Ca. a sweet and nostalgic Scandinavian/Dutch  themed town ..a place we had both been to many times in our lives having grown up in the area.

Snow White Disney Bounding right down to my ticket pouch by xoKwCreations
  on etsy and Poison Apple earrings by Poison of Choice, also on Etsy . The red bow
from Deviously Sweet Designs and the D was from Match Accessories. 

Outfit details .... accessories listed above,
skirt is one I shared before in a dedicated blog
was created by Carla Sue Vintage. Other items
are either vintage or previously owned for sometime. 

Eat at Flos...breakfast, lunch and dinner!

 I could have spent my entire time in Cars Land!

A tame ride compared to the racers, Luigi's dancing
cars was so cute and fun! And how could I resit the
little Nash cars??

Yes I did go on the ride behind me !

In conclusion, for this portion of the blogging tour ...... FIRST , let me apologize for the quality of the photos, pretty sure I need a new phone... and well maybe a different photographer as my hubby was in charge and I adore him for his patience, and for him this was not a working vacation as it was for me, and I sadly forgot many a time to check photos for quality control ..... SECOND, I thought he had taken far more photos of all three of the parks as he once again was in charge of photo taking since he was in possession of my phone. Trust me when I go to Viva in April of this next year I will take both my regular camera and my phone and snap off more photos and longer photos. There ARE more images shared and videos too at the end of each of my special episodes of At Home with Ruby's Musings on YouTube and also shared on my Instagram feed... do you follow me there? You should..I share different content there than I do on my FB fan page or even here or YouTube. NOW back to the conclusion for this week. I really did enjoy the first half of my trip, despite an aching body, throbbing feet, and a not mentioned til now, a tummy bug that hit day two and really wiped me out even before we got to Universal. I hope you will tune in over on my YouTube channel and back here next Wednesday for the next leg of the trip....next up Solvang and San Luis Obispo where we stayed at the Madonna Inn and did a bit more shopping. 

Curious about what I bought at the shops shared in last weeks blog? Want better photos of some of the hard to clearly see accessories in this series of posts? In November after I finish up the round up of my blogging tour, I plan to do a few sponsor appreciation posts, as well as details not covered thus far; it is so hard nearly a month later to remember everything and that is with notes!!! So I hope you will keep coming back and visiting with me and forgive the less than perfect photos or amount of photos ...hubby tried, bless his heart. Have a question about anything just ask and I will fill in the blanks (like I said my memory is not the best)...at least best I can. Connect with me on FB and on Monday's at 3:30 PST I do live chats and you can ask me ANYTHING! You can also send me a private message or email and I will be so very happy to answer any questions. Find me on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and even on Pinterest!