Tuesday, September 16, 2008

A Cruise Back To The 50's

If you have been reading the comments on my previous post you will see a running conversation about a "cruise" between Lavinia Ladyslipper and I. Lavinia posted some great shots of a steamship, well, ok, steamer..uhm of the freighter variety, but imagination runs rampant at the thought of a sea voyage and the Bluebill will turn into the QE1 with the blink of an eye. When I think of cruises, I automatically think of An Affair to Remember. The 1950's fashions are perfect. I scouted around in my closet and filled my steamer trunks with care. One must have the proper clothing for every shipboard and port of call occasion, musn't one?


Lavinia snapped a picture of me as I pulled in to the terminal. That's the Mister dropping me off. He's glad to have a few days to himself. Do you just LOVE my hat?

Lavinia was waiting patiently by the railing. I wish I had thought to bring my dog! Well, we'll share the Bebbers.
We arrived just in time for tea! I wore a minty green silk gown. My shoes are fabulous, but my manners keep me from putting my feet up on the table so you can see them.


I thought I'd vamp about on the shop-o-rama deck until the little shipboard shops open. I saw some lovely pearls in the window earlier in the day while on my way to the casino. I wish Lavinia would get a move on. I'm getting a bit peckish and want to be at the Gazelle Dining room as SOON as the doors open

Oh there she is. looking ever so elegant and with a Loretta Young entrance . We'll meet up with everyone else at our dinner table.
There they are! Chatting away in their lovely red dresses. I wish I had thought to wear something that blends well with the settee. Oh well. I wonder what's for dessert?
Ooooh baked Alaska! I hope I don't singe my hair off. Those things are on fire!
I'm nursing a bit of a hangover this morning. Just going to pose here and sip some iced tea for a while. At least I am fabulously stylish in my kicky little shorts and skirt outfit. Ohhhhh! You'll NEVER guess who I saw on deck last night!Those two - acting like they barely know each other but I know better and the WHOLE ship is just abuzz about them! I'm going to take one more aspirin and then I'm meeting Lavinia for some port-o-call shopping!



Well we may look as cute as buttons, but I wish we would have discussed what we were going to wear! The Bobbsie twins look went out with shoulder pads

I probably would have worn this instead. The hat is just the right look for the south seas, don't you think? It keeps blowing off so I have to hold it just so.
Well I'll tell you what! I am lovin' every minute of this cruise and I hope you did too. I can only vamp for about 1 more minute - It's my turn to walk the Bebbers. Any idea where the poop deck is?
All photos compliments of Flickr!

28 comments:

Lavinia said...

Cynthia ! What a faaaaaaaaaabulous travelogue of our shipboard holiday!!! The clothes! The hats! The shoes! The attitude! The poses! It's no exaggeration to say we were the hit of the voyage. I couldn't have asked for a better time! Such style, dah-link!

You'll have to pop over to my blog in a bit, I am posting some of my pics of our sea-cruise too...

Ta ta dah-link...

MuseSwings said...

It was a magnificent cruise wasn't it! I'll be right over as soon as I open some champaigne!

Kelli said...

You ladies look lovely! I think I'll repack my trunk! Tea was obviously taken in one of the cargo containers. I'd always wondered what they had inside! Allow me to loan you my copy of Manners for the Modern Woman, regarding dealing elegantly with dog poop whilst on a cruise ship. Makes for impressive deck reading material.

MuseSwings said...

Kalianne! You just can't tell by the outside of the ship. It's absolutely elegant inside. I would certainly like to know about proper poop disposal! Please please share!

Nana Trish is Living the Dream said...

Aren't you guys looking fabulous!! I would imagine you had the best time. I am anxious to see Miss Ladyslippers photos as well. You didn't show many pictures of all those interesting folks you met. That one couple I have seen them before. I'm so glad you had a great time. Thanks for letting us see your lovely outfits and hats.

A Wild Thing said...

Sigh...Cary Grant...you lucky girl...now that's a cruise I could use...too funny!

sharon

MuseSwings said...

Trish, I'm so glad you approve of our clothes - you might not have approved of all of our behaviour, but I did contain myself as well as could be expected.

Ah yes, Sharon - you meet the most interesting people on a voyage such as this one. It was divine.

Anonymous said...

I love the photos, the clothes are fabulous. The red dresses on the red Settee remind me of a conference an associate and I attended at the DisneyWorld Dolphin Resort and this associate always looks so chic and could fit in very well with your photos. Well she wore an unusual but stylish pattern dress with a briefcase to match (oh, yes I told you she was the bees knees.) Anyway, when we entered the lobby of the hotel the carpeting was the exact same pattern as her ensemble, my eyes were having a hard time locating her. True story.

steviewren said...

Okay, I was buying the whole story, pictures and all until you tried to fool me with that talk of spotting Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant and right then and there I knew that you were either pulling my leg or you and Ms Ladyslipper weren't on the Bluebill but rather the Flying Dutchman!

Kelli said...

Elegant Poop Scooping En Cruise:

With poop bag clasped delicately in one hand, fully extend the arm of same hand away from body. In one graceful movement, bend the knees and avert gaze while carefully sweeping skirt behind knees (with free hand) and grasping the unmentionable with bagged hand (a diagram would be helpful here). Place litter discreetly in purpose-designed handbag for disposal at next available port.
~Kalianne

Marie Reed said...

I don't buy that you walked Beppers yourself! I'm sure that you had a deckhand do it for you:) Naughty!

Stanley said...

Interesting post. I think I had a baked alaska before too. It was delicious!!

Lavinia said...

I have seen more spelling variations of my dog's name than I can shake a stick at (and he can fetch, but in point of fact he is not a 'fetching sort of dog, but anyway, that's all by the by...)
Getting back to my point, my dog's name is spelled "The Bebbers" or just "Bebbers" if one is in an informal mood...which one indubitably is, after Cynthia and I have cracked open a couple of those Dom Perignons!

Shelley said...

I'm hoping to join you to share that Baked alaska!

Erica Hanks said...

What a fab time! I had to drop by after reading Lavinia's post! Don't you just love how women used to dress? They would be shocked at me sitting here in my sweats!

Pat said...

I loved reading this! More, more!

Tess Kincaid said...

Cynthia, I'm TAGGING you for a meme! This one is FUN and easy...I promise! :D

I thoroughly enjoyed this post!!

MuseSwings said...

Ladies! And Stanley - thank you all for stopping by! Trish - it was the Flying Dutchman, how did you guess! Shelly and Stanley - I love baked Alaska - on the cruise I almost singed my hair off - Lavinia saved my by dousing the flames - and my head with her Dom Perignon. You are right about the deck hand Marie - however did you guess! Drama Mama thank you so much for popping over! I'll be by to visit you very soon!
LL - I for one had/have an eclectic spelling of The Bebbers' name. I'm making cue cards for my next attempt at spelling it.
Kalianne - thank you everso much for sharing the information on poop disposal. Such an elegant way of doing so. I was using a four iron. Most landed in the ocean, but one landed in a lifeboat and one on Lady Flossella Fortuna's straw hat.
She was not amused.
Willow! A meme! I shall stop by post haste.

Lavinia said...

Muse Swings, that reminds me, I forgot to tell you about how Lady Flossella Fortuna cornered me in the Lido lounge where I was returning some bottles of Dom for deposit, and she proceeded to give me a minute-by-minute account of the by-now infamous "Four Iron Incident". In the many retellings, it eventually became the "Scandal" of the voyage, but ironically, that just added to our already considerable prestige! In fact it gave me a golden opportunity to use that famous line from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" to perfect effect. Remember? Here it is:

Lady Beekman: "You'll find I mean business!"

Dorothy Shaw: "Oh, really? Then why are you wearing that hat?"

MuseSwings said...

Lavinia: hahahaha. So glad I could assist in causing a scandal. What's a good cruise without one? The prestige is worth every minute of it.
You got deposit money for all those Dom P. bottles??? So, that's why Lady Flossella kept picking up after me! I told her the maid would be right along, but she insisted and kept jamming them in that giant straw bag of hers. Then she'd turn on her saucy little kitten heels and clink off to the bar. The nerve.

Yours was a perfect line for the occasion!
While boarding, Flossella asked me if I thought we would have a quiet, relaxing cruise. I borrowed from Bette Davis' line: Fasten your seat belt Flossie, you're in for a bumpy ride. Then she said - ohhhh, does that mean Lavinia is on board?

Lavinia said...

Oh Cynthia, I've 'tangled' with Flossie before. It was 1946--that heady period after the second world war--and I found myself on a Banana cargo boat out of Buenos Aires. Flossie was also aboard, with her sights set on a passenger of the shall we say male persuastion.....a devilishly handsome polo player playboy named Pueblo (try saying that after a glass or two of Dom!).

Anyway, I won't get into the nitty gritty, suffice to say that all aboard were witness to the most extraordinary display and I was able to use several lines from "Mildred Pierce", "Now Voyager", "Butterfield 8" and "Ben Hur"!

Flossie's had it in for me ever since....

sandy said...

hahahahaha, great post!!! and you two look so stylish. This was fun fun..

MuseSwings said...

Lavinia - I noticed she would only look at you with her eyes all squinty and mean! So that's it! She is even more upset with you now. Word is out that she brought 4 gowns that her stylist Fritzie du Pont assured her were originals and 4 days in a row there you were at dinner wearing the exact gown she intended to wear the following night! Turns out Fritzie bought Sears and Robucks knock offs. He seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth and there is an unusually large and suspicious looking dent in one of Flossies candlesticks. She won't admit to the knockoffs (the dresses or Fritzie) - she's claiming that you sent your chauffeur out to follow her while she shopped at Madam Toffee's Little French Boutique.

Kelli said...

Poor Lady Flossella Fortuna, I'm sure there exists an elegant way to remove flung dog poop from a straw hat (whilst rowing a life boat). Anyone?

ChaChaneen said...

Wow, where to begin? I love all these photos! I especially love the one where you're getting a cup of coffee/tea in front of that gorgeous tray of silver! A cruise truly is a vacation for a woman, no cooking, cleaning, etc. Sigh~ Now I'm going to have to watch the movie, a great mental escape!

MuseSwings said...

No suggestions here, Kalianne - She did have multi colored cabbage roses on the hat, it more or less blended in as long as she was down wind.

It's about time for me to watch the movie again too, Janeen. Perhaps with our feet up after the picnic!

soulbrush said...

aaahh what a fabulous tale...took me back to my days on the titanic...sigh....

MuseSwings said...

Soulbrush, Glad you enjoyed the cruise! We can do anything we wish - wish being the operative word here - in Bloggyland!