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A Renewed Retro

Posted on by HarpieLyn

When we last spoke, the world was one year and some into a global pandemic. The world felt like it was spinning in two directions. It has since, summarily, changed drastically. We did some growing here at RRBlog, too. We invite you and our larger audience to check us out as we remodel what it means to live a timeless life while stuck in the trappings of our ‘modern society’. Bleh. It’s not everyone’s favorite flavor.

If you’re like us, we want to learn and grow and ‘stay woke’, but we also lean wayyyy into the consumer need and want for an aged time. A comfier life. Sometimes this comes in the form of simplicity or taking favor of our own happiness over the larger economic dollar-sign value we are prescribed. Other times, it comes in the way of seeking culture and enrichment or busting rump to achieve a life of eco and off the grid bliss.

We are hopeful to bring the silver lining stories and words of encouragement to our readers to remind us all that change in a retro-progressive way is not only possible, but it’s all around us- if we know where to look to help foster its flourishing. The world is full of ever-changing and seemingly-new themes that emerge on the daily, but we are excited to shed a new light and perspective that may help bridge the generation gaps and help draw connections between what’s a trend today and why we are drawn to it. There’s a few cool reasons for what we call retro-progressive occurrences: 1. We have an inclination to eras that naturally generated greater cultural output (not strictly economic), 2. We as a generalized society don’t have connection to the ‘mainstream’ pre-covid experience because it didn’t capitalize on human connection at all, and finally 3. Everyone still talks about the ‘good old days’ so maybe there are components of these old days that are worth using as inspiration for today and tomorrow (please note, we are NOT talking about the racism and rampant social discourse and inequity- we have a post that talks exclusively about this separately).

So we challenge you all, dear readers- indulge in your desires for greater hiraeth, a flavor of the best days. Seek a life fulfilled and overflowing with lively, wholesome, and timeless experiences. Cheers, darlings. We are happy to be back.

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Posted in The Publications

Harpie’s Groovy Throwback

Posted on by HarpieLyn

I recently (begrudgingly) accepted the invitation from my sister to shop at a local mall. Between the uptick in mall-related violence and the prevailing hatred I had for inflated prices, it wasn’t something that particularly thrilled me at the idea. Instead of completely dragging myself through the place, we were both impressed to find many semblances to an era before us both speckling store windows with all sorts of vibrant patterns and funky garments. 

We were impressed store after store by 1970s throwbacks and a carefree theme that took over the entire lot of shops. Bellbottoms, platform sandals, crop tops, crochet granny square blouses and fringe, mini dresses, psychedelic print polyester pants, bandeaus, bandanas, and embroidered patchwork jeans: oh my!

It was almost like a groovy time warp situation. Never in a million years would a millennial expect to see high rise bellbottoms be en vogue again, let alone be found on a mannequin of a name-brand store with a crochet super-cropped crop top with a bow between the boobs. Despite having appreciation for dressing like a hippie on weekends and warm-weather days, it doesn’t seem like most of these trends have yet permeated the surface of the workforce. Usually we try to make these posts uplifting and supportive of retro trends, but it may require some tweaking. Let’s keep in mind, as a young-ish woman in a rather liberal field of work, it shouldn’t be an issue to wear flamboyant things on the clock. Here’s a few things to consider in an effort to mainstream the groovy 70s looks again.

The material of the clothing in question is often seersucker (polyester) and lighter colors tend to overshare your underwear. If you want a solid wide bellbottom, you’ll likely be stuck paying for a thicker material. Regarding feminine blouses at least, same thing goes- it’s difficult to justify a barely-there crochet top with a very bare midriff in a professional setting. Layer up or try something over another modest shirt..? It’s always a challenging balance to strike between being a professional and wanting to be a flowery hippie princess.

Some stores participating in the Woodstock groovy revival include but are not limited to: Cotton On, Macy’s, PacSun, Garage, Aerie, Aeropostale, Hollister, and Forever21. There are also a variety of online resources if you want to avoid the crowds: ModCloth, UV, Etsy. Shein, and similar affiliates.

Ready to get your groove back?

Posted in The Publications

Hiraeth: A Speculative Series

Posted on by HarpieLyn

Recently I learned about the word ‘hiraeth’ (Welsh, pronounced like hee-rai-th with a lil’ roll on the ‘r’). It’s basically a non-english translateable word meaning somewhere on the emotional spectrum between nostalgia and sad longing for a thing, place, or experience that was never had. I’ve never felt so understood. Life’s good, don’t misunderstand. The work is soulful, the hobbies are heartfelt, the family is my world. I try to practice gratitude every day for the people I love and the happinesses we are afforded. But there’s an undeniable pull to an era well before my own.

And now it has a name. Hiraeth.

I was standing at a memorial service for an incredible soul who helped us write the Doris Duke book in 2016 surrounded by his beautiful family and noticed a few faces in the crowd even younger than my own. This hiraeth feeling… that isn’t just me. I am not alone with my feelings. This isn’t unique to me. I went home and keyboard-mashed until dusk. This is what I found…

My current theory is that Millennials and Gen Z (you know, the ones who allegedly ‘ruin’ everything? Yeah, we actually don’t suck, for the record- hear me out) are probably experiencing hiraeth more than any other population ever because of our sociohistorical placement. Think about it- all the generations before right now got to experience both the triumphs and the struggles of the 20th century. We go thrift shopping for snippets of an era bygone. We cling to the stories our grandparents told and save up hours of wages to make sure pop-pop’s chair would get reupholstered for the next generations. We prefer reusable materials over single-use just like Nonna used her apron instead of a dozen paper napkins to get the popsicle stains off our cheeks. I’m entirely reassured by my peers and contemporaries that there is a deeper connection to the years before ourselves. If only for those brave enough to read beyond the surface of our beliefs and preferences, politics and ideas…. the hope that tomorrow can reflect and honor our collective generational hiraeth is with us all.

This week marks a difficult transition in chapters of my life- the passage of my own maternal grandmother, who was an icon of who I want to be in so many ways- and through this transition I hope to build a greater appreciation for her and her life. As I continue this sub-series on hiraeth, I’m hoping to find more ways that the feeling guides us, and ultimately may be the thing that defines my generation.

Rita, this one’s for you. Cheers, darlings.

Posted in The Publications

A Year in Review: 2020

Posted on by HarpieLyn
Dear readers, For understandable reasons, this year in writing has been sparse. Both of us have returned to higher ed programs, increased screen time makes internet writing less desirable and there was one other thing…. oh right; there’s a global pandemic that completely shifted the world and everyone in it. Blogging about yesteryear and history took a hard pause because instead of reviving the good tidbits of the nostalgic past, we all got stuck in a disastrous snapshot of what plagues, economic crisis, and societal weariness was like… except instead of experiencing those things independently, some of us in the western world felt that all at once. Ouch. Instead of talking about single instances of retro revival, we decided the most tasteful thing would be to write a year in review about what this trash fire of a year has taught us about keeping in touch with our historical roots. Yup, we are going to try to give a brief overview of what 2020 showed us about keeping in touch with how things were done, rather than constantly going full speed forward all the time. In hopes that 2021 will rebuild us and lift our spirits to a more comfortable and honorable tomorrow, RRBlog humbly submits to you dear readers, our list of optimistic revelations from the historic shitstorm that was 2020. Stay curious, darlings. We are eager to bring you even more as the new year ushers in.
Voice entertainment and radio shows
National broadcasts
Snail mail for fun
Renewed appreciation for the arts
Something about embroidery getting big
DiY projects because screw paying people when we have google to save money
Canning and jarring to preserve food Reusables instead of single uses
Protests & Racial and Political tensions
Appreciating the little things
Bicycling
Spending more time ‘off the grid’
Self-care and ‘indulgent’ routines like skin care and bedtime rituals like exercise and reading
Learning new skills and trades because there’s more time to do so
Acknowledging the difference between the worth of your work and the worth of yourself
Family Time
Craftsmanship in all things
Cooking
Community and Connection
Making the best of stuff Getting dressed up to go out after being deprived of doing so.
The cool thing about all of these list items is that we will be covering each one in a small subsection called ‘the post-covid revival’ in early 2021. Stay tuned!
Posted in The Publications

The Times are A’Changing

Posted on by HarpieLyn

Hi there readers,

It’s been a while since we got a chance to catch up with you. Truth be told, academics and working exclusively on the web as a result of the Covid-19 shift to all-digital function has us turned off for a bit from the online writing habits we used to hold. The good news is, the semester is coming to a close, and the election in the USA has us hopeful that things are changing (for the better). Regardless of what side of the aisle you’re on or observe from, the status quo is being challenged.

We observed history this week. We watched as a pivotal election was prolonged over nearly a week’s span. And then it turned into a ‘blue wave’ with the swing of three neck-and-neck states for electoral votes, yielding Joe Biden as our 46th president. It’s a rather interesting angle to watch from- seeing half of the population enraged and believing that the voting system is ‘rigged’ and someone cheated, with the other half celebrating and dancing in the streets of every major city from coast to coast.

It’s all quite a polarization. I wonder where the ‘united’ part of the states comes back into play. I wonder if the ‘good old days’ best facets can truly be ressurected without the atrocities of racism, discrimination, and hate. All we can do, darling readers, is sit back and watch. Observe. Listen. And decide how best to conjure up a sense of community from the damaged hearts and hurting populations that shared their stories of impact from the last four years.

Cheers darlings. And please- be the change you want to see. We will be bringing you some uplifting news as we follow a live restoration of a local farmstead from the ground up as the year carries on. Take care of yourselves, your neighbors, and everyone. Blessings aplenty.

Posted in Operation ORCHID

The Trails Traveled at Dukes

Posted on by HarpieLyn

In this written review of Duke’s Estate, we were able to reconvene after much ado thanks to the global pandemic from covid-19, coronavirus. Our spurt with wandering across the property was a refreshing shift back into our regularly scheduled passion for history and preservation. The challenges of covid-19 cannot be understated, but the recent ability for new jerseyans to return to somewhat normal levels of function was exactly what the doctor ordered for us. As usual, the overall estate brought us several pleasant surprises and a few notions that suggest they still have a long way to go toward recovering from their poor decision to demolish Duke’s mansion. This is not to be confused with resignation because there are some telltale signs across the property that give us great hope. We noticed a few exceptional changes on the property- such as nearly algae-free lakes and streams (major difference from previous years), repairs in mortar along the iconic stone wall, a few broken streetlamps at the conservatory’s front esplanade, the still-missing DD insignia affixed above it’s doors, removal of fencing around the statue of Athena, and a recently cleared half acre or so facing south from the bridge at great falls that facilitates a view of the lake and fox hollow trail below. There’s so much changing in the world, so it is our hope that things change to support a fuller illustration for the multifaceted legacy that the Dukes left behind. We see it being made more and more possible here, and we will continue to offer what insights we can in these history-making times.

Some great strides and some little reparations yet to be made makes for a mixed review of the property from us at RRBlog. It continues to be one of our favorite places to kick back, picnic, and find peace at the intersection of past, present, and future. Perhaps the most incredible change however comes in the form of a person. This new face has finally fixed the vacancy in the executive directors position as of yesterday. we are so hopeful to have a new team member spearheading the efforts at Duke farms to honor the legacy or Doris in a way that shows her love and dedication for all things of the organic world- both flora and fauna- that meshes gracefully with her homage to her roots, and to her father’s extraordinary attention to detail in tending their opulent acres.

We look forward to observing the progress that this extraordinarily historic, unique, and highly potent model for stewardship and preservation makes as it enters a new era of management. Congratulations to the staff for their selection of a new director!

Posted in The Publications

Retro, not Racial, Revival

Posted on by HarpieLyn

Hi readers,

We just wanted to take a moment to reach out to everyone in the wake of some of the most turbulent political and social crises of our lives. It has been a wild experience between the Covid-19 pandemic, the protesting of the death of George Floyd, and the ongoing political climate of fear and hate mongering. Regardless of anyone’s beliefs, we feel that it is important to publicize that we- as writers, professionals, and hopefully decent and moral human beings- write about themes of the middle of the 20th century (1950-60s mostly) to bring back an aesthetic, a nostalgic feeling. We DO NOT and WILL NOT tolerate the same or even similar racial disparaties, discriminatory patterns, or prejudices that reflect those eras bygone. It’s all too easy to get wrapped up in the title’ retro revival’ and presume we advocate for ‘all’ things retro. We try to be selective and pick only the themes that are positive, community-supporting, and all-inclsive. This is particularly true because we acknowledge and validate that the pleasant, nostalgic feeling of the retro times was not experienced across diverse populations.

The Retro Revival Blog would like to take a moment to say we stand in solidarity with those seeking justice peacefully and in unity- for a sense of morality and true equality- to bring us closer to a life we all can be safe in, comfortable with, and proud of. Every life is worth living.

Posted in The Publications

How Covid-19 Teaches Us to Embrace Retro Life

Posted on by HarpieLyn

In a most trying time, the global community has faced a pandemic unlike anything in the past 100 years. As we are certain our readers are aware, the dangers of this novel coronavirus, ‘covid-19’, can not be understated. With hopes or reducing the new incidences of illness in people across the world, governments have taken steps to isolate germs and people, effectively placing most of the modern world on quarantine- and we are often left with minimal work or no job at all- which means we all get to stay at home for days- weeks- months on end.

Just the other day, we were watching CBS2 News out of New York, where a conversation was sprung about competing with food scarcity and the need for the community to feel some sense of control in these unique circumstances. Victory Gardens, a concept from back in the days of World War 2, was a fantastic intervention suggested by the news station. A victory garden is a formal term (rebranded with a new name) that describes a garden that families and individuals plant for sustainability. Instead of depending on hte mainstream marketplace for produce, these victory gardens allow households to grow their own food, effectively releasing the burden that markets have right now to meet excessive demand.

This got us thinking; even though covid-19 is no small situation and we recognize the dangers it poses, what about this quarantine period could be positive? What about this shared experience can bring back a better version of normal? What if this ‘new normal’ that will emerge after the virus is really just a resurgence of good habits from yesteryear? What does this mean for a legitimate retro revival?

It’s a highly silver lining among the headlines of morbidity and sorrow. Community orientation, policy advocacy, and social empathy are all on the rise already; even as the majority of us stay locked in our homes, the need for revitalization and change is a pulse that links us together. We are being given the best platform to slow down, appreciate the little things in life, and reignite relationships with our family members and friends (virtually). Even slight lifestyle changes like planting your first victory garden to tolerating leftovers a little better, wasting less to learning a new skill like sewing or painting or woodworking in your spare time all contribute to a healthier and more productive life overall.

Think about it this way; if your neighbors don’t have as much of a yard as you, and your family plants a victory garden that flourishes, you may be more inclined to share your surplus- which facilitates conversation with people who you may not have interacted with on a usual basis. *Note, sharing and interacting herein refers to socially distant and safe measures.

That resurging sense of ‘togetherness’ unites us all, makes the world a smaller place, and develops a stronger sense of empathy than before. With empathy, we are more likely (on a psychological level) to react to others in need, in distress, or otherwise that trigger us to feel. This is what makes the world a kinder place. Everyone loves those feel-good articles of humanity- and with all of us honing in on our social emotions and exercising empathy, there’s bound to be a lot more of these articles being published because of our newfound call to action.

So embrace your retro soul and teach it to your children! Engage in activities that are joyful and enriching to you and to those around you. Paint a picture for your family member, write letters to our brave first responders, grow vegetables for the block, and communicate with people for the sheer purpose of being kind and bringing a smile to someone new. Above all, encourage and teach others around you to share in this new spirit of unity. Togetherness, after all, is how we are stronger. Post-War America was painted as a friendly time… (Author’s Note, we recognize it was plastered with racism, and it was far from perfect)… but post-viral Earth can realistically be a friendly time. Cheers, readers- be the change you want to see.

 

Stay healthy, stay safe! -Retro Rebellious Curious- The RRBlog Staff

Posted in The Publications

A New Era in South Somerville

Posted on by HarpieLyn

A surefire sign of the changing of the times is a literal change of the guards. No, we aren’t talking about Buckingham Palace, but we are referring to James Buck Duke’s place in South Somerville (now Hillsborough), New Jersey. As of recently, a rare golden opportunity has emerged with very little fanfare attached. Duke Farms recently posted a job opening for the elusive title of Director at Duke Farms.

Yes, you read that correctly. What is most stifling is that it is an external application which, unlike the last time this position was overturned to a new set of hands, suggests that new faces are warranted at this historic nonprofit. Last time, this position was filled through referral and was filled by a consultant who partnered with the estate long ago. Now, the wealthy organization has an executive team searching for the right candidate to lead Duke Farms into a new era of innovation and be the face of positive change.

For interested persons with experience in nonprofit work and environmental consciousness, or for those who just feel they have what it takes, the listing is available on dukefarms.org/ Perhaps this new beginning can bring the Dukes back to the property in ways that guests can enjoy.

Stay curious, darlings.

Posted in Operation ORCHID

Operation Orchid: Crossing Paths (NOT)

Posted on by HarpieLyn

Check this out! Click Here: Duke Farms Greenway Opens

This was a cited reason for why the infamous Duke Mansion just had to be demolished. Sounds pretty legit, right? If the house isn’t in the way (which sadly, it’s gone now), the Duke Farms administration can make a lovely trail that connects Raritan’s stunning Nevius Street Bridge to the trails at Duke Farms for continuity and improved pedestrian flow. They did just that, and the trail is very easy to navigate. In addition, trails flanking the northern border of the estate (the wetlands) have been opened to foot traffic since the demolition.

There’s a tragic flaw in that logic, however. The greenway path does not intersect with the mansion’s footprint. In fact, the two aren’t anywhere near each other in the 52 acres of ‘Arboretum’ that demo’ing the mansion opened up.

Don’t believe the ‘opposition’? Let’s see what the actual distances look like in the spring when we are thawed out.

On the subject of pathways, there was a lovely gate whose pillars were restored by the remarkable team of historic architects at DKA (omitted for privacy unless otherwise stated), at the southern side of Dukes Parkway West. Now that gate is replaced with sad-looking wooden posts and a thick rope. Something tells me that wasn’t too original, tasteful, or publicly recognized for changing. Where’d it go? We would love to know.

 

Stay dangerously curious, darlings~