Florida Nostalgia: 1985

Hey readers!  I've been asked by the awesome Alyson to do Thursday's blog post for her while she's soaking up the fun and sun and taking in the surf down in F-L-A.

For those who don't recognize me (and that's probably 99% of you), let me do a quick intro:

I'm Nickie from Wild as a Mink 

(well the blog name goes on, but we'll make it short and sweet)

I figured since I tend to dress like I'm on spring break every day of my summer life (hence the cut-offs),

and Alyson is in Florida, I thought I'd tell you about my first trip to Florida...

The year: 1985

The place: Daytona Beach

My age: 5

"Shout" by Tears for Fears was the #1 song at the time, 

surely it was on many a casette tape in the blaring boom boxes that littered nearly every beach blanket on the sand.

A new trend was on the horizon in sunscreen, it was a little neon blast of awesomeness called:

ZINKA

(I'm kinda thinking of looking into whether or not this stuff is still produced, I think I need it like NOW)

There were very darkly tanned girls in bright flourescent neon bikinis everywhere.  The smell of coconut...errr, I mean Hawaiian Tropic, filled the sea air.

And I was amongst the tourists

(these people are of no relation to me, but I'm pretty certain they could pass for moms and pops)

(ok, nevermind the naked man in the background...we were not on a nude beach when I was 5)

And with that young budding fashionable mind of mine soaking in all the surroundings, I was certain I wanted to grow up to be one of those big haired teenagers I saw day in and day out frolicking along the beach during that weeklong vacay

--you know, with frosted tips and pearly pink lip-gloss wearing a sweet-as-all-get-out pink on top/white on the bottom monokini-yep, definitely wanted to be those girls in a mere 10 more years.

However, pretty certain at 5, I didn't even come close to looking like those teenagers, let alone these preteen mishaps I found a pic of on the internet.

(yikes!)

So now that I've obviously established that at 5, I was much too young to partake in the "fun" we associate with Florida and possibly spring break like atmospheres.  

And while I probably had an opportunity to test my teen years in Florida at some point, by then it was the 1990s--not nearly as fun in all its minimalist fashion glory as the fab neon electrified '80s!

Soooooooo, now that I'm an adult, but still act like a teen...and while I'm still in semi decent, not completely banged up shape, maybe its time I relive what I think I missed out on.

Maybe I need to just hit up the internet and get myself 1, 2, maybe 3 (ok that's pushing it) suits from yesteryear.

Top on my list of "MUST-HAVE-80s-SUITS" would be the ever-so amazing:

MONOKINI

-This one comes from an awesome ebay store: Vintage Revenge

 

Second up, I'd probably find myself looking for the perfect surfer girl style--

A little BODY GLOVE anybody?

(And if not Body Glove I might consider Ocean Pacific.)

And just to round out the classy factor of a whole trip to Daytona Beach to recapture the glory days I didn't experience in the '80s, I'd have to throw in the quintessential trash-fest item

"THE BUDWEISER SUIT"

This BEYOND RAD bathing suit is up for grabs over at Badgirl Vintage on Etsy.

(I have to say, while an american flag 2-pc is pretty awesome, this bud bathing suit just sets me over the top--nothing says FLORIDA BEACH-STYLE in class like this gem...imagine, ME, this Suit, and my CUT-OFF shorts.  Someone call 9-1-1!!  Ewwwww....Psyche!)

Oh Florida...back in 1985...the memories will last a lifetime, and I'm glad I probably brought home a crappy souvenier to help me recall the good ol' days of being 5, on a beach, seeing things I probably didn't need to see.

Oh, you want to hear the real EFfed up memory of me being 5 in Florida?  Um, try the day my parents, aunt/uncle, siblings, and cousins left me without knowing it!  Yeah...they flat out forgot me, left me in the hotel room while they went about their merry way.

Nice one right?

(it took them from what I hear, about 20min to realize it too.  WTF?)

____________________________________________

Ok, but honestly...let's hope Alyson is having a nice, fun, relaxing time soaking up the sunny Florida rays, taking in the warm weather, and just enjoying her time away from real life.  That's what vacations are all about!

Enjoy it Alyson!!!! 

(side note: NONE of these pictures with exception to the one of me, are my photos, nor are they Alyson's...they're random from the internet and neither one of us takes credit for them.--That's probably a good thing, phew)