Get Noticed in a Novelty Print--Jitterbuggin's Rockaway

When I first saw the Rockaway bathing suit, I was positively delighted with the whimsical lobster print. In fact, I am hard-pressed to think of a more fun novelty print for a swimsuit. So of course, I was beyond thrilled when Kim asked me to model this outfit!

As always, Kim's vintage styling is spot on. The Rockaway is a 1940s-style, two-piece bathing suit, with a gathered top that features straps that criss cross and button (with two buttonhole options, so you can adjust the fit). The bottoms are sailor-style, and Kim selected the perfect red buttons for accent. You can mix and match the sizes for the top and bottoms as well, a very smart feature and a definite sign of quality!

In regards to sizing, I would recommend going up a size if you have fuller hips and a smaller waist. The cotton fabric doesn't have much give, so you will want to select the size that corresponds to your hip measurement (and possibly take in the waist or move the buttons slightly, as needed.) I modeled the size 30 bottoms, which fit my hips/rear well but were loose in the waist. A size smaller fit my waist perfectly, but were a bit too snug through the hips and rear.

As you can see from the "In Style" video, I found Jitterbuggin's Rockaway bathing suit to be a very versatile number! The setting for these photos, taken by Atomic Age Pictures, is Saguaro Lake—its sandy shores being a more "natural" habitat for a bathing suit.

I suspect this little number will be flying of the racks, so I'd snap (lobster pun unintended) one up straight away!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee

Just Right for Every Occasion--The Rockaway Bathing Suit by Jitterbuggin

Jitterbuggin's Rockaway bathing suit is definitely a must-have for summer--the wonderfully kitschy lobster print, so reminiscent of a 1940s Catalina bathing suit, is a design that can go anywhere!  Here Doug Monce of Atomic Age Pictures and I show you just how perfect for any occasion this bathing suit is!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee

Polka Dots and Sunbeams

When I saw how much time had passed since my last entry, I was quite surprised! Where does the time go, and how does it fly so fast?

Today I have a bit of a sneak preview of my latest collaboration with The Black Pinafore. I thought you might like a glimpse of the fabulous polka dot and floral fabric that is so perfect for cheerful and sun-drenched weather! These photos were taken by Matt Carson; I'll be posting additional photos from Atomic Age Pictures, along with a full description and review, very soon!

Till then!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee

 

Goldenrod Summer Style

The second dress from The Black Pinafore is made out of a lovely goldenrod yellow cotton decorated with soft white and brown blooms. Debora used the same Du Barry pattern as the "Victory" dress, and paired this print with a brown button and matching carved belt buckle. I accessorized with 1940s butterscotch bakelite hoop earrings, a 1940s mah jong bracelet, 1940s brown leather and cream mesh shoes, and the white wrap from Arthelia's Attic.

The photos were taken by Doug Monce of Atomic Age Pictures at McCormick-Stillman Park.

xoxo,

Amanda

Looking Shipshape with NudeeDudee and Arthelia's Attic

Kim of NudeeDudee sent me another of her charming 1940s sundresses to model, and this one is a summery dream! Crisp seersucker printed with kelly green and white stripes and blue, pink, and white anchors and sailboats--it doesn't get any better than that!

As usual, the quality and Kim's attention to detail is impeccable; NudeeDudee creations are simply a delight to wear! This particular print is going fast, but there is a blue and white colorway available, as well as several other prints in her shop.

I also had the chance to model the latest design from Arthelia's Attic, a 1940s crocheted hair wrap. This is a must-have item, ladies--just like her snoods, it is the perfect forties accessory!  Just the thing for days when your hair or the weather won't cooperate--or when you simply want to look WWII fabulous! The design is incredibly smart too; rather than tying the ends into a bow, you feed one end through a loop on the side. This makes for a perfect bow every time--just like a snood, wearing this scarf is a snap. It's such an effortlessly glamourous look--check out the photo of Carole Landis, Martha Tilton, and June Bruner looking stylish in wraps on a USO tour in the sweltering Pacific.

Photo from The Carole Landis Project

These photos are by the amazingly-talented Doug Monce of Atomic Age Pictures--stay tuned for another post featuring another talented designer!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee

How time flies!

Photo by Matt Carson Has it really been that long? Oh my, I've been a naughty blogger! I do have a good excuse though, at least for part of my absence—I spent the last half of October touring Belgium and Holland playing bass with my Sweetie's band! And on our return trip, we ended up waylaid in Washington DC by the hurricane for most of last week. But now I am back, and ready for blogging! I'm working on a post about our travels right now, but for today, I thought I would post a product review. Sometime ago I read a number of interesting posts about using flaxseed  setting lotion (LandGirl1980 has a wonderfully informative article for making the homemade version here.) It sounded very intriguing and I thought I would test it out for myself. And indeed, I loved the results it gave me—consistently soft, frizz-free, and well-defined curls that lasted forever—better than any other product I've ever tried, in fact.   However, though the homemade version is very simple and inexpensive to make, it is somewhat of a messy process. I did a bit of research and found an Etsy seller, Botticelli Botanicals, offering a Flax Gelee that sounded very similar to the homemade setting lotion. It wasn't too expensive and was made with minimal and natural ingredients--and it was customizable as well. I decided to order a bottle of her basic "foolproof" formula to test it out, and I've been very pleased with the results! I've actually used up the whole bottle (it lasted me about four months with daily use) and reordered—which really says something about how wonderful flaxseed setting lotion is! Just like the homemade version, Botticelli Botanical's Flax Gelee does wonders for my hair. I comb a fairly generous amount (the size of a half dollar or slightly more) through damp or dry hair before setting it on foam stick rollers. Once dry, I remove the rollers and brush out the curls. My hair is completely frizz and static free, and the curls are soft, defined, and very long lasting. I decided to try out one of the add-ins for my second bottle, and had agave added to the mix—according to the seller, this adds extra hold. I'm quite pleased with this addition, and do find it offers an even longer-lasting curl then the basic formula (which was already pretty darn awesome.) I will add that when I initially take the rollers out, my hair is a bit stiff/crunchy—but a quick brushing solves that! Botticelli Botanicals offers a number of scents to choose from as well, which is nice bonus So, if you've been looking for a new setting lotion, or been wanting to try out the flaxseed lotion yourself, I highly recommend this one! xoxo, Amanda Lee

Having a Nautical Time at Rockabilly Rules III

Yesterday was the third annual Rockabilly Rules, a benefit event that supports the Pinup Angels. This group puts together care packages for military serving overseas, and all proceeds from the event go towards the care packages. This year had a great turnout of guests who came out to see the best of the local rockabilly bands (who all donate their time), along with burlesque dancers and plenty of awesome vendors. The 5&Diner was there to serve up awesome food and milkshakes (all while braving the scorching heat), and there was even a retro barber shop set up.

My outfit was created by Vee Vin Tage; for the first Rockabilly Rules, she made me a cheesecake version of a Marine uniform. This year, I decided to join the Navy! My two-piece outfit was made from navy blue gabardine, and I accessorized it with a vintage Navy hat (from Matilda's Closet, I believe this one dates to the 40s), 1940s leather platforms, a 1940s anchor pin, and rhinestone-studded red earrings.

These photos were taken by 60's Model Photography--we ventured out into the blazing sun to snap a few pics. I'm quite pleased with how they turned out!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee

Makeup Mondays--Triple Roll Delight

Today's Makeup Monday post is all about victory rolls! In this video created by Atomic Age Pictures I demonstrate how I create my favorite triple rolled style, which I like to call the "Triple Roll Delight". I hope you enjoy it!

The snood is from Arthelia's Attic, the hair clips are from Lila Jo and Andy's Eye Candy (Andy also made the fabulous fruit clips), and the retro boudoir is inside of Matilda's Vintage Closet. Next up Doug Monce and I will be working on a how-to for the Betty Grable Peek-a-boo 'Do!

xoxo,
Amanda

Makeup Mon—er—Tuesdays: My Basic Setting Tutorial

I’ve been promising to work on several hair tutorials for awhile now, and Doug Monce and I finally got around to filming a couple! My intention was to post this yesterday, which is supposed to be Makeup Monday day--oops! Oh well, better late than never!

At any rate, this video shows the basic set I use. I’ll be following up with a triple roll tutorial shortly, so stay tuned! I do hope you enjoy these videos and that you find them useful!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee

Dillinger Days Adventure

Last weekend was jam-packed; following the Red Tails screening and an appearance at Barrett Jackson on Friday, my Sweetie and I headed to Tucson for Dillinger Days on Saturday. Our good friends invited us to meet them at the Congress Hotel for the festivities—we arrived around noon and enjoyed the nice turnout of vintage cars, which, along with the period music and backdrop of the historic Congress Hotel and train station, lent a lovely atmosphere to the event. Our outfits were a smashing success—I wore a late 1930s gold and black rayon/linen dress accented with looping rickrack trim, paired with 40s platforms and a deco handbag, and my friends wore a 1940s rust print dress and a cream 40s dress with coordinating accessories—and we were immediately asked to pose for pictures by other attendees and car owners.

After a bit, we decided to go on a vintage shopping excursion at our two favorite Tucson shops, Razzle Dazzle and How Sweet It Was. Both shops are treasure troves of well-priced clothing; I always find a few goodies every time we go! This trip was no exception, and I came back with a lovely gold gabardine 40s suit, a pair of burgundy suede 40s platforms, and a couple of pairs of celluloid earrings in colors that were lacking in my collection (pictures to follow soon). My friends came away with a spectacular hooded jacket and matching gold set in black velvet with a red satin lining, a sweet yellow floral cotton 50s dress and matching bolero jacket, and various odds and ends, including a 50s girdle that had been used in a Playboy photo shoot.
Afterwards, we took our friends to our favorite Italian restaurant in Tucson, Caruso’s, which has been there since the 1930s and serves up the most delicious and inexpensive food. After our meal, we wandered around a bit and then headed back to Phoenix, just in time to catch the last few acts at a Pedal Steel convention.

Luckily, on Sunday we got to sleep in and spend the day relaxing!

xoxo,
Amanda

Weekend in Havana

I recently had the opportunity to model some hair accessories made by Andy's Eye Candy. Andy makes some of the prettiest hair flowers out there, which made it very hard to choose which ones I wanted to wear! I decided to go with a set of her fruit clips, as I didn't have anything quite like them in my arsenal of hair flowers. She sent three different clips--one made with a banana, papaya, and apple; one with an orange, starfruit, and peach; and one delightfully over-the-top pineapple! These clips are large, colorful, and fun, and I think they make for a refreshing twist on what to wear with your Hawaiian outfits. For the shoot I did with Atomic Age Pictures, I decided that the only way to go was to put together a Carmen Miranda-esque outfit, so I paired a vintage yellow and white polka dot tie top with rumba sleeves (from Matilda's Vintage Closet), a brightly colored cotton plaid sarong (from a vendor at VLV last year), and grass green Remix platforms trimmed in 1940s fruit shoe clips (an eBay find). A matching fruit brooch (from a local antique shop) and a bevy of Bakelite bangles (the carved butterscotch bracelet was a gift from my dear friend Annie--it belonged to Lana Turner) finished off the look; add in a banana tree and an orange grove and your have yourself a "Weekend in Havana"!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee