Want to be noticed?

Able Grable has the frock for you!

The Naughty Lady, based on a *certain* femme fatale gown and showcased by Atomic Age Pictures here!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee

Happy Anniversary, Able Grable!

The Betty Amanda, the frock that started it all!

The Naughty Lady

As promised, more photos of the latest Able Grable! I was quite honored to be able to model this exquisite creation, which is part of an already amazing collection of vintage style frocks that the lovely Miss M has been designing.

The Naughty Lady is a must have for all you femme fatales out there! Imagine the heads you'll turn when you walk into a room in this hot number--you'll surely have the same impact as Ms. Rita herself. I found the dress caused quite stir during the shoot with Doug Monce of Atomic Age Pictures--we shot in the Ghost Lounge at the historic San Carlos Hotel, and I received offers of martinis once I finished shooting, tee hee.

My accessories were graciously loaned to me by Matilda's Closet, a shop you must visit if you are ever in Glendale, AZ.

xoxo,
Amanda

Every night she got all dressed up...

"...and waited. But a girl like Gilda couldn't stand not knowing the why of things, so she decided to swallow her pride and came to see me. It was wonderful."

The first glimpse of Able Grable's Naughty Lady, inspired by the iconic Gilda. Rhinestones and gloves from Matilda's Closet, photography by house photographer Doug Monce of Atomic Age Pictures. More to follow very soon!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee

How to Measure for Your Able Grable Frock

Miss Matilda had Doug Monce and I put together this little how-to for Able Grable--hope you like it!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee

Motion Pinups - A Day at the Zoo

The latest Motion Pinup, "A Day at the Zoo" takes us on a lighthearted trip around the zoo. All starts well on this bright, sunny day, but trouble awaits and soon enough the hunt is on. I hope you enjoy it!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee

Deco Doll

Doug of Atomic Age Pictures and I decided to do a little something different for our most recent shoot, and came up with a deco-inspired series on the waterfront at Tempe Town Lake. I wore two dresses from Matilda’s Closet—the first is a late 1930s black taffeta evening gown studded with rhinestones, the second a 30s-style reproduction with rhinestone trim—and had my hair done in a modern take of a 30s-style. Since it was quite chilly, I also wore my Able Grable capelet. The finished look was a fun step away from our usual favorite eras!

On another note, I’ve been terribly neglectful of my blog due to my very busy schedule of late. However, I want to remedy this, and would love to hear from you—what sorts of posts would you like to see here? what sorts of posts would you like to see here? I do have another Motion Pinup in the works, and a hair tutorial should follow soon as well—what other suggestions do you have for me?

xoxo,
Amanda Lee

Beautiful Bombers

I'm wearing Able Grable's "For the Boys" frock
with my red linen 40s platforms, a red patent purse, and red celluloid jewelry

Two Sundays ago, three Commemorative Air Force planes landed at the Deer Valley Airport--B-17 The Sentimental Journey, B-25 Maid in the Shade, and the only flying B-29, FiFi. I stopped by to check them out for a bit before heading to my cigarette girl gig later that evening. I was glad I made it to the event--there was a wonderful turnout to see these amazing bombers! I even got to meet two gentlemen who trained B-29 pilots, which was quite a treat! I also got to meet one of my blog followers, Brittany, who was a real sweetie. I have to say that I love how blogging connects us--I've really enjoyed meeting so many wonderful people both in person and online!

xoxo,

Amanda Lee

This is one of the gentlemen who trained B-29 pilots.
He told me he works at the Pima Air Museum
and to stop in and say hello the next time I visit :-)

Posing with another WWII vet--he came to the show with his daughter, who is taking the picture

Heading to Georgia For the Boys--the WWII Victory Gala

Photo by Atomic Age Pictures

I'm wearing Able Grable's "For the Boys" frock in this photo

This Saturday, I'll be attending the WWII Victory Gala, hosted by the National Infantry Museum in Columbus, GA. This black tie affair is being held in honor of the 65th anniversary of V-J Day; the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra will be playing, and yours truly will be attending as Betty Grable! I'm really looking forward to this event, and I can't wait to share all the details when I arrive back home!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee

Anywhere but here...

Some time ago I was contacted by a street artist interested in using one of my photos (taken by Atomic Age Pictures) as an inspiration for an upcoming piece. Yesterday I received photos of the finished artwork from 2:12, and to say that I am utterly amazed by this talented artist would be an understatement! His artwork is done completely with stencils and spray paint (check out this video clip to see him in action), and takes several hours to complete. Anywhere but here... is painted on a building somewhere in Houston--if any of you can identify where exactly it is (part of the fun is discovering the artwork), I'd love to find out!

Of course, I was wearing Able Grable's Miss Iris Henderson in the photo he used, and I think it looks quite fine done up in paint!

Check out the rest of 2:12's incredible artwork over at his blog!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee

The Ann Darrow Takes Flight

At the Commemorative Air Force Museum! I had a fantastic photo shoot with Doug Monce of Atomic Age Pictures--we shot five outfits in five hours, with three planes and a jeep! This series was taken in Able Grable's divine Ann Darrow frock--ain't she sweet?

xoxo,

Amanda Lee

Calendar Girl

Photo and Film by Atomic Age Pictures

Signing calendars for Only Oldies Classic Auto at the Pavilions Car Show

Wearing the Able Grable Ready Hedy

Red Dixabilly Midriff Sweater

Christel Stockings

Red Patent Betseyville Pumps

Red Cherries Necklace

1940s Red Bakelite Earrings

Gardenia and Red Fruit Hair Flower by My Sweet Corazon

Birthday Vacation

1950s Red Bandanna Print Swirl Wrap Dress

1940s Lucite 'A' Pin

1940s Red Celluloid and Rhinestone Earrings

Red Hibiscus

Rocket Originals "Esther" Wedges

For my birthday, my Sweetie took me on a little vacation to Tucson and Bisbee. We've both been in need of a little getaway, and as we love exploring our home state, we decided to head down south again!

We stayed in Tucson first, spending the night at the Hotel Congress. The rooms at the hotel have maintained their wonderful vintage feel with wrought iron bed frames, tiny but original tiled bathrooms, and no televisions. They even continue to use the original switchboard telephone system! We had dinner that night at a delightful Italian restaurant, Caruso's, that had been recommended to us by our friend Syd. Our dinner was wonderful, and we plan on eating here the next time we visit! That evening we strolled around town, did a little shopping, and enjoyed the sights and balmy weather.

Preparing to kick butt at air hockey. And by kick butt, I mean lose all the games to my Sweetie!

Able Grable Ready Hedy Dress

Red Celluloid Button Necklace

Red Bakelite Earrings

Red Linen 40s Heels

Red Hibiscus

The next day, we enjoyed breakfast at the Cup Cafe downstairs, and then wandered around town a little more. We checked out the old train station and took a few photos before heading out of town. On our way to Bisbee, we decided to take a more scenic route and ended up stopping at Kartchner Caverns. As luck would have it, we were able to make the last tour of the day--though we did have to do a little running to make it there in time! We had never been to this cave before--it's discovery was fairly recent (the late 70s), and it's remained nearly pristine and living due to careful preservation efforts. Definitely one of nature's gems!

How does this switchboard work?

1940s-50s White Barkcloth Dress with Red Ranch Brand Print

Red Cinch Belt

1940s Red Plastic and Rhinestone Earrings

1940s Red Celluloid Cowboy Hat and Gun Pin

Rocket Originals Esther Wedges

We checked into our favorite trailer at The Shady Dell, the Royal Mansion, as the sun was setting. After a bit of freshening up (damp cave weather isn't very kind to 1940s hair) headed out for another nice dinner, this time at the Copper Queen Hotel. After we ate, we strolled around the town, enjoying the cool night air and having fun people watching. Later on, we took another midnight graveyard tour--no ghosts again, though we did see a bat!

Dressed for Dinner
1940s White Barkcloth Dress with Green and Rust Palm Tree Print
Narrow Belt
1940s Tropical Brooch
1940s-50s Silver and Green Plastic Mask Earrings
1950s Wicker Purse
1940s Rust Leather and Cream Mesh Heels

Posing in front of an interesting artist's residence. It was surprisingly chilly enough for a coat!

The next morning we reluctantly started the trip back home, but not before meeting a fun-loving group of German filmmakers, who had stopped into the Shady Dell to get some shots and interviews with the wonderful park owners, Jennifer and Justin. We were included in this little jaunt, which was quite fun in a whirlwind sort of way! Of course, as this bustle was going on while we were packing up the car, we managed to leave a couple of items in the trailer's closet!

Meeting Harbie

Red Tablecloth Check Peasant Blouse Made from a 1940s Pattern

1950s Jeans

Skinny Red Belt

1950s Daisy Necklace and Earrings

Rocket Originals Esther Wedges

1940s Style Sunglasses

After a delicious breakfast in town, we started the scenic drive back to Phoenix. Along the way we decided to pop over and check out Picacho Peak in Tucson. The park was deserted and the sun was slowly setting, but we thought it would be fun to take one of the easy hikes and look for wildlife. We didn't see too much of the latter, aside from an adorable baby chipmunk and several hawks (and lots of bugs. Lots of 'em!), but the scenery was peaceful and our trail led to a nice overlook.

I call this the Sears Catalog Pose

You'll note my completely inappropriate footwear--yes, I went hiking in a pair of wedges. Now, mind you, under normal circumstances I do wear the correct foot attire for this sort of activity (much as I hate it, I don't really want to go tumbling down a mountain.) However, our little hike was very impromptu, and I managed to survive this time :-)

After that we made it home and collapsed into bed, feeling a bit like children on the last day of summer, knowing that we must return to work the next day!

Able Grable Chorus Girl

A few photos of the Miss Scarlett Street Blouse in raspberry satin, taken by Atomic Age Pictures! This is a versatile top that can be dressed up or down with ease--it's a must-have wardrobe staple!

xoxo,

Amanda Lee

1950s Black Velvet Shorts
Polka Dot Tights
1950s Black Velvet Heels
1950s black plastic and rhinestone earrings
Besame Wild Orchid Lipstick