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

Vulture Mine Photo Shoot

Last Saturday, Matt Carson and I decided to take a trip up to Vulture Mine for a shoot. We had been once before about a year ago, and found the place to be a fantastic setting, with wonderful old buildings that though slowly decaying, made for wonderful backdrops. The faded walls popped brightly on film, and the history of the place is quite interesting. This trip, we were disappointed to find that a number of our favorite buildings were now roped off, as they had been deemed unsafe to enter. It's true that you enter them at your own risk, as they are indeed disintegrating, but it was odd that other spots, where half the building had collapsed, were still accessible. At any rate, we found a new building that we hadn't seen before, and it proved to be an excellent shooting location. Anyway, here are the results of our adventure!

xoxo,

Amanda Lee

Jazz in AZ Big Fall Swing Dance

On Sunday, Jazz in AZ hosted a big band dance at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort. The stellar nine-piece band, conducted by Auggie Mendoza, featured the group MayneSwing (a trio of sisters who sing in the style of the Andrews Sisters) along with Sinatra-style vocalist Vito Mayne (yep, he's the brother of the MayneSwing sisters--there's plenty of talent in this family). It turned out that photographer Doug Monce's brother, Denny, was one of the trumpet players in the band--now there's another family that is bursting with talent! I sold raffle tickets for the Big Apple Raffle (the winner will receive a trip for two to New York, including an evening at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola--doesn't that sound like fun?), and wore a fabulous original 40s cigarette girl outfit provided by Matilda's Closet. The hat was made for me by the lovely and talented Jennifer of The Pin Curl Diaries, and I also wore my favorite black velvet pumps. All in all, it was a fun evening that I enjoyed being a part of!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee

Latest Finds--Polka Dot Platforms

Okay, I am supposed to be saving right now, but when I came across these marvelous 40s platforms I just had to bid! I mean, I really did need a pair of white shoes to replace my current pair (which I adore but are too delicate to wear except for photo shoots these days), and it really is hard to find white platforms in a size 7.5. Especially ones with ankle straps and cute polka dot cutouts! So, I think I was justified in snagging these, don’t you think? ;-)

I'd love to hear about your latest finds--what has found its way into your closet recently?

xoxo,

Amanda Lee

OOTD

I have't posted an OOTD photo in ages, so I made sure to take one today! This is a typical look for me when the weather cools off--sweater and skirt combos are classic and easy to put together in a rush :-)

1950s pale pink cashmere sweater with button-trimmed collar
1950s black wool skirt
Narrow patent belt
Black patent 40s-style heels
Lucite 'A' brooch
Pink and yellow floral reverse carved lucite earrings

Making Room in My Closet

I've been cleaning out my closet again, and have started listing some of my collection on eBay. Right now I have a fab 40s western dress, a deco 40s dress and jacket combo, and a couple of pairs of platforms up--check 'em out and maybe you'll see something that needs to be in your closet!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee