Thursday, December 2, 2010

Dead Gorgeous

A few years ago I watched a fabulous movie on MYSTERY!, called Dead Gorgeous. Set in 1946 England, the story tells of two women who worked together during the war, lost touch with each other, and then meet by chance on the street one day. Both women are now married, and both are wishing they weren’t, though for very different reasons. The two characters are complete opposites—there’s Rose Bell, a quiet, reserved woman resigned to marriage to an oafish man who has a drinking and womanizing problem, and Antonia, a spoiled, scheming woman who married for money and now has decided she wants to trade her husband in for a younger Italian model (but she’d like to keep her hubby’s riches, naturally.) Essentially, the story is an updated version of Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train. Anyway, as I was saying, I watched this movie several years ago, found the storyline to be an entertaining one, and was taken by the fabulous wardrobe (socialite Antonia’s outfits were to-die-for.) Some time later, I came across the book this movie was based on, Peter Lovesey’s On the Edge, but for some reason never got around to reading it. I decided to pick it up this week, and boy am I glad I did—the book is even better than the movie, though the latter does stay fairly true to the former. There are some differences, mostly minor ones (like the color of Antonia’s hair; in the movie she’s a striking brunette, and in the book she’s a green-eyed blonde), but the movie mirrors the book quite well on the whole. As you can see, the costuming for the show was delicious—Antonia wears a host of extravagant suits, decadent hats, and smashing evening wear. And the book descriptions of her outfits were a treat too—doesn’t this outfit sound divine?

As promised, Antonia was by the bandstand at half past two, conspicuous in a lilac-colored coat with bishop sleeves and a matching Breton sailor hat tilted back rakishly. She was getting some long looks from the nannies walking their prams.”

So, if you’re looking for a good read or movie, be sure to check this one out!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee


Tuesday, November 30, 2010

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













Sunday, November 28, 2010

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

Thursday, November 25, 2010

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






Wednesday, November 17, 2010

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

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

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

Thursday, November 11, 2010

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