A Very NudeeDudee Special

A couple of weeks ago Kim of the fabulous NudeeDudee asked if I would be interested in modeling some of her ready-to-wear pieces and offering my readers a discount code. Of course I jumped at the chance, not just because her designs are simply amazing, but to give my lovely followers a treat!

She sent me her 1930s tie-sleeve blouse in the lily of the valley print, and one of her 1930s sailor striped tops. I have to say that I absolutely adore both; they are very well made, with attention given to every possible detail—but then again I’ve come to expect nothing less from NudeeDudee!

The petal sleeve blouse can be dressed up or down, and is available in a number of very vintage prints. The style is incredibly flattering, with a very unique sleeve design. It perfectly complements her pinafore skirt--I recently picked one up in sage green, and it’s quickly become a favorite of mine. Let me tell you, a blouse and pinafore combo is a real headturner—one that gents seem to especially like—and a definite must-have in every vintage-lovin’ girl's wardrobe!

Her striped tops are made from a super soft recycled cotton knit, and are available in both green and white and blue and white color combos. I loved the boat neckline and the puffed/pleated sleeves; this is the perfect vintage causal top!

Matt Carson photographed these outfits for me—I accessorized the Sailor top with a cream rayon forties skirt, red linen heels from Matilda’s Closet, and a snood from Arthelia’s Attic. And I’m wearing my new plum suede 40s platforms with the lily of the valley and pinafore set—aren’t they a treat?

Make sure you stop by the NudeeDudee shop to check out the wonderful styles! Call of the Jitterbugdoll followers can save 15% off the sale price of these ready to wear looks--just enter the code 15PERCENTOFF at checkout. And don't forget, these are limited editions, so grab 'em while you can!

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

Red Tails

Last Saturday we attended a CAF tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen. The CAF museum put on a fantastic event honoring the Airmen from Arizona, and the tribute included a showing on Lucasfilm's Double Victory. While at the show, we were approached by the owner of a movie theater in Surprise, who invited us to appear at a special screening of Red Tails on opening day. We were delighted to do so, of course! The real guests of the evening were three original Airmen and their families, along with two men who had flown bombing missions escorted by the Tuskegee Airmen. What an honor it was to shake each one's hand and thank them for all they had done. They are truly wonderful men and I am glad they are finally getting the recognition they deserve.

Here are photos from both events, taken by Ken Squiers and Atomic Age Pictures. I wore NudeeDudee's Lily of the Valley blouse and sage green pinafore skirt to the museum (stay tuned for a special post spotlighting NudeeDudee and a special discount code!) and a blue linen 40s dress trimmed in white beaded fringe from Matilda's Closet to the screening (paired with red linen shoes and a beaded purse, also from Matilda's.) I styled my friends in two 40s frocks from my collection--red gabardine with navy accessories and cream rayon with red accessories, also from Matilda's.

xoxo,
Amanda

Mood Indigo

I took a mini-vacation over the holidays, and I confess that I’ve been struggling somewhat to get back into the swing of things again! I feel I’ve taken enough of a break now, and I’ll be regularly posting from here on out.

We’ll start the New Year off right with a post featuring the wonderful Blue Velvet Vintage! I’ve been doing a bit of modeling work for BVV, and would like to showcase the most recent ensemble that I received from her. This stunning, 30-style midnight blue satin gown was a treat to wear; the design is curve-hugging and very flattering with its bust-to-hip ruched design. Heavily trimmed in rhinestones, it is as jaw dropping from the front as it is from behind—check out the dramatic back! Pair this gown with a fashionably warm faux fur bolero, long gloves, and rhinestone jewelry, and you have the perfect Old Hollywood look.

You’ll note my blonde hair—though these photos were taken before I took the red plunge, I’ve since washed out the red tint that I tried out over my vacation. I thought I’d give you a mini update of the process—I used Roux Fanciful in Lucky Copper, applying the liquid first. The trick is to apply this section by section, blow drying your hair in between applications. It certainly helps to have a friend assist you with this process to be sure every section is covered completely! To keep the color fresh and to touch up the root area, I used the Fanciful mousse in the evenings before setting my hair. I was very pleased with the overall look, and when I finally washed my hair, the color came out fairly easily—I’d say 90-95 percent. There are some lingering, faint pink streaks in my hair after two washes, but I like the effect and imagine that these will disappear completely in another couple of washes. The only complaint I have about this product is that it is messy—it is water soluble, so you have to be careful not to get it wet, and when you brush your hair, red “dust” ends up everywhere. I also noticed that it transferred slightly onto clothing, but the marks it left came out easily with water. Anyway, it was a fantastic, no-commitment way to check out a new color! Though I don’t plan on permanently changing my blonde hair anytime soon, I would definitely use this product again for a fun change again in the future!

xoxo,
Amanda Lee