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"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing...kissing a lot. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls."
Audrey Hepburn


Friday, June 28, 2013

Sponsor Salute-June 2013

This is a 'summertime' salute, featuring some of the items available from my lovely sponsors that truly speak to the warmer months.
Starting with:

Belle Blossoms:


For'June Brides', you can't go wrong with these simple birdcage veils that set themselves apart by being the only ones I know of that feature 'Grip Tuth' side combs! The security of these combs is legendary and has been for over half a century. They simply CAN'T slip. Add a few blossoms or a feather fascinator to truly personalize the headpiece!

Vintage Hair:


For authentic hair styles, pin curls are your best friend. And nothing creates a sculptured pin curl as well as the pin curling tool at Vintage Hair. For me, its the tricky bits at the back of the head that make this tool so handy. I feel it's a great investment for anyone who is just starting out or those of us who are too lazy to apply perfection to every set.

Heartbreaker Fashion:


Ahoy! Natutical pieces are some of my favorite things for summer and they're absolutely ageless! So make sure to shop the 'sailor' link at Heartbreaker and choose your favorite before they're gone. After all, summer holidays and sailor fashions go together like cold beer and barbequed ribs!

Kelly Grace Art:
Summer says nostalgia to many of us, and speaking of which, Kelly Grace has a lovely must-see line of art pieces that celebrate Fisher Price toys of the past. I love her style, as all of you know, and this series really speaks to me. Inquire on facebook for pricing and availability:



Heyday!


Nothing says summertime like a vintage wrap dress and no one does one better than Heyday! The outfit I featured on my channel this month was a big hit and the Fleur Dress is bound to be popular as well. Boasting authentic 1940's detailing and in a variety of fabrics (like this adorable 'faux two piece' option), ease and comfort has never been so sassy!

Queen of Heartz:


Most of you know Queen of Heartz for their elegant dresses, but how utterly adorable is this precious pair of Coverall Shorts?! Shorts these days tend to cater to the younger crowd, but ladies of any age can flaunt their legs this summer in some conservatively cut shorts and a pair of espadrilles!

Thanks again to all of my sponsors for their support!!
xoxo
Ashley





Monday, June 24, 2013

Amanda-A Whirling Turban Testimonial

Last year, I started what was to be a series of features on my blog, of ladies who had a lovely experience purchasing their wedding dress online from Whirling Turban-a company with which I am actively affiliated. The feature fell by the way-side for a while but I'm happy to finally resurrect it and share this lovely testimonial with you. Thanks Amanda, for contributing your gorgeous photos and romantic story!

________________________________________

As shared by Amanda Willis Page:

My husband John and I met at work. We are both government contract attorneys and work for the Air Force. John is an active duty member and I am a civilian. We had been working in the same office for a year and a half, but we'd been dating other people and never really considered each other romantically. Then he was sent to Afghanistan and we started emailing one another every day to keep in touch, getting to know each other in the process. I sent him care packages with toys, books, and homemade treats. His officemates overseas called me 'Banana Bread Girl', since I sent so much of it. After he returned, seven months later, we realized we wanted to be together and began 'officially' dating.


The Proposal:
On New Year's Eve, we were dancing to Auld Lang Syne amid a sea of celebratory balloons that flooded the floor. That is where John proposed. It was three months to the day since our first date.

Our Wedding Plans:
We wanted our wedding to be very classic. I found a montage of red and white wedding pictures that inspired me and we decided that with John's military involvement, our love of classic Americana, and the fact that our wedding was over Memorial Day Weekend, a patriotic color palette was a natural choice.

So navy was the base, with red and white accents. John's military dress uniform would be his wedding attire and the attendance wore navy as well. My sister and I were going to wear red shoes and red accessories with red roses as our principal flower choice. I planned to walk down the aisle to 'Moon River' and the wedding would take place in the morning, with an afternoon reception and brunch cuisine. So now, I just needed a dress.


The Dress:

I tend to incorporate a lot of vintage and reproduction items into my every day wardrobe and I pin curl my hair regularly, so a dress that was authentic to the past was important to me. I knew about Whirling Turban since 2008, when it was just a store on Ebay. I had no idea, however, that they made wedding dresses until I saw one featured on a Lisa Freemont Street video. I knew that was what I wanted and I knew they took great care to get you the best fit for your dress. But I will admit I was worried,not about ordering my dress online, but about my timeline, which was shorter than most brides'. The staff, however, was more than happy to work with my schedule and help me stay on track. They have a special 'messaging system' they use to communicate, where all of my information is kept up to date and private. My personal customer page. Their responses were prompt and samples were sent of my fabric options in a timely manner. In the end, I decided on the wing bust dress with a full 1950's style skirt.

They provided a very thorough guide on how to take all of my measurements, with instructions and photos. After my measurements were provided, I also provided photos in the undergarments they recommended for the dress and this became my personal dossier for their files and any future dresses I may care to order. After measurements, they sent me a sample loaner bodice for fitting purposes. I also provided photos of myself in the test bodice and Katherine, the designer, was informed of any concerns I had about the fit.



When my dress finally arrived, it fit like a glove. It actually exceeded my expectations and was exactly what I wanted! I couldn't have envisioned anything more perfect for my wedding and I got numerous compliments on my dress. Everyone thought it was so unique and interesting!!

I would recommend Whirling Turban to any bride and am eagerly awaiting the next special occasion that will provide an excuse for me to order another dress!

______________________________
Thanks again Amanda for all your great input and for including Whirling Turban in your special day! You do us proud!!

xoxo
Ashley



Monday, June 17, 2013

The Week in Freemont Street


This week on Lisa Freemont Street, the 1940's were king.

Tuesday's tutorial was in response to several requests I received to resurrect a series I started in 2010, for High Humidity hairstyles. Here in Memphis, humidity and heat can be mercilessly equal during the hottest part of the summer, making the weather very difficult to endure. So having a few structured hairstyles in your repertoire can be a life-saver on those days that even your pin curls won't work out.

A snood is a great option for high humidity environments and this style is a simple, wearable 1940's look that is flattering and practical. The snoods I used this week are courtesy of Bombshell Beth snoods, and are handmade in a variety of colors and densities. I love that the one I used has beading, so it will also work beautifully for evening, especially when paired with victory rolls:



In keeping with the 1940s theme, we also paid a visit to Heyday! Vintage Fashion. Shona's designs are so authentic to the eras from which she takes inspiration, and they're so flattering as well!


Finally, I did a product review for Wen Haircare, that conditioning shampoo treatment you see on all the infomercials. Since so many people seem to have a love/hate relationship with Chaz Dean, the product's creator, I chose to review the product with as unbiased an eye (and head) as possible. I guess you'll see my opinion when you click on the video below:


The week had actually opened with a belated Drugstore Dubstep, shot from my car, for Maybellines Dark circle Eraser and I hope to bang out a few more of these in the near future as well.


Thanks again for your continued views and support. Next week, I am hoping to create something a bit more modern and edgy as well as my first makeup tutorial with the new set up. I also plan a couple of product reviews, as usual.

xxoo,
Ashley


Monday, June 10, 2013

You're Not Vintage!



I keep seeing this statement on youtube, in the comments of vintage-loving gals who are sweet enough to post a little video outfit of the day or beauty tip for fellow retro enthusiasts. It's a pet peeve of mine and I'll tell you why:

For one thing, a simple click on the user name behind most of these comments will tell you all you need to know about them. Most of the girls who troll the vintage girls on Youtube are under 18 and have a very skewed notion of what is 'vintage'. They feel that it is either a: a badge of honor worn only by girls lucky enough to have an entirely authentic vintage wardrobe (and that this term applies only to pieces prior to 1960) or b: is somehow associated with Adele and Katy Perry, stars who are continually labeled as having a 'vintage' aesthetic by the media. Some of them have the idea that 'rockabilly' automatically means 'vintage' as well, which just baffles me. Rockabilly is a style of music...if someone calls themselves 'rockabilly', I seriously hope they are also fans of the music, whether they dress in retro styles or not. But that's beside the point; telling someone 'You're not vintage' (or most commonly among the uneducated troll-kingdom: 'Your not vintage') is not only based on ignorance but also preconceptions that are born of societies where labels are a means of gaining acceptance among our peers. It's sad, really.

Here are my thoughts about what constitutes 'vintage', some of which you've already seen me mention in videos: 'Vintage' is a broad term and is entirely subjective. Just like what someone deems to be 'Rock n Roll' will vary from one person to the next, what is 'vintage' in one person's eyes will be 'so not vintage' to someone else. Yes there are technical and official definitions of both terms but what they specifically means to someone is based on their own interests and desires. Telling someone that they're 'not vintage' is like saying 'that ain't rock n roll'. For every accusation, there will be hundreds of supporters willing to fight for what they feel deserves the label.

Which is why labels are such a ridiculous presence in pop culture. What possible good do they serve? Other than as a tag to help group together posts on social media networking, perhaps...I see no use for them. If you label YOURSELF, fine...knock yourself out. But don't impose your ideas on others as though somehow your adolescent word is law.

For those of you who frequent my blog, youtube, facebook or Instagram: Hopefully you know by now that I don't support labels or tolerate catty opinions from those who do. If I see a darling girl who wears J Crew dresses and a flower in her hair being bashed for using the term 'vintage' to describe her style, I'm likely to make a snarky comment in her defense. After all, who are YOU to tell that sweet girl what qualifies as vintage? If we were to rely on the media to label things for us, the following pictures all came up under a Google search of the word:


I actually think all of the above photos are representations of a thoroughly modern aesthetic. But it's also obvious to me that they're inspired by the past, as most fashion is, and therefore it doesn't bother me a bit that they're searchable under the word 'vintage'.

Now, if the above photos were listed as 'authentic 1940's or 1950's', I might have a problem...but they're not. And if they were...well that's a rant for another time.

Til then, please be nice to each other and let people call themselves and their style whatever they want to. It's not going to hurt you to simply stay silent.

Ashley