More pinup by Angela Morales!

Kali by Angela
Kali by Angela.

Being back at work is a drag, but photo shoots aren’t. Earlier this year, I shot some fresh pinup pics in Los Angeles with photographer Angela Morales – one of my favorites! – and makeup and hair guru Angel Jagger.

This set’s got a sixties vibe going, with the jet-setting, uber-modern hotel surroundings and all. And even though I’m fully covered from armpit-to-thigh with a longline bra and high-waisted girdle, this is technically a lingerie shoot. Hah.

Anyway, it was fun and I think the pictures turned out great!

Continue reading “More pinup by Angela Morales!”

Happy 58th, Disneyland! and the Barstow Family’s “Disneyland Dream”

The Barstow family in Disneyland, 1956
The Barstow family in Disneyland, 1956.

Disneyland’s 58 years old today! To celebrate, here’s the Barstow family’s 1956 D-Land adventure! One of the kids won the trip – a dream vacation to the then-one-year-old theme park – through a 3M cellophane tape contest.

The film – titled “Disneyland Dream” – is a great record of early Disneyland, but it also includes glimpses of old school Knott’s Berry farm and 1950s SoCal in general. These days, it’s hard to imagine northern O.C. covered by anything but pavement and buildings… Continue reading “Happy 58th, Disneyland! and the Barstow Family’s “Disneyland Dream””

A Planet Pinup Fourth of July!

Planet Pinup cherry hairscarf and Pinup Couture Cherry Heidi Dress
Planet Pinup cherry hairscarf and Pinup Couture Cherry Heidi Dress.

I celebrated Independence day with some great new American-made accessories by Jean Peplinski at Planet Pinup!

Her pinup-inspired fabric hairflowers, hairscarves, 1940s-style snoods, bows, fascinators, and other fashionable frills are beautiful, filled with personality, and totally original!

Continue reading “A Planet Pinup Fourth of July!”

Like us on Facebook!

Unisphere by Kali
Unisphere by Kali.

Strangegirl.com, AKA StrangeBlog, now has its own Facebook page! Please come Like us, and come hang out on the page anytime!

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Pet Society: Last Call

Hedwig at L'Opera Petulaire
Hedwig at L’Opera Petulaire. She’s good at playing the pipe organ backwards.

Social gamers already know that Electronic Arts will be shuttering several of its popular Facebook titles on June 14. The decision is controversial for a number of reasons, but my primary issue with the decision is very personal. Quite simply, I love my Pet, Hedwig, and her little kitten and unicorn petlings.
Continue reading “Pet Society: Last Call”

Must-have dresses from Pinup Girl Clothing

Black Birdie dress
Black Birdie dress.

The wide variety of vintage-inspired, retro, rockabilly, and pinup-style fashions available online is both a blessing and a curse, especially if you like to wear dresses. There are literally hundreds of options available at a variety of price points, from slinky and elegant pencil dresses in work-perfect, subdued colors to frothy tulle gowns in bright tones. It’s fun to check out all the pretty clothes, but it’s also really easy to get overwhelmed.

If you’ve never done business with an internet clothing seller, how can you be sure of fit, color, quality, and service? Will the dress that comes to your door be as beautiful as the dress you saw on the web page? And perhaps most importantly, is the sense of dresslust you sate by clicking that order button really worth the money you spend? If you’re wanting to jump into the online vintage-inspired clothing world but you’re afraid of making decisions you’ll regret, Pinup Girl Clothing is a wonderful place to start. In fact, I have six versatile, high-quality, American-made dress choices pulled from the Pinup Girl house brands to get you happily on your way in the world of retro-fabulous fashion! Continue reading “Must-have dresses from Pinup Girl Clothing”

Outfits of the Year: Pinup fun with Holly West, Deadly Dames, and new friends!

Kali by Holly West
Kali by Holly West. Makeup and Hair by Rockwell DeVil.

Most of you probably know that I’ve lost around 150 pounds over the last several years. I’ve battled with crappy body image for much of my life, and medically influenced massive weight gain in my mid-twenties certainly didn’t help. My goal has never been to get “skinny” or hit some sort of arbitrary weight goal. I’m happy just to feel comfortable with my body again, and the photo shoots in which I’ve participated this year have definitely helped with that. My most recent shoot happened this September at a custom car shop in Sacramento, with the superlative photographer Holly West. Continue reading “Outfits of the Year: Pinup fun with Holly West, Deadly Dames, and new friends!”

Presentation copy of Jane Austen’s Emma for sale…again!

Anne Sharp's Copy of Emma
Anne Sharp’s Copy of Emma, from Sotheby’s.

I was kind of avoiding this because I thought it might’ve been a bad case of necrolink, but apparently it’s true: Anne Sharp’s presentation copy of Jane Austen’s Emma is indeed for sale…again. It last sold at auction in April, 2010 for the then pounds sterling-equivalent of $271,294.

The set of three volumes is one of twelve special first edition copies – “presentation” copies as they’re called – reserved for Austen’s family, friends, and her highest-profile fan of the period, the Prince Regent (care of his royal librarian, James Stanier Clarke). Anne Sharp is often noted as the only “friend” among the bunch of recipients. Miss Sharp had served as governess to Austen’s beloved niece, Fanny Knight, and by most accounts is the logical model for the Woodhouse girls’ dear former governess, Mrs. Weston, in Emma. Continue reading “Presentation copy of Jane Austen’s Emma for sale…again!”