The other day, I went exploring around Little Tokyo with my friend Karen of Little Sweet Thing, and we stumbled into the cutest boutique, where she found herself a purse in the shape of a tea kettle! I was looking around for something special myself when I locked eyes with the sweetest little telephone bag in pink (it came in other colors, too, but I couldn't NOT get the pink one)! I knew I had to have it. I love novelty bags and dresses, so this was right up my alley. As if I couldn't be lucky enough, I found this ADORABLE 60s print dress from a local shop called Matrushka. I love one-of-a-kind pieces and supporting local designers so much! I can't wait to wear this dress out more when the weather gets warmer. It's been mighty cold here in LA!
I love what the bag says, too! So fun. "I love to hear the sound of your voice!"
Since Mad Men is coming to a close tonight (it's going to be a sob fest over here.. I already have tissues prepared), I thought it would be fun to venture out to some "Mad Men" locations yesterday with my good friend Karen of Little Sweet Thing (go buy her cupcake and macaron jewelry!) who kindly snapped these photos of me. I'm wearing my brand new Scottie Dog Dress from Unique Vintage which is on sale so grab it while it's still available!
Rod's Grill is located in a quaint little town called Arcadia, just outside of Pasadena. It's a diner that has been filmed many times, and was used for the episode "Far Away Places" in season six of Mad Men. As soon we stepped inside, we felt like we were back in time. From the bright blue booths to the 1960s chandeliers, we couldn't take our eyes off the decor, and the waitstaff were super friendly.
These are some scenes from the episode below found on I Am Not A Stalker:
Karen and I were lucky enough to sit in the same booth as Megan and Don. Sadly, they didn't have any Orange Sherbet on the menu, so we ordered eggs and bacon instead.
There was a great stone wall right outside the restaurant so we snapped some fun pictures of my outfit there, and got some strange looks. In fact, people thought we were tourists! Once we explained what we were doing, they understood, but some had never heard of Mad Men. Crazy!
After we left, we found Don and Betty's house! On the show, the door was painted red, but nothing else was really changed.
Hope you've enjoyed my tribute to Mad Men with this blog post and the one from yesterday. If you're a fan, what has been your favorite episode, and who are your favorite characters? I want to know!
I'm one of those people who gets into popular television shows reeeeaally late, and that goes for Mad Men, which I finally caught up to just a few weeks ago. I ordered Netflix one day in early April and blazed through six seasons in less than a month! I'm amazed at how long it took me to give this show a chance. I've always been such a fan of the 1960's and have paid homage to my favorite decade many times (such as when I dressed as a 60s go-go dancer at my Senior Prom in 2003) and I thought that it would be fitting to now pay homage to the best written TV show set in the 1960s - Mad Men, which airs its final episode this weekend. What better way to say goodbye than a trip to the one and only Beverly Hills Hotel aka The Pink Palace for some sunshine and a vanilla milkshake? <3 My good friend Amy of A Fashion Nerd snapped these photos, and I couldn't be more excited to share them with you now!
The Fountain Room is one of my favorite areas of the hotel. The diner is just one long counter top, with the beautiful leaf wallpaper cascading on all the walls behind it. I could imagine Roger having a cup of coffee here the morning after a rendezvous with a young lady the night before. Whenever I'm feeling like I need to feel like I've stepped back in time, this is the perfect place for that!
I just scooped up this Barbecue (!!) retro print dress (and cropped sweater) from my new favorite store Unique Vintage in Burbank. It's such a flattering dress and fits so well, and I love that the print is so, well, unique! The designer is Bernie Dexter, who makes many retro-inspired dresses that can also be found on Modcloth, another favorite of mine. The suitcase is vintage that I purchased at the Sherman Oaks Antique Mall, and my shoes are by Sam Edelman.
I brought along my favorite Elvis purse that I found on Ebay one lucky day. It's one of my favorite pieces that I own and I always get compliments on it! So fun.
The Cabana Cafe, which is located by the main pool, would've been a great place to meet Don Draper for a business lunch, only to be stood up and have Pete Campbell in his place (which, let's face it - I wouldn't mind one bit) :) In fact, I think there was an episode somewhere in there where that actually happened! Ha.
As I'm preparing to say goodbye to a show I only just got to know, I'm so grateful to have been able to do my part in paying my own respects to it. Janie Bryant, the show's wardrobe stylist, is a genius and I really think the show's success is not only partly due to the writing, but also due to her ideas and innovations. Every outfit worn, every tiny little detail painted such a picture for each character. I really feel like I know them all so well, just by seeing the subtle changes they went through during each year between 1960-1970s. My favorite character is of course, Sally Draper (she was SO gosh darn cute in the early seasons), but I also love Peggy, Pete, and Megan. And Joan. And Trudy. And Glen (the neighbor who asked Betty for her hair that one time)! And Meredith, Don's final secretary.
And I like Betty, too, as evil as she could be sometimes. Ahh, before I start crying I guess I'd better end this here. Mad Men, you were wonderful, and this truly will be the end of an era come Sunday night! <3
Hair by Marissa of Marissa Cydya (Instagram: @marissacydya)
Makeup by Laura Altamirano at Sephora in Glendale, CA (Instagram: @psychedelicsourceress)
When I was little, I was obsessed with The Brady Bunch. So much so, that I wrote letters to every cast member of the show, hoping that I would receive a letter back. To my surprise, both Ann B Davis (Alice!) and the creator of the show (Sherwood Schwartz) sent me back signed photos, and hand written notes, thanking me for taking the time to write to them. I've always been drawn to innocent, wholesome shows (like Full House, another favorite), especially those that revolve around amazing wardrobes. I'm pretty envious of all the girls' outfits on this particular show (and their hair, for that matter), and thought I would pay homage by sharing a little collage of some of my current favorite Brady Bunch-inspired clothes and home accessories that are selling on Modcloth and Bait Footwear's websites right now. Enjoy!
It's no surprise that Elvis Presley is one of my all time favorite musicians, but he's also one of my favorite actors, too. I recently went on an Elvis movie-watching binge, and was able to see 29 out of the 33 total movies he made (31 were scripted, two were concert performance documentaries). Though most of his films are considered to be pretty awful (formulaic with bad scripts, cheap sets and throw away music), I really enjoy most of them. They're quirky, fun, and the music is still great (because it's Elvis, and he can do no wrong in my eyes). I would say the ones that are definitely not worth running out to see are Clambake (except for the bizarre scene in which he sings to children in a schoolyard), Paradise Hawaiian Style, and Harum Scarum. He was obligated to act in at least three movies a year, giving him almost no time to tour which was something he was really loved to do, and hadn't done since before going into the army. Here's a list of my top Elvis picks to see.
1. Live A Little, Love A Little (1968), Directed by Norman Taurog
Elvis played a photographer, who was lured into living with a crazy, bohemian woman and her dog. Elvis was in top form when he filmed this, partly because he was preparing for the 1968 Comeback Special (basically the best live show he ever was a part of. Also... leather suit. Enough said.) He had energy, looked excited to be part of it, and his acting/comedy were genius. I also love the psychedelic scene where he sang "Edge of Reality" (which involved him falling down a rabbit hole and a talking dog), as well as the party scene where he sang "A Little Less Conversation" (be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the goofiest red headed guy, dancing in the background). I can't get enough of this movie. I'll admit I've probably seen it 20 times, and it never gets old. To me, it's unlike any of his other movies because in this one, the story actually had a plot, the characters were dynamic, the music was great, and Elvis was at his best. It was one of the more "adult" films that he worked on, and I totally love that about it. As fun as it is to watch all the silly, vacant Elvis films, it's nice to see him in something he could really sink his teeth into. You can tell from watching that he took this role very seriously, and I can safely say it's my favorite Elvis movie.
2. Viva Las Vegas(1964), Directed by George Sidney
This is basically the quintessential musical comedy that Elvis starred in. It's a film that most people have heard of, and was the most successful at the box office. But there's definitely a reason for it. At this time, Elvis was 29, and was in the midst of those silly, poorly written films, and though this storyline wasn't the strongest of the bunch, it packed the most punch because of his co-star, Ann Margret, who was considered to be the female Elvis of that time. She had the ultimate sex appeal, was wild and crazy, and had incredible charisma. Together, they had sizzling chemistry that you could see and feel when watching them together. Elvis played a race car driver (which was a profession he was to play in many of his films) who fell in love with a swim instructor at the local hotel he was working at part time. I particularly love the song Ann Margret sang, "My Rival" in which she prepared sandwiches while singing and dancing around the kitchen. It's an incredible piece of cinema that sadly did not get the credit it deserved. My favorite dance number would have to be the one below for "C'mon Everybody". You can't help but snap your fingers and wiggle around like Ann did here. I mean, the lady was crazy for Elvis, and who could blame her? (On a side note, my best friend's father who is a dance choreographer was a dancer in this film, which makes it even more exciting for me especially since we've been best friends since we were six and the lightbulb on this only JUST went off recently). The one thing I don't understand, though, is the bizarre ending, which if you don't know what I'm talking about, you'll have to see for yourself.
3. Blue Hawaii (1961), Directed by Norman Taurog
Elvis, beautiful shots of Hawaii AND Angela Lansbury playing his mom? Genius. It's the perfect setting for an Elvis film. He played a tour guide in this one, and there were many great songs/dance numbers. It's kind of the perfect Elvis film, and I don't know what to say about it other than that. Also, he wore short shorts. My favorite musical number was when Elvis landed in jail. It really reminds me of what Johnny Depp's character did in "Cry Baby" when he was in jail singing his parts for "Please Mr Jailer". In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if John Waters borrowed from Blue Hawaii. It's a great scene, where Elvis is acting pretty simply, and with a great song to go along with it.
4. Tickle Me (1965), Directed by Norman Taurog
Good god. This movie. Well, in a nutshell, it's one of Elvis' campiest movies to date. In it, Elvis played a rodeo rider, who ended up in a small town, and took a job at a spa for women (actresses, models and the like), who were paying to stay there to lose weight. It's a really bizarre concept, and totally ridiculous, but SO fun. Elvis sang to a bunch of women in cool 1960's bikinis, and even ended up in a haunted house in an old western town. I really love it for its stupidity. It's sort of a mockery of the type of movies he did where girls were falling all over him. In this, the "falling all over" thing is to the extreme. He definitely looked like he was having fun, and didn't care that the script was so dumb (well, he probably did, but you can't tell). It did actually have somewhat of a plot, the wardrobe was pretty great (and the songs weren't half bad, either). My favorite scenes were when Elvis was inside the haunted house (or more like, haunted, abandoned motel) because the set is so fun, and Elvis was just being so cool and relaxed throughout the whole thing. Love this one to pieces.
5. Double Trouble (1967), Directed by Norman Taurog
I'll admit it. This is easily one of the stupidest Elvis movies ever made. It is TRULY a bad film. But I think that's why it's so great. The girl who played his co-star had never been in a film before, and I think she was actually pretty charming for having zero experience. But they had little chemistry, and the songs were really trivial. This film did actually have a plot, and it is a rather fun one, at that, because you get to see some action (multuple people following him across Europe to either capture the girl or to steal money from his suitcase). I just think it's a fun ride and there's no reason not to like it if you're prepared to watch something that is pretty horrendous (if you are a big film snob who can't stand campy musical comedies - this is not for you). In this film, Elvis played a touring musician who was dating an underage girl (who had been lying about her age). She traveled with him around Europe as he swore he was going to bring her to her aunt in Sweden because he couldn't be with a girl so young (which is funny, because in real life, Elvis had a thing for young girls). But you know.. he obviously fell for her in the end. Oh and the scene in Antwerp when they were at the carnival.. pretty surreal (and the masks were cool). Oh! And my best friend's dad (who I mentioned earlier into this blog post), made an appearance dancing near Elvis once again (wearing a Pinocchio-like costume). I really shouldn't be showing this scene as an example of why this movie is so bad it's good, but in a way, I can't NOT show this. With an oink oink here, oink oink there...
Honorable Mentions:
Spinout (Shelley Fabares co-starred in this one as well, and it almost made the list):
Girl Happy (Another fun-loving, easy-breezy Elvis musical co-starring Shelley Fabares):
Change of Habit (co-starring Mary Tyler Moore! His last feature film and most serious role to date as he played a doctor in the ghetto):
I think I'm going to start incorporating some of my favorite films into blog posts! I have been on a huge Beatles kick lately. They are my all-time favorite band and I have been watching their films like crazy since I was in high school, so I figured I might as well talk about them a little here! For those who haven't seen their sophomore movie, get to it. It's definitely not groundbreaking and the plot is very silly, but.. it's The Beatles! All of their musical scenes are magical, the house they live in is totally amazing. I mean, John's bed is under the floor and it's filled with books! Paul has a white organ that raises from the floor, George has his own lawn (and personal lawnmower) and Ringo has his own soda machines, one filled with actual oranges. This movie is full of fun, great music, and it makes me so happy to watch every time.
I believe you can watch the whole film on this youtube clip above. I hope it stays up forever!
