Monday, August 16, 2010

Lack of posts

Sorry for the big old gap between posts. I have had a crappy week(that included a small car accident while on a date, being given a hickey the size of Texas(ew, but if you would like to see it i will totally upload pictures, this thing really was huge) and then getting a "let's just be friends" email all within 24 hours then throw in a lack of emotional support for my first real time being rejected by a guy sent me spiraling into a dark abyss that has been my life.) So Im in Western Mass now. and I never want to leave again. I like my comfort zone and I dont want to go back to the north shore for along time. Sadly I start school in like two weeks so I have to go back.

But Milltown was great and I got to help do hair on Roy Varga's shoot that Sunday. I also got to have him and Viva Van Story give me some feedback on my photos. I got exactly what I figured I would from Roy. I need to fix my lighting.

Oh by the way, it's totally my birthday. Still a baby though, only turned 19

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Return to the Milltown!

As the weekend slowly approaches the highlight of my summer draws nearer. The Return to the Milltown show is the best show in Massachusetts if not all of New England. It's Friday and Saturday this weekend and I can hardly wait. Beck and I talk about this show year round. Lance and Grace(pictured below, Photo by Roy Varga) are some of the greatest people and the best show promoters out there!
This weekend has 18 kick ass bands from all different areas of the rockin' spectrum! They really put a great lineup together! I know it'a gonna be a great time seeing a whole lot of great bands, great people and some kick ass cars to-boot! Last year on Saturday the show filled to capacity and there were over 800 cars(or at least that's what I've heard all I know is that the huge field was full of great pre'67 cars)

So if you're around this weekend and live within a couple hours of Palmer Mass(my home town) you should make the trek to the Return to Milltown at Crossroads on Park ST in Palmer MA!

If i remember to bring my camera I will do a Milltown post when I get back in town!


Sunday, August 1, 2010

Jell-O and Hank Snow

IT'S SUNDAY! You know what that means in Suburban Wonderland?

MADMEN!
BUt we don't just watch MadMen, we watch MadMen and eat Jell-o!
The soundtrack to my Jell-O making is Hank Snow "Souvenirs" it's very good I recommend Mr.Snow to anyone who likes good vintage country. He also has a pretty darn good Hawaiian album called "Snow In Hawaii"

While Beck is away I play homemaker. I made the Jell-O when she was on her way home from her parent's house in Western Mass. I must say I'm happy she has the quintessential Jell-O glasses for me to make Jell-O in!

Beck and I actually use our vintage dishes on a daily basis. As I have mentioned before we both collect Blue Heaven. I like to use the mixing bowls to make Jell-O in because they have the spout-y handles!

I made the Blackberry Fusion for tonight's family time of MadMen watching. I've never had this flavor before but it smelled very good! I'll tell you what I end up thinking of it.

I'm starting to settle into the area a little bit more. I don;t like driving around here because the people are assholes and a lot of things are on highway like road(and since I am a new driver I'm not the best with driving on them) But I did drive myself to the Sonic in Peabody last night.
It was worth the stress-riddened drive there.

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Judy's Turn to Cry

"Cause Johnny's come back to me!"
Just kiddin' I don't have a man, Johnny seems like a scumbag anyways!
It's a Lesley Gore kind of day. I did some cleaning in the kitschen and put Miss Gore on the Stack-O-Matic. I love her but whenever I listen to her the feminist inside of me just says "C'mon girl, You don't need Johnny! Don't let men define your life!"

I figured I would show you my little spot in the house. Since the first time I came here I have sat in this chair and now it is my spot in the living room.
Beck and I tend to watch a lot of movies or TV( we may have spent a whole day watching the first season of Sons on Anarchy which I highly recommend) SO this is where I spend a good amount of my time.
One thing I have to say about this chair is that it is not comfortable at all, but it's my chair. I've made my bed now I must lie in it, or at least sit in it ;]

Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows,
Shane

Friday, July 30, 2010

Shane in Wonderland

I'm spending my day home alone listening to some good old country and hunting for Pineapple ring graphics for Beck. I took some shots of my room for you all to enjoy(it'll give you a good laugh) 75% of my life is still in Boxes. I have no furniture really, just what was in the room. All of my furniture from the house couldn't make it here on moving day. (But my mother has hired her third child[really just one of my sister's ex boyfriends who we are all good friends with] to bring my furniture and move it in for me, which makes me very happy)

It's hot here. My room is cluttered for now. We have a roommate in the basement too and she and I need to make room for my stuff so it's in my room until that happens.

Theres some of the things the room came with. This was the guest room, which was cowboy themed. Since Beck put time and effort and dollar into that theme I figured I'd keep with it.

My little comfort zone in my room. Record player, place to sit, golden pony. I'm set.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

MOVING SATURDAY!


I'm starting to stress about the move. I have so much shit and only two cars helping me move. And I can't just make two trips because the drive is over and hour and a half!

I don't know how to pack some things! I have I those fiberglass shades in the background that are making the trip on my lap because I don't want them out of my sight and breaking. I would cry because the three all have the original lamp bases to match.

But really my biggest fear is not being able to get my dresser and desk there. They are big. And I need them. I can't just do without them for a few months.

I have to pack all of on my pinup stuff too! And Since I want to do a lot of shooting in the next month I want to have it all! The weekend of the Milltown Show I can grab some stuff but I really would like to have most of it!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Horror Daze


I have another blog going called Horror Daze, Undead Nights! I post about my love of horror and more recently my playing around with Special Effects Makeup(seeing as that's what I want to do for my career) I've been writing there every now and then and since I'm feeling the Halloween Bug already I have been posting more lately! If you like horror, me and the rantings of a freak you should follow it!

http://horrordazeundeadnights.blogspot.com/

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Today



Was my last day at work.
I've worked at Hot Topic for almost two years. It was maybe the best first job I could have ever had. I met some of the best people I could have ever met working there. My boss Haley is at the top of that list. The day I brought my application in she was wearing a vintage suit with matching pillbox hat and black cat eye glasses. It was love at first sight. She did my interview and when she asked me "What new or unknown band would you tell people about if they asked for something new?" I answered Bid Sandy and His Fly-Rite boys and that they aren't new but not many people in our area listen to them. BUT she knew who I was talking about. Once I found out her and I share our favorite band we were on the way to best friendship! We are both Smiths geeks.
My work is all about being a family. I think that's why I'm so sad about leaving. I just left a family that I won't see all together probably ever again. We had an Ultimate Frisbee game. Two teams, four rounds(but really three we got tired) My team won and then we went to Red Robin for a celebratory and goodbye Shane dinner. It was an amazing night. I only cried at work once and no one noticed so it worked out.

Haley ha made me some mix CDs a few months back and they were amazing so I asked her for another before I left. Well I walked into the back room and she followed me and then pulled a stack of 6 CDs out of her purse and handed it to me with a card she made. and she told me "These are all the songs that are or were important to me or made me think of you." It was so thoughtful and amazing. I'm home in bed writing this blog to the "Don't You, Forget About Me" Mix CDs. Maybe only crying little bit.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Help out a fellow blogger!


Ms. Eartha Kitsch has entered a contest where she could win a boatload of money. She is awesome, so is her blog. Her blog is new but it is one of the best out there! You should vote for her one a day everyday until the contest is over! I know I will be! Also invest in reading the posts on her blog. I really love them and I love her dear!

OKAY heres the deal!
Go here to vote! Do it once a day!
(http://switchtokozyshack.com/vote.php?id=373 if the link doesn't work!)

Here is Ms. Kitsch's Blog
(http://ranchdressingwithearthakitsch.blogspot.com/)

Thursday, July 8, 2010

TIKI TIME!

Beck has got me hooked on TIKI! Her and I are amassing a rather extensive collection. We pick them up at every Polynesian restaurant we can and I scour thrift store for them! Just a couple weeks ago I got a great Blue Shrunken Head from the Kowloon! Ill post a picture after I move into Beck's(seeing as id resides with all the other tiki mugs in the living room)
But just the other day I picked up two more from my GoodWill(the two ran me $1.33, I'm a big Spender)
Beck has slowly been tiki-ing my brain like it's her job. It started with bringing me to the HuKuiLou for the first time on Christmas. Then the Kowloon. Then she gave me a Hawaiian/Atomic swim set. And then made me buy a vintage Hawaiian shirt at Brimfield last year. Now she's got me hooked. I have 5 different vintage Hawaiian shirts plus my swim set. I don't even know how many 40s-60s Hawaiian albums I've bought. It really is getting to be a problem, and I really don;t mind one bit. It's Brimfield next week, I'm limiting myself on what I can buy. Only records, clothing, and cheap tiki mugs.

Anyone else share the love of the tiki?

Nick Curran and the Lowlifes! Stories of my Weekend and a little CD review


This weekend my friends and I saw Nick Curran and the Lowlifes 3 times!! The last three stops on their tour for their latest album "Reform School Girl"

The Gang Friday night at the Midway Cafe in Jamaica Plain. Adriane, Amy, Myself and Beck. The show was amazing, and sold out with a line outside!! The Swinedells opened that night, it was their last show and it was a good one! The whole show was put on my WMFO's DJ Easy Ed who was spinnin' great stuff all night! Beck and Arianne(who took the picture above) did jive, bop and stroll lessons before the show for anyone who wanted to learn(sadly, only one person showed up or that other than our group)

Saturday night we all headed to Chan's in Woonsocket, RI. Chinese food and good rock n roll! WHo could ask for more? Well anyone who ate would have asked for better food and not being sick because f the awful food but that's beside the point. The Lowlifes put on great show, as expected and it was worth the hour and a half drive. But I felt extremely awkward eating while the band was playing that I couldn't while they were playing(along with the fact that I can't eat in front of people and I was sitting next to the lit up stage in a dark room) By the way look at Beck's great repro lucite purse! She bought it at Viva this year when she was hanging out with her from Scott from Top Stitch Vintage(He wasn't selling it, but he was buying one for his wife and made the woman sell Beck one at wholesale! WIN!)

The Next night we followed the band up to Portland, Maine! We decided that since we don't get great music like this all the time that we were taking advantage of it while we could, because really what's another two hour drive. The venue, called "Venue Music Bar" was pretty awesome. They had hosted a rockin' all dayer the day before that I'm told went really well!

SO that's the story time portion of this blog. The weekend was a success, we snuck me into two 21+ shows in one weekend, saw an amazing amount of great music and made new friends!

Now onto the review. "Reform School Girl" is an awesome album. There is a great mixture of songs on it and it flows really nicely. It's got a great bluesy garagey rockin feel. You can tell that Little Richard was an influence for the band! Nick is an amazing performer, he sings great(especially thinking about how he JUST got deemed cancer free right before the tour after his battle with tongue cancer) and his guitar skills are impeccable.
My favorite song off the album is the title track "Reform School Girl" It's catchy as sin.
All of my friends are really big on "Psycho" and "Filthy" which are both awesome songs!

All in all Check the album out. See them if they're in your area. They are a great band to see. I would see them 3 times in 72 hours, oh wait I DID!





Wednesday, July 7, 2010

HEATWAVE and my outfits for coping with it



Massachusetts along with the rest of the East Coast is in the middle of a heatwave. Which got me thinking about how once it get's hot I stop dressing well. Men's vintage and vintage styled clothes are pretty darn warm. Jeans suck to wear, a lot of button downs are kind of thick. SO I decided to come up with an alternative to bad fashion for the heat.
This weekend I was given three pairs of 40s men's trousers. I love them but once pair was big in the waist and the leg length was too short. But it as so hot in suburban wonderland yesterday I threw on a wife beater and The pants that were too big and too short, cuffed them up and belted them. I was pretty sold on the idea after wearing it around and I wasn't sweating from just moving.

I was so sold on the idea that I went to goodwill this afternoon and picked up two new pairs of trousers to do this with. One pair is vintage and the second pair are just modern ones with a high waist(picked below) I can just throw on a cotton loop collar, be a little hussy and not button the first few buttons and be good.

I know I'm not the first person to think of doing this, but I like doing it. It makes me feel like I don't have to dress poorly due to the crappy weather.


I may just be lame

But I get kind of angry that hipsters have taken on wearing vintage clothes and collecting vintage things. It just brings the prices of the things that we want up. I also get really mad at people who only buy vintage for resale. I buy things, I've them a good home and if they don't fit in my house then maybe I think about selling them(which I have yet to go with anything) So thats my little rant about that.

The other day one of my good friends was saying she doesn't feel that close to me anymore because I spend most of my time shooting and she doesn't want to shoot, or vintage collecting with Beck. She went on to call me materialistic basically and saying thats why we aren't as close.

That fucking sucks to be told. She went on to say how she didn't mean it like that but it still stuck with me. It kind of made me thing about how kind of sad my life is. I don't have anyone but Beck and I don't have anything but KitschCake and my vintage. I don't have a boyfriend to invest my time in. All I have is my things. Which is extremely sad to say the least. Like when my friends are out hanging out with their significant others I am at GoodWill or the thrift shop alone.

But I totally have to defend my sad lifestyle. I'm 18 and I've been running my own business for almost a year. My whole business, other than actually shooting, is based off of thrifting and networking. I need to get out there meet people, shake hands, kiss babies etc, like I am running for some sort of Pretty Office. Like this weekend I went to Three different Nick Curan and the Lowlifes shows in three different states( the shows were amazing! See them if you have the chance) I ended up having to skip out on a vacation with my high school friends(which they cut a day shorter and that inspired my not going) and now most of them aren't talking to me.(How extremely high school right?) But I had to get out there and meet people who enjoy like things. I went to a show in Boston and met some new potential clients, then went to Rhode Island and bonded with some old clients along with making new friends. Sunday night I went up to Portland, Maine and kept up with the theme of the weekend. I woke up to angry texts because I went to Maine instead of Cape Cod. My friends don't understand that I have a business to run and responsibilities to attend to. I have to come put with abut $240 a month just for bills(which is a lot for having a mall job that just pays for the gas to get to it and maybe a couple GoodWill purchases) and None of those bills are for school. SO throw that on there at a later date. But am changing phones and getting a iPhone in the near future(which is about $100 a month if I do, do it opposed to paying nothing right now) and my car insurance is about $115. (which leaves me an extra $25 for emergencies...or dinner out) Pretty much I need to get the KitschCake name out there so I can make money to pay for these things. My friends don't understand. Boo-hoo. whoa is me. blah blah blah.

WOAH. SOrry about the on vintage related posted.

17 days in counting

(this is not my set or my photo, This has a couple pieces Im missing but I wanted to give you an idea of my set)
I move into Suburban Wonderland in 17 days. I'm getting pretty excited. but also worried. I used to be worried about living in the house and being uncomfortable alone. But After this weekend when I had the house to myself for a few hours (and not feeling weird) I'm not worried about that stuff anymore. But I still have a few worries.
Would you like to know them? Maybe help?
One of my biggest worries is hardly even connected to my new living situation. It's about the move. ABout 75% of my stuff is vintage. And a good amount is ceramic and glassware. I am worried about things breaking over the two hour drive to the new house. I already moved all of my Blue Heaven there. It took three medium-ish boxes. I haven't even looked at them since I brought them there( I hope nothing broke but I'm too afraid to check anyways) there are only 9 things In those boxes that I couldn't cope with breaking. Thats my Blue Heaven Coffee Pot(which I scored for $6 at Savers) and my set of 8 Blue Heaven old fashion glasses. The rest I could find again if I lost a pice or two.

I'm also really worried about moving in with my best friend. I won't know the area for the first month or two and I'm worried about smothering Beck and having her hate me because I'm always around.

I'm also worried about maintaining KitschCake. I get a lot of my props from Weekly thrifting trips. I have a lot of holes in my wardrobe and props and I'm worried about being in the city where good finds are sparse(fucking hipster scum stealing the things that are Important to me. which I will do a post about next).

But all around I'm excited to Move into Suburban Wonderland and go to Montserrat

Thursday, June 24, 2010

A sneak peak

So I spent about an hour doing Cece's hair and Makeup. Curled it all and pinned the curls to let the cool etc. I ended up getting three hairstyles out of that one set. I curled the top back and the sides and back up.
Does anyone else feel a hint of Fluer in this picture?

I need to buy new lights. It stinks but it will be soooo worth it. I also need paper backdrops.

Goddman, starting your own business sucks. It's a lot of spending and on my shitty mall job salary I can't afford most of it.

Shane

One thing every vintage wearing girl should have

Is the peasant top. This is not a more versatile garment out there! Depending on how you add to it the peasant top can have either a 40s or a 50s look. I have a couple examples of different ways to wear them!


A basic Peasant top, nothing special right? NO, that is incorrect!
I love the off the shoulder look when it comes to peasant topping. It just screams(depending on the bottoms worn with it) 40s Europe or 50s Bad girl
If you belt it and wear a matching color pair of straight legged capris you have a great summer hostess look! With this red top I could do a black(or gold) wide belt then a tighter fitting high waisted capri in a Black( or a gold Lame, which would just be amazing) Throw on a pair of black flats and you've got an outfit that would be great for hosing any party this summer!
The 40s look! You can wear the top on or off the shoulder with a full printed skirt. With a curly do pulled to the side and a pair of wedges maybe a bangle or two and you've got yourself a great 40s looking outfit!
The same top can be used to do a great 50s look too! A high wasited wiggle or pencil skirt and a wide belt and a shoes in a matching color complete the look. Any lady who goes for this looks can look straight out of High School Hellcats with the top pulled down off the shoulders!

If you like the peasant top in this post I can make you one!
I figured since I need new lights I need a new method of making some money and since sewing is something I'm good at I figured I'd try my hand at selling my wares. SO if you are interested shoot me an email at KitschCakePhoto@gmail.com
I was thinking of charging like $30 for one?
Is that fair? I'll make it to your measurements in the fabric of your choice. Mode Merr Charges $38 for one.
And if you send me fabric I will do it for $22

Thoughts?

Recent Thrifty finds!

$20 at a local used book store( Named after an Edgar Allan Poe story)
I love religious kitsch. I'm not into god and stuff (Gay kid raised baptist, they should expect me to revolt) for $4 I couldn't pass this up!
25 pieces. I don't like the color so I might sell it.





I've been all over lately! Sorry about the lack of posts! I had my KITSCHen shoot in Suburban Wonderland this weekend so I was gone for 4 days. and I have been trying to get it all edited etc. Also I have been babying two new tattoos( I decided to get two in one day, another 6 hours well spent)

Well with having this week off I have been trying to get a lot done but with all of my bills being due this week it makes it hard to thrift. And it does't help that I need new lights and its gonna cost me about $700. Which I don't have. I'm not sure how I'm getting it together but need to and soon because after m last shoot my lights just aren't doin' the trick.



By the way I started another blog as a make-shift website for KitschCake Photography, my pinup business!

SO if you like my work follow my blog!
www.KitschCakePhoto.blogspot.com




Friday, June 11, 2010

First Wet Set!

Well I tried my hand at a wet set the other night. I bought some Lottabody and had a mess of pinup curl pins. I borrowed my friends head and away I went! I have to say for never having done it before I was pretty happy with how smoothly the process went. I just need to find more setting patterns and tips on brushing out! I set her hair and then put her under my new Lady Sunbeam for about 20 minuets. I may have made her cry when I was brushing it out. I guess I'm a little rough, but theres no crying in vintage hairstlying.


You can't really see much of the hair. I am disappointed in myself for not taking more photos but my model was reluctant to let me take any so I wasn't going to push it!

Another shoot with Cece!


I did some shots with Cece last week! I dressed her up in some of the stuff I got at the epic tagsale I've been going to.

Tell me what you think!

This was my first attept at a pageboy and I'm pretty happy with how it came out!

Oh hey by the way.

I graduated on Sunday. SO I'm all done with highschool n shit. Im getting down to business with Kitschcake this summer. Making so I have everything I need. So once I move to Boston I will just get shooting as much as I can. I have been practicing my hair and makeup skills. I've made a dress for the costume closet and have fabric to make two more. I did my first wet set on someone the other day and it came out well!

Well my graduation party is tomorrow so I have to go finish some things. Like two jell-o molds.

Hopefully I can do another post tonight with some pictures of my recent scores et

Sunday, May 30, 2010

THRIFTY FINDS LIKE WOAH!

You folks are gonna die when you see all of the stuff I've scored in the last day and there is more where that came from. There is this house at the end of my street that two spinsters lived in their whole life. Never threw anything away and filled every space in their house with stuff. One of them made all of her clothes cause she was 6 feel tall and a size 13 shoe. So I have found some AMAZING vintage dresses and patterns for cheap for the pinup costume closet. Iw ill take pictures tomorrow. We are showing the house in the morning so I have to hide it all. haha

GODDAMN I am excited like woah about this stuff. I seriously got like 20 pairs of stockings still on their carboard(One pair of Schaparelli stocking in the pink and black box) and I got like 20 more pairs that are from the 70s but still in packing for girls who forget stockings when they shoot. They still look good 50s or not.

I will start photographing I can't even process eveything yet. SO far I have spent $32. Be Jealous. I get to help go through the house on Tuesday. I am dipping into my savings for this. Who needs to pay or college? hahaha well I will but not yet!

Saturday, May 15, 2010

KitschCake ReMake!

After going to the flea market and finding nothing yesterday I did my friend Cece's hair and makeup and turned her into a little pinup princess! I figured I would share how it all came out with you. I used my 60s hot rollers I just scored. I also referenced the Vintage Hairstyling book I recently purchased. I also had died her hair a few weeks ago. I did the pink-ing for her. I'm pretty okay when it comes to hair and makeup stuff. I was recently asked to do a wedding so I'm going to talk to the girl and see what the deal it etc.

So this is Cece pre-makeover, she's cute but really, we can do better than that! Just after finsing the hot rollers and starting to do her makeup! I did all white shadow and a cat's eye. Nothing too extreme but fun!
FIN