A Few of My Favorite Things

Posted on December 3, 2014 by Crashing Nightingale

Well hello, December! You slipped up on me quite quickly! My intention this year was to get a head start on my holiday shopping. I have started a little but have a lot more to go. But I have my nice (and maybe naughty ;)) list made which is half the battle!

So I’m sure I’ve mentioned in other blogs and on my Facebook page that I love supporting independent businesses. My husband is an independent business owner so I see the hard work that goes into owning your own business. Let me just say, it’s not as easy as it looks! You are your own everything….Public Relations, Marketing, Creator, CEO, Assistant, Human Resources, Finance..the list of departments and job titles goes on! And a lot of times it’s rolled up into one person. So my point about this is why I love supporting an independent business owner. Whatever business that may be. I know my money is going towards someone’s business that they love and put their heart and soul in to. They can have an actual shop that I can go to or a virtual one. Both work for me.

So without further ado, I’d like to introduce you to some of my favorite “things,” which are places or people I recommend you shop with!

Vintage or vintage re-production clothing: I love it. And something I spend lots of my monies on. My heart races when my eyes make contact with a 70+ year old garment. I mean, come on, it survived so many years and here I am holding it! So one of my favorite places to shop for these things is Sugaree’s located in historic downtown Murfreesboro, Tenn. This adorable shop tugs at my heart strings. I truly feel like I’ve stepped back in time like I’m a 1950s woman having a shopping day. Staci Higdon, the owner, carries an array of fashion lines including BB Dakota and Stop Staring! Clothing. She also carries many accessories such as jewelry, vintage hats, vintage gloves and shoes. You’re sure to find a gift for someone and probably walk out with something for yourself.

My next introduction got the spotlight last summer when I wrote a blog about it. Live True Vintage is an East Nashville, Tenn shop with good intentions and amazing vintage items. I follow Live True Vintage on Facebook and Instagram and Tammy Pope, the owner, posts the treasures she finds and I’m constantly having to practice restraint from not wanting to immediately go there and buy it. Her shop is very charming and she carries TONS of items; men and women’s clothing, hats, accessories, posters…the list just goes on. Do yourself a favor and go ahead and put this business on your go-to holiday shopping destination. Another place you’re bound to walk out with a gift for yourself too. Hey, treat yo’self!

Number 3 on the list starts our journey into the virtual realm. That’s one thing that’s convenient about the internet; you can buy and sell across the globe. Parlor Tattoo Prints caught my eye the first time I saw the owner’s designs. This woman creates the most exquisite artwork. Some designs speak to the old school tattoos that you’re grandfather had inked on him in WWII and some are straight from your favorite movies such as Edward Scissorhands or The Shining. Either way, you’re likely to find that perfect picture for your favorite someone. I bought one for my best friend for her birthday and it was a hit. I’ve always love artwork as a gift too.

Next up is another creative designer that creates the most darling ties that have a hidden surprise. Shannon of Truly New Vintage creates peek-a-boo ties that are the bomb! She takes a tie and adds a pin up girl to the underside of the tie. So when you see someone randomly smiling as they are standing there looking totally professional, you can guess they may be wearing one of these cheeky accessories. She has an assortment of pin up pictures and ties to choose from so that you can come up with the perfect gift.

My next introduction is a destination gift. Natchez Hills Bed and Breakfast is the best gift for a little get-a-way. This quaint and peaceful place has all the right stuff. A nice place to sleep, great amenities, beautiful scenery and best of all, wine! This place is located in the heart of a large wine area in Tennessee with the Natchez Hills Winery being one among them. The owners are the nicest people that you just can’t help but feel like you’re at home when you stay. Don’t live in the middle Tennessee area? Check out what your local area has to offer in this realm.

To continue the destination gift ideas, why not present your beloved with a ticket to an event, concert or festival?! Whether it be a one-day, weekend or week excursion, plan a trip to an event. Know someone that loves music? Make their holiday by gifting them a ticket to a concert or festival. Or maybe you know someone that is into a specific genre or area and there is an event taking place that specializes in this. Guess what, that’ll be a crowd pleaser too. I love taking mini-trips so if someone bought my ticket to an event I was planning to go to, they’d be number one in my book. The memories are the gift that keeps on giving. Here are my two recommendations for 2015 events. The Nashville Boogie Vintage Weekender & Car Show taking place May 1 through 2, 2015 and the Summer Wine Train Social presented by Muddy Roots Music departing on July 18, 2015. Both are taking place in beautiful Music City, Nashville, Tenn. Don’t live close by? Well, we have an international airport you can fly in to. 🙂

To top off my list of holiday shopping recommendations, I must insist you look into photography. As in contacting a professional photographer and getting a session as a gift for someone or even for yourself. It’s a timeless investment and worth every penny. A lot of professional photographers offer gift certificates so don’t be shy to ask. Much like a day at the spa, a photo shoot is a pamper session as well. Makeup artists and hairstylists are often included in packages so all you have to do is show up and let the professionals do their magic. Don’t know of any? Search in your area and read reviews to get a feel for it. You can view their website to see their work and make a decision from there. This may be an uncommon gift but I assure you, if you give that special someone this as a gift, you’re sure to be loved for life. And the plus side? Photo shoots are fun!

My recommendations for photographers that I’ve worked with and love to death are La Photographie Nashville, And How! Imaging, Blast ‘Em Photography, Shannon Brooke Imagery, Retrospect Nashville and Uvudu Imaging.

Now that you’ve been given some recommendations, what are you waiting for?? Get to shopping! 🙂

Take A Brow

Posted on November 16, 2014 by Crashing Nightingale

I started wearing makeup at an early age. When I was 13 I asked if I could and my request was granted. I was then taken to the nearest store in search of mascara and eyeliner because I had no idea the various types of makeup to wear. Those were the only two items I bought. It was a start and proof that I had a lot to learn about the cosmetic world.

There are times when I wish I could go back and tell my 14-year old self not to over-pluck my eyebrows. I present to you Exhibit A: my freshman high school picture.

Here I am with my black, heavy-rimmed eyes and tons of black mascara. No foundation, no blush and no lip gloss or lipstick of any kind. It was the mid-90s and I was super gothic so there’s my explanation.

When I was 16 I bought Kevyn Aucoin‘s makeup book, Making Faces. I’m sure I saw it on MTV or some fashion show that featured it. I devoured that book when I got it. I read it cover to cover learning all about cosmetics and the different looks I could achieve. That book was, and still is to this day, like magic to me.

So back to my over-plucked brows. I seriously wish I could tell the teenage girl me to knock it off with the over-tweasing. But since I can’t I time travel, I had to come up with another solution. Luckily, I’ve met some great professional makeup artists over the years that have shown me the way to be a makeup Jedi. I learned that I didn’t have to continue to be ashamed of my lack of eyebrows and I learned how important they are. So much that if it’s a day I’m not going to wear any makeup, I’ll fill in my brows at least. It’s amazing how much your eyebrows define your face.

I was recently given the most lovely gift from my sister from another mister, Johnnie Mae‘s brother, Ryan. He is a professional makeup artist in California. He gave me Too Faced‘s Brow Envy brow shaping & defining kit. I could not wait to try it! Below is some before and after and photos of the product.

The case is so pretty and the kind you can nicely display on a vanity if you wanted to. It’ll also be vintage gold in about 50 years because of it’s timeless look. It came with a fold-out tutorial and three individual eyebrow stencils: So Sweet, Too Pretty and Super Sexy. The tutorial gives great and easy step-by-step instructions to create a classic Hollywood eyebrow. I LOVE the setting wax and highlighter. Makeup tip: the highlighter is a great way to shape up the eyebrow and basically make the lovely eyebrow you just created pop. 🙂

I’m Miss World

Posted on September 7, 2014 by Crashing Nightingale

The weekend after Labor Day weekend usually is a quiet one since most people celebrate the end of summer during the holiday weekend. Labor Day generally commemorates the end of summertime and all it’s festivities as we transition into the fall season. But Atlantic City in 1921 had no plans of engaging in any summertime blues as it planned a way to extend the summer season.

Enter the Atlantic City “beauty contests” as a way to keep the summer heat on for patrons. The plan was devised by some businessmen of the city and they organized a small beauty contest which seven cities of the Northeast United States participated. Each city sent a “beauty maid” to represent the city in the contest. This contest took place September 7-8, ninety-three years ago today. The happy winner of this 1921 contest was sixteen year-old Margaret Gorman, who represented Washington, D.C. Her prize was a golden mermaid statue and the title “Miss America.”

Many other beauty contests followed this one which in turned solidified the Miss America pageants we’re familiar with today. I love these photos of the women from this time. They are wearing beautiful pieces from the era and are natural beauties in their own way. One of my favorite photos of all the photos I’ve seen is the one below of Ruth Malcolmson, Miss America 1924. This photo is so raw and natural.

Here are some additional photos from some early beauty pageants. I love how dolled up they are in the sand and with their sashes! 🙂

And to celebrate the city that brought us these beauty contests, I’ll be watching one of my favorite shows, Boardwalk Empire, which takes place in Atlantic City. In the meantime, I’ll be practicing that perfect Miss America wave. 🙂

Futuristic & Film Noir Forties Style Inspiration

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Crashing Nightingale

What does Indiana Jones & Rick Deckard have in common? Okay, I know you’re already saying, both are played by the same actor. Which is true. And also true, one of my favorite actors (just give me one second to stop blushing from all the Harrison Ford hotness). Also, both movies came out in the 1980s, with one coming out in my birth year (I’ll let you guess which one). So all of the above is true BUT not what I’m getting at. Both have two leading ladies in the films that I’m currently pining over their style.

Let me introduce you to Rachael, one of four replicants in the movie Blade Runner, and Dr. Elsa Schneider, Indy’s fellow artifact-finder turned Nazi-sympathizer in the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. I bet you weren’t expecting that. I’ve seen both these movies individually many times. Blade Runner is such a beautiful film and oddly enough, takes place in 2019 Los Angeles. Which is kind of strange considering we’re just a few years away from the year the movie takes place. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade takes place during the late 1930s, just as the Nazi regime was starting.

Interestingly, in both films, the leading female characters wear similar styles. However, taking place about 80 years apart. I’d like to think about the decade we are in now that we’ve evolved back to a 1940s film noir style. But, this is not necessarily reality. Although, I’m no stranger to not caring what the current trend is and just wearing what ever the hell I want. Blade Runner does futuristic well. I have always disliked films made in the 1960s, mostly 1970s and some in the 1980s that are set in the future or past. The reason is the costumes are never done well. The 1970s version of the Great Gatsby is a prime example for me. It still looks like the 1970s rather than the Jazz Age it’s suppose to represent. So when I initially watched Blade Runner many years ago, I had to give this film credit. Sure, some of the electronics are no where near what we have today. And the film does advertise Atari which has gone the way of the Buffalo. But overall, it does the early 21st century well.

Okay, now back to Rachael. Maybe I’m weird but I love her style in the movie. Except for that odd fur coat thing she wears when she saves Deckard from the not-so-cool replicant, Leon.

Not only do I want that black suit she wears as Deckard plays “20 questions” with her to determine if she is a replicant or not, but I am also digging her sheik red lipstick and ode to the forties hair style.

The black suit is my number one favorite but I’d rock the grey striped suit as well.

And I love the dialogue between Deckard & Rachael as he’s asking her questions and slowly figuring out her true existence.

Deckard: You’re reading a magazine. You come across a full page of nude photos of a girl.

Rachael: Is this testing whether I’m a replicant or a lesbian, Mr. Deckard?

Deckard: Just answer the questions please. You show it to your husband. He likes it so much he hangs it on your bedroom wall.

Rachael: I wouldn’t let him.

Deckard: Why not?

Rachael: I should be enough for him.

Now let’s move on to Dr. Elsa Schneider of the Indiana Jones claim to fame. With her business suits and dashing hats, she charms her way into Indy’s heart but later falls (literally) victim to Indy’s infamous slogan: “fortune and glory.” Such a shame because this girl had style.

Even when they’re galloping across he desert, she doesn’t shy away from showing us she was fashion elite.

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Her style was so spot on, I forgive her, just a little, for betraying heartthrob Dr. Jones. There is a scene when Indy and Elsa are underneath the historic church turned library and making their way through rat-infested tombs and corridors. During one of the scenes you catch a glimpse of her shoes. And all I can think to myself is how many ladies would kill for those shoes today. They were the epitome of art deco footwear. And there she was, treading through sewage and petroleum-filled waters as I mourned over the loss of those bad-ass shoes.

So there you have it, my current style obsession. Rachael and Elsa are the two leading ladies that have currently won my style-obsessed heart. Now excuse me while I master the perfect forties coiffure.

His Girl Friday: A Fabulous 1940s-inspired Photo Shoot with And How! Imaging

Posted on July 6, 2014 by Crashing Nightingale

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love photography. I admire it and truly think it’s one of the best inventions. We’ve spent over a century documenting moments in our lives and photographs have preserved those moments long after they have passed.

I have to say, I’m a lucky gal to have some really talented photographer friends. I love coming up with concepts and different looks for a photo shoot and it’s super swell when these talented friends bring these ideas to life. I recently did a photo shoot with my good pals of And How! Imaging. My husband and I worked with them before and you can view the photos here. They are the sweetest people you’ll ever meet and their work is fantastic. They are a wife and husband team, Amy and Chuck Rouyer, and live right outside the Music City capital of the world, Nashville, Tenn. Amy is the photographer and her husband assists her on the photo shoots. Although their work doesn’t stop there, they put a lot of time and care into each photo shoot and the post-production. Then Amy delivers the photos to you like a perfectly wrapped birthday present. And when you open it, your eyes fill with delight. The photos just instantly invoke happiness!

I had the concept of a 1940s look and talked to Amy about this. They had tons of terrific props for the setting; as they did for the first shoot I did with them. They gave lots of creative direction with poses and the different looks for each picture. They took time to make sure the lighting was just right. I appreciate when someone takes time to study these things each time they get ready to capture the photo. You can tell they have done their homework because they always pass the test flawlessly when you’re working with them.

I always think we should pamper ourselves and when we think about this, our minds go to a massage, pedicure/manicure or some other spa-type treatment. But I truly think a timeless way to pamper yourself is a photo shoot. Hire a professional and let them do their work. And once they’re done, you have a spectacular product (your photos) that you can cherish for decades. So I HIGHLY recommend you contact them and book a photo shoot. What are you waiting for?? Jump on over to their website and check out their work! ☞ And How! Imaging. You can also like them on Facebook or Instagram. 🙂

Now, feast your eyes on these fabulous photos from our forties-inspired shoot!