Viva Las Vegas Series #5- Getting Organized in Style

I was inspired by a recent post on VaVoom Vintage about To Do lists. It struck me that getting ready for the Viva Las Vegas Weekender is SO much more involved than a regular trip. Forgetting even a pair of stockings or a jar of pomade (gasp!) could ruin the day's plans. So to make it easier for you all to keep sane I am designing some organization tools. The first is a To Do list with a little bit of attitude. I am working on a travel check list so keep an eye out!

To download it, click on the picture to enlarge and right-click to save it. When you print make sure the paper is set to landscape:

The To Do list is free for personal use only and cannot be used or sold for profit.

Viva Las Vegas Series #4- Shabby Apple Dress Giveaway (closed)

What's better than a cute dress on sale? A FREE cute dress! Some Like It Vintage is having a Shabby Apple giveaway where you can win the Anchors Away dress.  This would be a great day dress, perfect for bright accessories. The giveaway ends Jan. 16th.

Viva Las Vegas Series #3- By the Pool

pic from Life.com

For some of us it is WAY too cold to be thinking about swimsuits, but I am not one to be daunted by the weather. In fact I am hoping that a new swimsuit will take my mind off of the midwest winter right now. I found some cute swimsuits, rompers and accessories that I wanted to post and some of them are (you guessed it) on sale!




Let's tackle swimsuits and rompers first. Below are some of the favs I found online and you can go the main page of each website to find more:

$73 @ Unique Vintage

$72 @ My Baby Jo

$102 @ Pinupgirl Clothing

$73 @ Unique Vintage

$99 @ Getgo Retro

On to the accessories. I didn't include shoes because that's a whole 'nother post, right?

Nobody wants to ruin their hair with a bunch of chlorine so swim caps are a must. Headcovers.com has a bunch of retro inspired swim caps in a ton of colors and styles, like these two. Most of the caps are around $7-10. Cha-ching!

A wide brim hat is really important to keep damaging sun from freckling your beautiful face gals. Plus, if you choose wisely it can add so much to your poolside look. There are a ton of crush-proof hats available now that make traveling a cinch as well. My picks:

$13 @ Forever 21

And finally pareo sarongs:

Viva Las Vegas Series #2- Hot Dresses ON SALE

I LOVE the website Unique Vintage and have written about them before. They have a ton of different styles, including wedding dresses, at really decent prices. Right now their sale page is chock full o' really great Rockabilly stuff that is perfect for VLV 14! I picked a few of my favorite dresses:

$73 find it here

$115 find it here

$68 find it here

$80 find it here

$58 find it here

Keep in mind that not all sizes are available for these, but I tried to pick items that had multiple sizes still available. Also, the sizes tend to run a bit smaller on some of the designers so do your homework and double check the measurements when available. They are also really good at getting back to customers so if you aren't sure contact them!

While you are at it, check out their Fashion History page on the 40s & 50s!

Viva Las Vegas Series #1- Hair

For my first VLV post I decided to start from the top down with a roll and pompadour how-to. I have the best results with a wet set so I am going to cover that.

First, you have to wash your hair, obviously ;) I use Queen Helene's Mint Julip Shampoo because the shampoo recipe hasn't changed since it first came out in the 30s and it roughens up the hair cuticle enough to keep a good curl. Plus it smells divine! I don't use an in-shower conditioner because it slicks up the hair and makes the curl fall too soon. I do use a lightweight spray-in conditioner.

Next get yourself a good setting lotion. I like to use Lotta Body. The bottle says to dilute the lotion which I suggest doing or it gets crunchy, but I use half as much water as they suggest. I haven't been able to figure out a way to do consistent pin curls on myself so I use soft curlers and roll using the same diagram as the pin curls. The curls are slightly larger this way but I get very similar results. Plus it is easier to sleep in these curlers because they are essentially squares of foam covered in material. Do yourself a favor and pick up a sleep cap so you don't accidentally pull a curler out as you sleep.

Once you have all of your supplies you need some hints on how to roll your hair to create the look you want. I have posted a few pages below from the book 1940s Hairstyles by Daniela Turudich on rolls and pomps. Unfortunately this book is out of print but every once in a while you can find a copy that isn't too outrageous. I have included an Amazon box so you can see how much the book is going for right now. It is updated as new copies become available. Click on the pics to enlarge.

I have also started to use the book Vintage Hairstyling by Lauren Rennells which is much more affordable at $34. She has a great blog Bobby Pin Blog, which is a good companion to her book.