Eye Candy!

Hey Ladies!

As some of you may know, I work for Benefit Cosmetics so I really enjoy makeup. I love Benefit stuff too (I've been using it for over 6 years)...BUT I've been looking for a brand that has high pigmented shadows is funky and glittery, and is cheaper than Mac. Mission accomplished!!!

Medusa's Makeup is everything I was looking for. They have hyper-pigmented eyeshadows and eye dust that look fabulous (see below). They also make glitter and mascara in various colors. I've never tried the mascara, but it's my next experiment. The shadow stays on best when you use Medusa's shadow and glitter primers.

If you're nervous about experimenting with color, you should just purchase a few less crazy colors and start playing around with those at home. Medusa has a great deal on shadow, brushes, liner seal, and primer here. You get 12 shadows (mine are in electro not safari), primer, all brushes, liner seal, eyeshadow primer, and a bag for $75.

Medusa Electro White, Black and Pink, Benefit's They're Real
and Magic Ink, and Medusa's Heavy Metal Glitter

Eye Closed!

Last night, I was rockin' out to Reverend Horton Heat and playing with eye makeup. Here are a few eyes I did and the items I used to make them.

Eye Open!

Medusa's Electro Purple and White,
New Wave, Mary Jane Eye Dust, Benefit They're Real
and Magic Ink Liner 

A little something to brighten your day!

OK, so this was on the news this morning and I had to share it because it was so cute! This woman rescued Winkelhimer after she was attacked by a cat at 6 weeks old. Winkelhimer would watch the woman paint and then started painting on her own. A few of her paintings have sold for $40 a some have been donated to animal charities.

You can read and watch the whole story HERE! 

I've Got em,' Now How Do I Take Care of em'

Hello Gorgeous! 

So you've bought a SWEET 1950s cotton cocktail dress! It's cute, it's fun, and you've worn it out to go dancing. Now, how are you going to wash it?? Ok, first thing's first....

DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT PUT THAT IN THE WASHING MACHINE!!!!  

Here are a few tips for caring for your newly found vintage treasures. 

1. Wear deodorant without aluminum. 

The aluminum in antiperspirants can fade color in the fabric or make it more prone to tear. Pick a deodorant that is easily washed away with a gentle detergent. My favorite deodorant (THAT WORKS!!!) is Aromaco from Lush. You can visit your closest one OR you can go HERE and order it online! It's the best natural and aluminum free deodorant I've ever used. 

2. Before you touch water to your new outfit, make SURE you know what kind of fabric it is.

Some fabrics are ruined by water...like rayon crepe NEVER wash rayon crepe. It will shrink up like a shrinky-dink. 

 

3. Always hang vintage to dry. I never put my items in the dryer no matter what era they came from. Sometimes something looks like it will go in the dryer, but comes out 3 sizes smaller with dryer lint burnt to it. Purchase a drying rack OR if you have room make a clothes line in your laundry room with some string and 2 screw hooks!  

4. Hand-wash, Dry Clean, or Washer?

Hand-washing

I usually hand-wash all of my vintage items, but I always use a very mild detergent like baby shampoo or even a little vinegar. You will also need to divide your laundry by color more than ever. Depending on the era it was made, black dye can bleed hardcore. I will wash my black clothing one piece at a time to prevent bleeding. 

Dry Clean

You should try and take wool to the dry cleaners, but I'm terrified to take any of my stuff to the dry cleaner...HOWEVER, I do live in Chicago and don't trust any of them. If you live in a smaller community and know you can trust your dry cleaner to to take care of your garment and then not "loose" it, then by all means try the dry cleaner. 

Washer

Some fabrics can go in the washer, BUT before you put a garment in the washer make sure you check a few things. First, turn the garment inside out, then check the seams to make sure none of them are going to break. You can wash polyester, nylon, linen, pure cotton, and many synthetics, but I still always put the washer on delicate.  

 

Obviously, there are many other measures you can take to care for your vintage clothing, but these are a few basic things you can do to keep your items looking awesome and lasting forever. 

As always, if you have any questions or want me to delve into more detail, just shoot me an email!

Talk to you soon! 

JazzFest!!!!

YESSSS! It's getting closer to that time of year!!! I'm heading back out to The Big Easy for Jazzfest in April! I am so excited and can't WAIT!...(obviously, as it's only January...).

I'm excited for various reasons, mostly because I love NO...and Tom Petty, but I am also excited to check out more of the Garden District, shop, go on a cemetery tour....AND, of course, the food!    

If you've never been to New Orleans you are missing out, but JazzFest may be a good time for a NOLA newbie to check out the city! It's busy, the weather is not TOO hot, and there are SWEET acts at JazzFest. You can check out the line up here. This year line up includes (but is not limited to) The Eagles, Foo Fighters, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and the Beach Boys...AND MANY awesome zydeco bands!

Check it out and take a trip!!! Where else can you watch a cat belly up to the bar and drink a shot of creamer?

YEE HAW!!! We're back in business!!!

Why, Hello There!

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season!!! Mine was hectic, but awesome (as usual), and I have an exciting announcement to make! Instead of taking down our Christmas tree, I've been working on my Etsy shop and guess what....

Calamity Layne is up and running!!!   

I'm so excited! FINALLY!!! Go ahed and check it out! Here are a few items I have up so far! Stay tuned for more!!! 

Red Hot Rockabilly Dress

60s Gold Shoes

Flower Power 

Vavoom Pinups!

Hello Gorgeous!

Thats me! I'm an official pin up, and you can be too! 

Me (and 4 of my friends) got primped and fancy at Vavoom Pinups in Chicago! I had seen pin up pictures somewhere and I decided I wanted to see what I would look like as a pin up....SO, I Googled "pin-up photographers Chicago" and Vavoom Pinups appeared!

They are located in Logan Square at 2239 N Kimball Ave. You can purchase a photo session by yourself or gather 4 or 5 of your girlfriends together to do a group shoot (which also ends up being cheaper for all of you in the long run).

Once you pick a time and date for your party, you can bring your own outfits or you can choose from their selection (I did both). The make up and hair artists deck you out and then you go upstairs for your photo shoot.

They have props and the photographer makes you feel super comfortable and she coaches you on how to do pinup poses so it's all really easy and comfortable.

If you wanna watch the process, check this out! 

After your photo shoot, you pick out your favorite photos and she stores them on your own secure online  album within a weeks time so you can choose the photos you want to have airbrushed and made into a portrait, print, or other kinds of products (like calendars or other fun stuff).

My friends and I definitely had a lot of fun getting pretty and posing for pictures! The process and the photos give you a major self confidence boost! You should try it!

Home Sweet Studio!

Hi Ya Gorgeous!
I'm back from St. Louis and excited to start taking pictures for my Etsy store! I started taking some practice pictures in my "studio" this evening. This gave me the idea for my blog post! Today,  I'm going to introduce you to my "studio" (I put the word studio in parentheses because it's located in an apartment which means it's temporary) AND give you a few tips if you're trying to organize your own studio.

Putting my studio together was not easy, but it was a lot of fun! I ran into all kinds of issues, but I came up with inventive ways to fix things as best I could. I'm going to use my experience to hopefully help you too!

My main issues and solutions!  

Issue: I can't paint. :( I wish I could paint the wall a cool vintage green or pink, but we live in an apartment and our landlord won't let us.

Solution: I'm still bummed I can't paint, but I was able to hang some pictures, a mirror, and my vintage red shelving unit where I'm able to place some of my favorite stuff from New Orleans. Even though I can't paint,  I was still able to make the space feel more comfortable and more like me. This is half the battle!

Please ignore my plaid work
in progress!  

Issue: I have to share my space. My studio is on one wall of our sitting room.  
Solution: I may have to share my space, but I was able to carve out a little section for all of my crafting treasures. I used 2 square book shelves from Ikea to make a small storage wall for my books, sewing materials, and other crafting supplies. I also found a vintage desk at Salvation Army for $50 that serves as my sewing desk, crafting table, and my everyday work space.
My husband has a smaller room next to my studio where he has set up our guitars and his keyboard and a futon for guests (I call it his man cave) BUT I did steal the closet in that room for my Etsy clothes.


Issue: Storage.
Solution: I was able to optimize storage space by designating vintage kitchen canisters, vintage tins, and boxes for all of my crafting materials. A simple wall hook works great as easy access storage for  work in progress.  

Tea, Sugar, & Flour

Erasers, Rubber Stamps, & Staples

Colored Pencils, Crayons, and Glue

Putting your space together may seem a little overwhelming at first, but don't give up! Creating your own space is rewarding and exciting!

These small tips will help move the process along:
1) Narrow down the desired look and feel of your space. If it's for your Etsy store, you may want the look and feel to be similar to your store.
2) Inspiration -  Gather items that inspire and stimulate you. Make sure they match your desired look and feel for your space.
3) Be honest with yourself! What makes you comfortable? What are your favorite colors? What makes you happy and free?
 

I hope this posting helps you on your path to creating your space!