Fireworks, Lakes & The Hardy Boys

Hello Lovelies~

I hope you are all doing well out there today! Sorry the post is a day late this week, but I was at the lake all weekend with good friends swimming, snorkeling, eating great food and lighting off some fireworks (this is the first year they've been legal in Maine in a long time). It was absolute bliss. Being totally unplugged is something I don't do very often and I'm so much happier when I do. Below are some pics and there are more over on Flickr.

I have also dropped some new product over at Stag and it seems as though things are really starting to take off over there. Things are selling pretty steadily already, so if you see something you like, grab it if you can as these items are all one of a kind. I post all the items I list over on Flickr. Follow the Facebook page too, so you can see the full inventory and also get the daily trivia, fun photos and style tips I post daily! (Those Bob Dylan records aren't going to last long, I can guarantee you that, and it's some of his earliest work which is hard to find.)

I have just discovered an amazing illustrator who I wanted to share with you: Tadahiro Uesugi. Heard of him? He is primarily and best known for his Coraline concept illustrations and character development, but I just love his use of a muted color palette, the light in his pieces and of course the 60's rough-brushed edge he has. It really gives his work a tangible feel sorely lacking in Photoshop painting that has become so prevalent today. Take a look:

What else? Oh! I follow an amazing blog called The Bold Italic out of San Francisco and they recently did an article about a place called the Vortex Room that makes me wish I lived out in San Fran or was visiting soon. The Vortex Room is a bar, event space and rare and obscure movie screening venue that's decked out in full bachelor magic complete with pinball machines, tiki heads and shag carpeting. These things all coming together under one roof are my idea of heaven, so the article was fascinating to me. Wrapped in mystery, housed in a rundown building that gives not a hint of what's inside and run by a dapper gentleman who would be a Stag patron for sure (if he'd ever heard of Stag). Check out this interior!

So, I pretty much feel like I was born in the wrong decade on at least a weekly basis. Mostly, I feel like I should have been born in the 40's or 50's, but this week, thanks to the And Everything Else blog, it's the 60's and 70's. Why? Because of Mattel Make and Play Toys which were made during that time. That's why. Mattel apparently sold kits that allowed you to make your own molded monster makeup, shrunken heads, fun flowers, action figures, and even incredible edibles, which you could actually eat! These things look like they were amazing, is my point. And I want one of each. Check this out:

What's a toy you missed playing with because you were born in a totally different generation?

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Mohawks, Bouffants & Stags...

Hello Lovelies!

I hope your week is going well so far out there! A lot to share. To start, STAG is finally open for business and ready to roll. There is a Stag Facebook page for following all things man-related, but I will also post any neat finds or new product drops here or to my STAG Flickr album for your perusing pleasure. (Basically, I'm making it as easy as I can for you to shop!) I am always listing new things, so if you need special gifts or want to treat yourself or someone you love, stop by.

That photo up there is actually my Dad back in the day, I posted it for Father's Day because it fit so perfectly with the Stag look. I hope everyone out there had a great Father's Day! I sent my Dad a card because he lives 5 states away, and I spent the day with my Sweetie's Dad and family out in the sun. It was quite lovely.

And speaking of my Sweetie, I've been all about photographing crazy hair lately, so when I saw her sporting this 'hawk, I just had to snap a pic!

And speaking of crazy hair, I finally got a frame and painting light for the bouffant painting I shared with you guys from Brimfield a month or so back. She looks just perfect in her dark corner. I can't believe she was only $15!

I have recently been working on a project that I'm shooting the beginning of July. (I'll give you a hint, it has to do with the below image somewhat, but add in classic cars, cat fighting and craziness and you're getting warmer.)

My point is, in the course of my research, I've been looking at a ton of classic cars and I stumbled upon a site that you may enjoy if you like neat auto trivia: Hemmings. Heard of it? Well, this blog is just absolutely over-flowing with neat old car stuff. Check it out!

I want to wrap up with yet another corny/gross movie recommendation from the 70's. Wow, that era was just chockfull of crazy, wasn't it? The latest movie, is Squirm. Heard of it? Well, the basic premise is there is an area in something like Alabama or Mississippi where the earthworms have teeth and are violent. Add to the mix a freak lightening storm and some downed power lines and you know what that means... yep, killer worms. There is nothing even remotely plausible about this movie (and almost the entire cast are redheads, which begs the question: Why? Since this wasn't a plot point) and yet, I couldn't look away. It's definitely corny, but not so bad you want to stop watching and you'll get some laughs if this is your thing. Let me know what you think if you watch it!

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Stag is OPEN!

Hello Lovelies~

As promised, here is the mid-week post of everything STAG. I just opened the store (though the grand opening is officially Father's Day). Here is the official announcement:

And there is now a Stag Facebook page as well! This is where you can stay up to date on new product, promotions, fun facts, humorous tips and more! But I will also make occasional posts here on the blog as well.

A couple of things:

To keep the goods high quality and plentiful, I will only be listing 20 +/- items at any given time. As things sell, new items will be refreshed into the shop. The more turnover there is, the more exciting items I can post (and there are so many). So do your part: Buy now!

Also, for the style-conscious gentlemen out there, when I post clothing/accessories, I am trying to also post Style Suggestions to help you put a sharp outfit together. All of these items will be available for purchase if you want to get the whole kit and caboodle, but you better do it fast, items sold separately!

I hope you men out there (and also the ladies), enjoy my new endeavor and find special items for the man in your life, or yourself in the coming years!

Until next time... unpleasant dreams.

Blue Bayou...

Hello Lovelies!

I hope you are all doing well out there as usual. A lot going here. First, I was in the studio yesterday shooting some product for Stag (my new vintage men's shop opening Father's Day), and while I was at it, I did a little impromptu shoot of Amy wearing some of the Stag inventory. (I'm not sure she'll give up that tie or those suspenders so I can sell them, but I thought the shots looked summery and sort of bayou-ish. Don't you?)

And speaking of Stag, I will post the shop url to the blog once I have items listed and it goes live, so keep your eyes peeled, these are items you don't want to miss for the special man, boy or dad in your life!

I have also finally gotten around to listing my One-A-Day photo piece in the shop today! This is a one-of-a-kind photo art piece that includes all 30 of the photos shown HERE framed in a floating plexiglass frame. It comes with the hardware to hang it and the plexi still has the protective sheeting on it, so you may remove that upon its arrive for a crystal clear surface. The pictures don't really do it justice. This is the only one I'll ever do most likely, so check it out!

And I have a bit of sad news for those who don't already know. One of my biggest inspirations, the author Ray Bradbury (who wrote Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes and many others), died last week at 91. While he lived a long full life, and left a ton of great work behind, it symbolizes the end of an era to me and so of course I was saddened by the loss. If you're not familiar with his work, you can usually find pulp novels from the 50's for pennies on the dollar to get your feet wet. If you're a fan, what was your favorite work by him?

I found the coolest music video recently on a blog I follow and I wanted to share it. It's fully illustrated, creepy and a bit hypnotic. I just couldn't look away despite being sort of unsettled by it. Take a look:



And let's wrap up with another great movie that I saw recently. Master of the World, a 1961 adaptation of Jules Verne's classic of the same name starring Vincent Price was unexpectedly good. The effects were pretty believable, the sets were great and the acting wasn't too bad either. The premise of the movie is that a scientist in the 1700's creates a war blimp that he uses to float all over the world intimidating countries into peace by threatening to bomb them into oblivion from above. Sounds backwards doesn't it? Well, that's Jules Verne for you. It's on instant on Netflix right now, so check it out if you want some light film entertainment.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Waiting...

Hello Lovelies~

I hope this week finds you doing well out there. I have much waiting in the wings and under development. Exciting stuff, fun stuff. The newest little endeavor I'm most excited about is Stag, my new store slated for a Father's Day (June 17th) Grand Opening! Stag, will feature fine vintage men's goods; books, records, clothes, accessories and even some pieces from photo shoots past! As you know, I like buying vintage items a great deal and I like to keep my photography, costumes and props fresh and this will provide a means for me to do all of that. (Plus, you will now have a chance to buy some really top-knotch items.) The piece below will be used in most of my product photography. Isn't it great? It's a display from a men's store. Standby for more details, and let me know what you'd like to see me carry! I can honestly find anything and I'd love to help find that special gift for you, or the man in your life...

Speaking of styling and shoots and vintage, a client sent me this great series of Kodachrome photos compiled by a man in Russia using the Shorpy blog. (Shorpy, for those who don't know, is a virtual treasure-trove of vintage photography. Amazing stuff.) His selection has some great captions and the images themselves are just wonderful. The colors, the faces, the clothes, all that industrial war machinery. You really can't beat it. My favorites are below and you can find more here.

I have to tell you guys I have seen some strange movies lately and I want to share. (I attribute this to the fact that Netflix either has a poor collection of popular movies or the fact that its movie suggester is getting way too good... probably both.) Most recently, I watched the 70's futuristic movie Death Race 2000 starring Keith Carradine and Sylvester Stallone. Wow. Where to start? This movie is just plain strange but the costumes and the cars make it fascinating. It's your typical race to the death premise like Logan's Run etc... but the dialogue, crashes, and inexplicable sex scenes make it worth the wait. Oh, and then you have Sly Stallone grunting out monosyllabic torts and Keith Carradine wearing a rubber mask to really keep things interesting. Again, wow. If you like corny 70's movies, check it out.

I would like to wrap up this post with a book I stumbled upon recently that I can't believe really exists. That's right, the image below says Do-it-Yourself Coffins. For Pets and People. Now, come on, folks. Is this for real?  Can you imagine someone being this cheap? And what do you line it with? I can picture that little jaunt to Joanne's Fabric: "Excuse me, can you recommend a nice satin that would look good as a coffin liner?" Wowza.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...