Another find from my favorite place to shop: Ooh La La Vintage Swap and Sell group on Facebook. Best fits and find from around the world, and I don’t have drive around Northern California! So this one may be a wee bit tight, I dig. Sometimes in life, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. A little naughty can be nice.


Speakeasy Photos
MUAH: Self

Umm red, need I say more? After a long day of shooting, we enjoyed a scrumptious meal at the Shady Lady. I highly recommend fried green tomatoes and Portobello mushroom sliders.

Speakeasy Photos
MUAH: Self
Wardrobe: Authentic Vintage from my personal collection
Location: Shady Lady Saloon in Sacramento
This Series:
Four LadiesDriving Ms.
Roadside Assist
Neighborhood Frolics
Backyard Break
Grassy Knoll
Gettin’ Outta Dodge

Shane works from home, and as a housewife I spend much time there as well with the two children. As much as we occupy and enjoy our space, the hunt for new huts has begun. No one likes moving, but we look forward to new adventures in a new town. The process will be months in the making. A new chapter begins, anticipation builds to turn the page.


Samuel Nesbitt Photography
More images from this Viet Nam scene:
Return to Post includes a video of the road traveled to make it on set
Honor the Veterans

Sweets enjoying yummy treats. After a night of dancing with the Element Brass Band’s second line, we were ready for a snack at Rick’s Dessert Diner! Danee and I have some more exciting plans coming your way! She’s a genius! Check out our last project: Body Paint



Speakeasy Photos
MUAH: Self

Life has been churning for me for a while. As slow hand churning cream the old fashioned way produces delicious results, days are becoming sweeter, creamier and overall more palatable. I had to put in the work to get these results, and the taste is worth every ounce of effort.

I found this darling authentic 1950s vintage playsuit on my favorite vintage swap and sell group. Femininity never wears old.

Speakeasy Photos
MUAH: Self

Guest post by Shane.

After a year of anticipation we headed off to Las Vegas to attend Viva Las Vegas. Last year we learned about Viva about a week before the event. Prior commitments prevented us from making a last minute trip to Vegas, so we planned on attending this year instead.

After a short flight on Thursday, we landed in Las Vegas and headed to The Orleans Hotel. We were immediately greeted by the sight of a large number of guests in pinup and rockabilly styled clothes. Vintage inspired and true vintage in every direction that we looked.

Friday we enjoyed the fashions of a number of vintage inspired designers at the annual fashion show. Later we migrated out to the pool to watch the men’s swimwear competition. A wide variety of men’s swim fashions were modeled, but the finalists all had matching shirt and trunk sets. Friday evening greeted us with a sick baby and mommy, so it was decided that they would fly home early on Saturday.

A car show on Saturday provided a well-needed break from being inside a building for hours on end. A huge number of vendor booth were available to satisfy any vintage fashion desire. Hundreds of well appointed cars greeted visitors with personalities as flashy and unique as each owner.

With the pool beckoning once again, I headed back to watch the couple’s swimwear competition. Three couples consisted of a man and a woman, but one couple was two women with the same bathing suit. Funny story for that one: one lady found the suit in a vintage store, the other found the identical suit at Goodwill for $5! With only four couples competing, the judges decided to offer a prize to the 4th place couple in addition to the top three. Upon completion of the contest, those of us in the audience were graced by a hula performance by CocoTiki.

Returning from the pool I noticed a familiar face near the elevators. It turned out that it was Bernie Dexter! I patiently waited for a few minutes to have an opportunity to chat with her, and let me tell you, she is a gem of a lady! Very kind and gracious and genuinely interested in sharing a conversation.

At 2 AM Saturday night / Sunday morning, Levi and the Rockats took the stage in the ballroom. I enjoyed watching the band play. After snapping a number of pictures from the front edge of the stage, I ventured to the back of the dance floor, scoping out if anyone knew East Coast or Lindy Hop Swing Dancing. A few partners were found and I ended up dancing until 7 AM!

A sleepy Sunday morning gave way to the big event of the day: Tiki Pool Party, with a women’s swimsuit competition. Fifteen competitors all wearing a wonderful variety of swimwear from yesteryear. The judges had a hard time deciding on who they wanted for 3rd place, so in the end a 4th place contestant was also named. Upon conclusion of the competition, I was in a pinup photographers paradise: a pool filled to the brim with beautiful women wearing vintage swimsuits of all designs! In all, over one thousand pictures to sort from my time in the pool area.

The evening lead to catching the tail end of burlesque bingo, which I wasn’t planning on attending but ended up being quite a fun event. After, a trip to the ballroom was in order to conclude the evening with more dancing and spending time with new found friends.

Monday morning rolled around and it was time to say goodbye to Las Vegas for this trip and start planning for next year!

More pictures to come as the backlog of images from the weekend is sorted through. Watch Viva Las Vegas 18 gallery for more images in the next few days.

I have been working on some major clean up in my personal life. Time now to downsize my home and burn away more chaff from my life. I may be posting items for free and others for sale.

The closets are my first line to attack, motivated by an upcoming clothing swap with friends. The kids’ toys will be next. Then the kitchen. A new chapter brings new perspective, and there are so many things in my life I just don’t need.

Speakeasy Photos
MUAH: Star High Beauty
Featuring model Rachel Anne Taylor

Shane gets made fun of so badly when he is in charge of this luggage, but I LOVE it! Packing these bags today for a weekend in Las Vegas heat with fellow Viva attendees. I look forward to enjoying the fashion fruits of mine and others’ acquisitions and styling. Whatever will I pull out and photograph? Stay tuned!

Speakeasy Photos
MUA: Alyssa Plough