Sunday-April 8th Sunday of this year's Viva might go down in history as the best yet. Maybe it was the luxury of sleeping late, maybe it was the music, maybe it was the pool party, maybe it was the fact that I was awake to enjoy most of it. Whatever the reason, this was the highlight of the weekend for me. Sleeping late on Sunday isn't something I typically get to do, being a mother of four. I rarely stay in bed past 7am. So sleeping until 10am was a luxury and felt wrong. I rolled my hair, ordered room service, and strolled down to Moose's room where her room mate offered the use of a hooded dryer. Another luxury! After breakfast, we took our time getting ready for the pool party, allowing the hottest part of the day to pass before we went down to stand in line. Yes, there is a line for the pool party. In the hottest part of the day, it's annoying. After 2, it is only a mild inconvenience. I had the privilege of waiting with La Cholita and Dollie Deville, the latter of which honored me with a photograph.

Once we were inside, the pool party was settled into a lovely relaxed atmosphere. The vintage swimsuit competition was just beginning and it seemed that the ladies pulled out all the stops this year. Micheline Pitt's mermaid green bathing suit was astonishing, but this was my favorite of the show:

My buddy Shawna was in the contest too, looking adorable and tiny as always:

Once the contest was over, and picture taking done (the Pool Party is the best place to get shots for my Vintage Life Magazine feature but not having had a camera, my friend Brock did the honors...which is probably why these photos are so much better than my own), we sat down and relaxed for a while, enjoying the gorgeous weather, great music, and pool cocktails.

Next was the Jive competition (Yay T-Bone!) and some shopping, where I finally purchased my pink Remix shoes to wear that evening! After a record quick-change in our room for evening, we resurfaced for more music. I adore how Bethany and Brianna wore fancy black dresses and hats that night. Think I might have to make that a new tradition...fancy black duds for Sunday Night!

Si Cranstoun was a huge success, a delightful surprise! And Lu stood in the super long line to get us cd's and an autograph!

Si's set was contagiously joyful...dancing was inevitable. Lots of dancing!

Once dinner was eaten, most of us agreed that the jigging bug had caught us. So we headed back up to the ballroom and danced until our dressy clothes got in the way. Then we rushed back and changed into 'play clothes' and dancing shoes...to frolic the night away.

The kicked us out of the ballroom around two so we were banned to the record hop downstairs for the duration. I have to admit this was my first all night record hop...though I've heard many stories. I don't really dance, unless you consider my own frantic brand of bopping around dancing, so I guess I felt like I'd be inept. It's true that the dancing talent really comes out at the record hops. But I know how to stroll, I have a crazy gift for endless energy, and a few older gents even led me through a clumsy jive a few times! Moose, Kat, and I had a blast! My husband even stuck around the whole time looking on, sometimes joining in, and mostly offering a beverage where necessary. Before we knew it, it was 6am and we were replenishing our depleted-ness at the Courtyard Cafe. Tired but not all that tired. My first Vegas All-Nighter! Not my last, for sure.

After a few hours sleep, it seemed almost too perfect to end our trip with an amazing meal at one of our favorite restaurants, Mon Ami Gabi on the Strip. I realized that I had nothing left to wear, having worn my Monday dress on Friday, so I was super happy to find that Lulu had brought some extra stuff. I'm crazy in love with this circle skirt!

Lunch was amazing. The weather was perfect. The escargot was swimming in butter. The french onion soup was melty and rich. The Blue Moon was done up right.

After lunch, we made our way to Sephora before heading back to the hotel for some R&R.

We also hit up Frankie's Tiki Room since we had never been there before. They offer a variety of novelty drinks and we had been wanting to try the Thurston Howell, which my husband got. I had the Sea Hag. Both were very full of rum and I am not a rum fan (they really only offer rum at this place, to keep that Tiki vibe going). But the atmosphere is pleasant and the keepsake tumbler is great:

I missed the Double Down though, and the jukebox. :) So was it the best Viva yet? Probably. It seems like I am more comfortable every year, more at ease with the Orleans, more hesitant to visit the strip, feeling a bit more like a local and wanting to visit more of the off-strip flavor the city has to offer. I adore getting dolled up every day, palling around with my girls, enjoying my husband's company sans kids for a while. Still one of the highlights of my year. And yes, we've already booked for next time. I suggest you do the same. xxoo Ashley

Day Two-Saturday Early risers aren't the 'norm' in Vegas, so it wasn't surprising to be the only person walking the halls as I made my way to Lulu's room to get ready for our Whirling Turban meet n' greet and the car show. The group photo was set for 11:30 so we hurried to unroll, powder, brush, apply, and accessorize as quickly as possible. Lulu wore a vintage Mexican circle skirt with a Hawaiian Heaven corselet top trimmed in green eyelet. She put her amazing hair up into an enviably simple Betty Grable style up do with several huge flowers in a similar shade to her hair.

Brooke (Miss Moose) went 'red' for the occasion and showed off her curves in a stunning two piece wing bust/sarong skirt dress of peacock blue:

I put her hair in a wind proof 'net' and spiced it up with tropical flowers:

My dress was a new design idea, a full skirted Shaheen Dream in emerald green. The bow detail really should be placed at the base of the sash, in retrospect, but it still was a stunning dress:

I opted for simple hair and ridiculous flowers:

The photo shoot was a ton of fun and I hope we can repeat it next year, with even more participants (and a later hour! haha):

From the photo shoot, we finally ate some lunch, met up with our friends, and headed out to the car show. Such great shopping this year, to add to the music and gorgeous cars!:

We managed to take a break mid day to attend the Saturday pool party and root for our friends in the vintage swimsuit contest for couples.

But heading back to the car show after the hottest part of the day is always one of the highlights, both for photos and viewing the cars.

Even caught a few shots with Lisa Freemont Street fans on the way back in:

For Evening, we made a quick run to dinner, changed into evening attire in record time, and then headed off to catch the Saturday offering of entertainment- Wayne Hancock and JD McPherson.

I actually managed to get to bed by 1am...some kind of record for a Viva Saturday. But it had been a very long day! End Day Two.

What a difference a year makes! This year, no babies, shorter hair, and my first time attending the event as a representative of Whirling Turban! It made for a busier weekend, but still a rousing good time. The most stressful part of the event was preparing for it, as always. But this time was even more stressful because I had the added worry of waiting for my dresses from Whirling Turban. Katherine and I agreed (did I need much convincing?) that I should represent the brand a few times during my trip, and she designed me four beautiful dresses to wear. I would also be carrying a hand painted bag highlighting the name of the brand, a fantastic idea since it is a way to inform picture takers who you are wearing, without depending on business cards. The dresses arrived the week before our trip (whew!) and I adored them. It's amazing what it feels like to wear something made for you. Like you are doing something wrong, in my case. I felt naughty. haha

Travel Day-Friday-April 6 We were unable to work out the Thursday arrival this year, since we had to take the kids to Memphis to stay with family. We also were unable to find decent airfare out of Memphis (what is UP with that, MEM?)so our flight was out of Little Rock, at the ungodly hour of 7:45 am. This means we had to get up at 3(!)am to make the trip to Little Rock and catch our plane. My buddy Moose and her saint of a mom drove my husband and I to the airport and we did make it. But it was rough and I don't plan to do that again. At the airport, my darling sister-friend Lulu and her husband were there to greet us, looking shiny and gorgeous and radiant and tall. I wanted to kick her and kiss her all at once. The fellows at the baggage claim were staring in disbelief. I was wearing a vintage day dress on the plane but one look at Lulu's gorgeous skirt made me feel like I needed to change into something more confidence boosting. So when we got to the Orleans, I changed into a summery 1950's dress with a crinoline. I ran a brush thru my hair, slapped on a flower clip... Ahhhh...much better.

Friday was the day of the Viva Bowling, so we caught a few minutes of that as well. It's a fun event and the turn out was great. Afterwards, my husband headed outside with Misty and Michael (her husband) while I went alone to TGI Fridays to eat. People thought this was odd but I was perfectly happy.

Eventually, Moose came down and joined me and so did two couples who were also meeting us for the weekend. After a quick bite, we went out to the pool party that was in full swing. The male vintage swimsuit competition was going on and it was highly entertaining. Our friend Steve was by far the healthiest competitor but he didnt win, in spite of our Tennessee screams. It's rigged, I tell ya.

Once we had relaxed a bit, we went back to the room to get dolled up for evening. I opted for a 60's face and my gold pencil skirt with a basic black top. I also gave the hair lots of volume and wore the lovely LFSt custom hair clip and jewelry I got from Miss Tayva Jewelry. After a quick dinner at Koji, we ran upstairs to catch The Jive Aces and the Planet Rockers before turning in.

Just before bed, I threw my hair into pin curls in preparation for Saturday, our important day of Whirling Turban activity. ___________________________ End of Day One. :)

Directed By: Gary Ross
Starring: Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson

Let me preface this review by telling you where I come from in the way of my feelings on 'books made into movies'. RARELY does it happen that the movie lives up to the book. Let's face it: the chances of any movie director completely realizing your vision, as you saw it while reading the book...pretty much nil. So I always try to view film adaptations of novels as 'concept', not 'law'. I never expect too much and I always anticipate changes being made to the characters and the realization of the story. Sometimes it's just necessary. Gone With the Wind is a great film adaptation. It takes the spirit of the book, and ties it up with a nice 4 hr ribbon that any fan of the book can be happy about. Giant, by Edna Ferber, pales in comparison to the sweeping epic of a film that George Stevens helmed in 1956. The Yearling, brought gorgeously to life in 1946, ALMOST made me cry as hard as the book. The best film adaptation in my opinion is 1962's To Kill a Mockingbird, which is not only my favorite movie of all time but was so exquisitely crafted, it made me love the book more.

The Hunger Games is a book that I didn't discover until rather recently. It appealed to me, the idea of the dystopian society forced to live in 'districts' so as to keep order. And the obvious return to Roman times, when gladiators were forced to fight to the death for the entertainment of the upper class, was taken a step further- Parents ordered to sacrifice their children as a reminder of the futility of rebellion, and convinced that this was something grand and heroic. The public forced to watch. It's an interesting and quite compelling plot. My 12 year old son has been reading Mary Shelley, Jules Verne, and C.S. Lewis since he was 8 years old so I had no issue with his reading these books. And to form a mutual hobby, I decided to read the first book before taking him to see the movie. It was gripping; I read it in three days, mostly huddled in a heap on my bathroom rug at ungodly hours.

Since the book was so fresh in my mind, it was impossible not to be very excited about the upcoming film (released last week) but I kept my realistic viewpoint based on past film interpretations and their 'hit or miss' history.

The movie itself is a very good one. Gary Ross is not an action film director, per say, so I was very happy that he did not attempt to become Michael Bay in creating this adaptation. He is responsible for quietly moving pictures like Pleasantville and Seabiscuit. I like him. And I am happy to report that his personable style of direction was not lost on this tale of survival and woe. Though the camerawork at the beginning is disconcertingly shaky to start, it is also a great way to set the pace for the frantic moments of the film and the anxious lifestyle of the people of District 12. The movie is remarkably quiet for the thematic element and I like that too. There are large moments of silence, even during climactic times in the story. The casting is well done, with deep thought apparent in the selection of key characters. Big names with bold filmographies like Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, and acclaimed child actor Josh Hutcherson (who made a more recent name for himself in the multiple Oscar Nominated "The Kids are Alright") are wisely interspersed with relative unknowns- a tactic used with varied success by other trilogy directors like George Lucas. The look of the cosmetically obsessed Capitol is serviceable and the futuristic society is adequately depicted, creating a hodge podge of atmosphere that calls to mind both Clash of the Titans and Logan's Run. The highlights of the movie take place in the arena, as they should, and are carefully adherent to the source material while making concessions where movie-goers who haven't read the book need more manipulating. For a movie that has been touted as a 'violent' one based on a gritty 'violent' book, the actually mayhem of the games plays out very mildly-as it should. I did not feel this story was about the fighting as much as it was about avoiding confrontation and staying alive. So I was happy to see that the director felt a subtle allusion to the killing was more to his purpose.

Acting is solid all the way around though there are some performances that shine more than others; I particularly liked Josh Hutcherson as Peeta and Wes Bentley as Seneca Crane, a role that the film makers wisely chose to insert into this story in spite of the fact that his character's name isn't mentioned until the 2nd book. Elizabeth Banks is delightfully unrecognizable as Effie Trinket and Donald Sutherland makes a formidable President Snow.

The few negatives to the film are purely born of my own movie tastes, of course. I prefer a rousing and sweeping score during scenes of epic proportion. The tributes' entrance during the 'Opening Ceremonies' should have, in my opinion, been something legendary- with a John Williams style score to match. The aesthetic of the Capitol dwellers was also slightly too 'real' for me. I anticipated something between the 'cloner' colony in Star Wars and Disney's Fantasia...something fanciful and soothing ,with a watercolor palette and tons of warm lighting. It seemed stark and cold by contrast. Jennifer Lawrence was fine...but I feel that there should have been some narration to complement her dialogue since much of the film takes place in silence and her vague expressions were slightly underwhelming. I needed more nuances of emotion, as it stood, and found her performance somewhat lacking in this area.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH:
And now the real test: How does it measure up to the book? Other than the missteps I mentioned previously- the lack of score, the concept of the Capitol, and the performance of our heroine-I felt it was a remarkably accurate adaptation. It stayed very true to the book while still retaining the marks of good film-making. This is NOT easy to do and can't be overstated. I did not feel the Opening Ceremonies were grand enough or the Capitol pretty enough, sure. I also thought the interview scene could have used some improving, especially in the costuming department. But there were moments that greatly exceeded my expectations, such as the attack of the Tracker Jackers-which I don't feel could have been improved upon- and the entrance to the Games, The Cornucopia, which I felt was the best scene in the film. The relationship between Katniss and (precious little) Rue was paraphrased painfully, which made the subsequent scenes less powerful. The death of a key character was handled a bit differently as well, but was made up for in the scenes outside the games that were layered over the solemn moments to lend even more drama to the mix. This was genius, I thought, and made me even more excited about reading the next book (smart smart smart). The conclusion was enigmatically effective and deftly set up the continuance of the story. So as an avid reader AND a movie buff, I was happy.
----
END SPOILERS

To conclude this long winded review, I'll just say that the best thing about this movie and the stories on which it was based, is the fact that it appeals to parents and young people. Shared hobbies and experiences are priceless things and it's an added bonus if the subject of those hobbies are thought provoking and contribute to great family conversation. For that reason alone, I could feel justified in giving this movie a solid score of:
8/10
but it's a good movie, all by itself too. ;-)

Style Score:
7
You know I'm a fashion buff. I definitely feel there were some missed opportunities here, especially considering the success of the fashion in Ross's 'Pleasantville'. The makeup seemed slapped on, in a few cases, as well and could have been a little more distinctive and less 'Youtube'. :) That said, it was effective...but I' expecting some stepping up for the second installment

Here we are again, singing the praises of those lovely shops that keep Lisa Freemont Street going:

------

1. Jitterbuggin' The lovely photo above features model Amanda Lee, looking gorgeous in her Hawthorne Pinafore skirt from Portland's own 'Jitterbuggin'! I love the attention to vintage authenticity that designer Kimberly painstakingly gives to all her pieces. You will love it too and I hope that you'll visit the link to the right and also check out the video review I did or this self same pinafore skirt! We need more great companies like this here in the U S of A! Check them out on Facebook too...
------




2.Veroque and By the Belt-Etsy Shops by Vered
I found a beautiful skinny belt on Etsy that I just had to have! And the shop, By the Belt, has so many other great things. I love Etsy anyway...I mean, who DOES'NT want personal attention and handmade items? But this gal has a jewelry shop called Veroque as well, so she has even more cause for your attention. The pieces are beautiful and classic, with a twist. Visit the link to the right and don't forget to check out my video product review and GIVEAWAY for these shops on Youtube. The Giveaway ends March 10th so there is still plenty of time to enter!
-------



3. Vintage Hair-The Store
So I've been keeping this one quiet but it's time to let it out! This store has a pin curling tool that you MUST HAVE for your all your pin curl sets. I haven't demonstrated it yet on my channel because I need my middy cut to grow out just a little, in order to show you properly. But it's coming, I promise! You will love this thing and I do too. They also offer books for your styling assistance. Visit the link to the right to purchase the pin curler and other great vintage tools.

------





4. Queen Of Heartz
Queen of Heartz is still on board as a sponsor and I'm happy to have them! New stuff is coming quickly and you will LOVE the items I will be showing in a coming video. I'll also be hosting a Queen of Heartz GIVEAWAY with that video so don't miss it! Til then, check the link to the right to shop the site to your 'heartz' content. ;-)

What is it about shoes? I am such a fan of them. And I know that some day I'm going to regret what I have put my feet through over the years. But thankfully, there are some ADORABLE lower heeled options out there...like these by Espadrilles Etc!

I first discovered Espadrilles Etc a few years ago, looking for summer footwear. Their espadrille selection is by far the best I've ever seen for vintage inspired shoes of this style. The pricing was higher than I could pay but recently I discovered their sale page and was amazed at the reachable pricing for such obvious quality footwear. I contacted the owner and immediately arranged to fulfill some of my wish list. Thankfully, she expressed interest in advertising with me so I was able to obtain a few extras to show you as well.

The great thing about many of these styles is how feminine they remain, while maintaining a comfortable heel level.


The quality of the shoes I received is top notch, with only slight concerns in the comfort department due to the very firm foot bed. But this can easily be remedied with insertable foot pads. The shoes come in decorative and labeled gift bags instead of shoe boxes, which are a great plus since this will save you on International shipping and also protect the raffia texture on the heels. So happy to share the following video with you and please let me or the owner, Laura, know if you have any questions!

xxoo
Ashley

Honored indeed to be picked a the best 'Retro Hairstyle Blog' on London's Channel4.com!

Hear that, Nashville? I'm ready to start styling country music stars now! ;-)