Remember...today is the LAST DAY to enter in the Pandora's Choice giveaway! Visit the site and comment back here by midnight tonight(EST) to be in the drawing for one free pair of frilly knickers! See my post below for more info.
(And, share the lingerie love by linking to them on your own site or blog!)
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Pandora's Choice Giveaway!
As you know, I don't endorse things here that I don't genuinely adore. I'm not paid to endorse anything, and there are no ads on this blog. So when I tell you that Pandora's Choice is every pinup's one-stop shop for vintage lingerie, I mean it. To prove it to you, I have arranged with the lovely people at Pandora's Choice to give away frilly knickers to one lucky Pin-up Tales reader!
Here's what you do: Go to the Pandora's Choice website. Browse around, then comment back here and tell me about a couple of your favorite items on the site. This shouldn't be too hard, given that the shop has everything from stockings by What Katie Did (my personal favorites), to corsets, girdles, bullet bras, bustles, petticoats, makeup, gloves and more. Next Thursday, the names of everyone who commented will be put into a hat, and one lucky pinup will win a pair of frilly knickers! For the guys out there, these make a great gift, and Valentine's Day is coming...
And that's it! Get your soon-to-be-frilly-knickered rear in gear, browse the beautiful site and comment back here no later than midnight on Wednesday, January 21. Please spread the word about the giveaway on your own blog or website, and be sure to link to Pandora's Choice as well. If this goes well, we may be able to do it again!
Friday, January 9, 2009
Under My Tree
Happy new year, readers! Apologies for taking some time to post this week. It's taken some time to get back to life sans holiday plans…holiday life was fun while it lasted.
It lives on, though, in the amazing gifts I had from Santa under my tree. The big present from my guy this year was a pair of shoes by Natacha Marro. If you're not familiar with her, you should be. She's a French shoe designer living and working in London, all of her shoes are custom-made (my guy slyly traced my foot months ago), and they can often be found gracing catwalks and red carpets all over the world. Mine are the Tango in black patent, and the heel is a perfect six inches tall. Especially smart is the metal end she places on the bottom of the stiletto--ever notice how that plastic piece on your heel wears down so quickly? Plus, the insides are super-padded, so these vertigo-inducing shoes are actually quite comfy to wear.
Another favorite gift is a hat from Noxenlux Chapeaux. Like all great hats, it is a piece of sculptural art in itself, and makes a statement that is at once simple, bold and elegant. I wore it on a recent day out, and several smiles appeared as I noticed eyes drifting upwards at my head. Of course I get pleasure from wearing it, but it's especially fun when others get some sort of pleasure from seeing it.
Finally, in my stocking I got a gift that keeps on giving in a book called "1940s Hairstyles." It is my understanding that this book is no longer printed, making it very difficult to find and purchase. Having seen pages of it here and there online, it is one I have long coveted, and now it is mine. Perfect pin curls, pageboys, finger waves, bumper bangs and many other assorted hair styles are covered, giving you what you need to know in order to make yourself pinup perfect the same way ladies did it over 50 years ago. With the book I got a set of pin curl clips. Together with the book, I've been practicing my pin curls, sometimes with much frustration. I'll get it right eventually. Practice makes perfect, and some of these styles are a lot harder than they may look.
And when I say it is a gift that keeps on giving, I mean it: I am giving it to you. "1940s Hairstyles" exists as a PDF file, which is shared for free from folks in the know (copyright be damned). So go ahead--click here, practice, and enjoy. I hope it brings you joy and beauty through 2009 and beyond.
Coming soon: The First Pin-up Tales Giveaway! Check back here on Tuesday, January 13!
It lives on, though, in the amazing gifts I had from Santa under my tree. The big present from my guy this year was a pair of shoes by Natacha Marro. If you're not familiar with her, you should be. She's a French shoe designer living and working in London, all of her shoes are custom-made (my guy slyly traced my foot months ago), and they can often be found gracing catwalks and red carpets all over the world. Mine are the Tango in black patent, and the heel is a perfect six inches tall. Especially smart is the metal end she places on the bottom of the stiletto--ever notice how that plastic piece on your heel wears down so quickly? Plus, the insides are super-padded, so these vertigo-inducing shoes are actually quite comfy to wear.
Another favorite gift is a hat from Noxenlux Chapeaux. Like all great hats, it is a piece of sculptural art in itself, and makes a statement that is at once simple, bold and elegant. I wore it on a recent day out, and several smiles appeared as I noticed eyes drifting upwards at my head. Of course I get pleasure from wearing it, but it's especially fun when others get some sort of pleasure from seeing it.
Finally, in my stocking I got a gift that keeps on giving in a book called "1940s Hairstyles." It is my understanding that this book is no longer printed, making it very difficult to find and purchase. Having seen pages of it here and there online, it is one I have long coveted, and now it is mine. Perfect pin curls, pageboys, finger waves, bumper bangs and many other assorted hair styles are covered, giving you what you need to know in order to make yourself pinup perfect the same way ladies did it over 50 years ago. With the book I got a set of pin curl clips. Together with the book, I've been practicing my pin curls, sometimes with much frustration. I'll get it right eventually. Practice makes perfect, and some of these styles are a lot harder than they may look.
And when I say it is a gift that keeps on giving, I mean it: I am giving it to you. "1940s Hairstyles" exists as a PDF file, which is shared for free from folks in the know (copyright be damned). So go ahead--click here, practice, and enjoy. I hope it brings you joy and beauty through 2009 and beyond.
Coming soon: The First Pin-up Tales Giveaway! Check back here on Tuesday, January 13!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Favorite Things Roundup: December
I've given this some thought, but the truth is that there is only one thing I could possibly put on a list for December:
1) Christmas
I am a complete nerd when it comes to Christmas. My man had to practically hold me down to keep me from putting up the tree early--I don't see anything wrong about a Christmas tree mingled with jack-o-lanterns, do you?--and I was happily able to put up some more decorations this year since we are home for the holiday.
I realize there are lots of haters out there when it comes to Christmas. Yes, it's completely commercialized, yes, it can be a major source of stress, and yes, it can be really expensive. But I love the warmth in winter, the lights, the colors, and the anticipation (which might be my favorite part). My heart still leaps a little when I see presents under the tree on Christmas morning, and not because I got more stuff. My family says I'm impossible to shop for, and generally buy straight off my list or buy gift cards, so there actually aren't many surprises. (It should be noted here that my man is an exceptional gift-giver. His are ALWAYS surprises.) I get excited because somewhere in me there is still a little girl who thinks Santa or a Santa-like entity still exists who wants to give us one day when being thoughtful is celebrated. I love giving presents; my man has to hold me back on that as well. If he didn't, we'd be totally broke. I love the eating, I love the holiday specials and I love the carols.
For the Scrooges out there, I feel badly that Christmas has been lost for them. Christmases for me have been great, but I know that's not the case for everyone, and some people have a long list of reasons why they personally have learned to dislike Christmas. I think that ultimately each of us have our own definition of Christmas, or whatever winter holiday we choose to celebrate. As for me, love and magic are at the core of my Christmas, and I wish you both this year.
(So get off the computer! Go be with people! I'm only online because I'm stuck at work.)
Friday, December 19, 2008
The Corset Cover-up
One of the perks to my new job is a very steep discount on membership to a health club. I myself have never really been one for working out, the problem being that I don't like to sweat (I'm always worried it will cause me to break out, even though my skin has been under control). I like Pilates because it makes me feel strong, but it's expensive and I get bored doing the same workout all the time. So, I decided to start out with a one-week trial membership and see how things went.
I slipped into my tennis shoes and imagined them waking from an age-old slumber, much like the cartoon bullets that spring to life in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? when Detective Eddie Valiant enlists their help in Toon Town after many years of disuse. These are the same gym shoes I got when I started working my very first retail job in high school, and tennis shoes were a required part of our uniform. I washed my face, filled up my water bottle and went up one floor to the cardio room.
It took some time for me to reacquaint myself with this land of nefarious contraptions designed to inflict non-sexual pain. First, I forgot to be mindful of which treadmill I chose, and didn't take into account what channel was playing on the TV, so I wound up watching ESPN meatheads digest the Sunday football game. I was too embarrassed to move, though, and stuck with it. The first half-mile was hard, not least because I was in front of a mirror and saw how awful I looked as I ran. After a mile, I switched to another machine, and then headed up to the weight room for part two of my workout.
Back in the day, I used to be very enthusiastic about weight lifting. I got a weight bench for my birthday one year, and even brought my barbells with me on family vacations. I credit the weightlifting I did in my years of early puberty as the reason why it's not very difficult for me to get my arms back into shape. But recently, my man was sitting next to me on the couch and said, "You look great in that dress, but you would be devastating with toned arms." At first I was offended, then felt sad because he was right. I had allowed my once-beautiful arms to lose their muscle tone, and was now determined to restore it. This I knew I could do, and was doing some curls on the weight bench when a large man came over to me and asked me if I was okay. I told him I was fine. He asked me again, and I told him I thought I was doing fine, but it seemed like he thought otherwise, so tell me what I'm doing wrong. He showed me the proper way to curl (how could I forget?!?) and then demonstrated to me how some of the machines worked.
Ever since that day, I have been in pain, but the pain feels good. My thighs scream at me when I sit down, and my calves share the sentiment. I went back two days later, and though I'm still sore, I like that I'm getting strong. I can already see a difference.
The thing I realized is that I had let myself go because, in a corset, I look great. I'm not fat, but I have gotten soft, which is not something I see when I'm laced and looking in a mirror. In a corset, my waist looks great and my tummy is flat. The shape of my legs doesn't matter much because my skirts generally fall below the knee, so I don't notice so much if they expand or contract. And I gave up on my butt a long time ago. However, none of this is any excuse for not taking care of my body. Even if I look good, that doesn't mean I have a healthy heart. Flexibility is important, and working out helps me feel less guilty if I eat poorly one meal.
My father was just diagnosed with diabetes, himself having once been a star athlete who later let himself go with the various stresses of life. Now he can't eat the way he'd like to because he's spent the last few years eating whatever he wants with no regard for his health. It's hard on him now having to make sudden, big changes, and it's hard on my mom as well. My corsets are great and I won't stop wearing them, but I also can't let them trick me into thinking I am healthier than I am.
I slipped into my tennis shoes and imagined them waking from an age-old slumber, much like the cartoon bullets that spring to life in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? when Detective Eddie Valiant enlists their help in Toon Town after many years of disuse. These are the same gym shoes I got when I started working my very first retail job in high school, and tennis shoes were a required part of our uniform. I washed my face, filled up my water bottle and went up one floor to the cardio room.
It took some time for me to reacquaint myself with this land of nefarious contraptions designed to inflict non-sexual pain. First, I forgot to be mindful of which treadmill I chose, and didn't take into account what channel was playing on the TV, so I wound up watching ESPN meatheads digest the Sunday football game. I was too embarrassed to move, though, and stuck with it. The first half-mile was hard, not least because I was in front of a mirror and saw how awful I looked as I ran. After a mile, I switched to another machine, and then headed up to the weight room for part two of my workout.
Back in the day, I used to be very enthusiastic about weight lifting. I got a weight bench for my birthday one year, and even brought my barbells with me on family vacations. I credit the weightlifting I did in my years of early puberty as the reason why it's not very difficult for me to get my arms back into shape. But recently, my man was sitting next to me on the couch and said, "You look great in that dress, but you would be devastating with toned arms." At first I was offended, then felt sad because he was right. I had allowed my once-beautiful arms to lose their muscle tone, and was now determined to restore it. This I knew I could do, and was doing some curls on the weight bench when a large man came over to me and asked me if I was okay. I told him I was fine. He asked me again, and I told him I thought I was doing fine, but it seemed like he thought otherwise, so tell me what I'm doing wrong. He showed me the proper way to curl (how could I forget?!?) and then demonstrated to me how some of the machines worked.
Ever since that day, I have been in pain, but the pain feels good. My thighs scream at me when I sit down, and my calves share the sentiment. I went back two days later, and though I'm still sore, I like that I'm getting strong. I can already see a difference.
The thing I realized is that I had let myself go because, in a corset, I look great. I'm not fat, but I have gotten soft, which is not something I see when I'm laced and looking in a mirror. In a corset, my waist looks great and my tummy is flat. The shape of my legs doesn't matter much because my skirts generally fall below the knee, so I don't notice so much if they expand or contract. And I gave up on my butt a long time ago. However, none of this is any excuse for not taking care of my body. Even if I look good, that doesn't mean I have a healthy heart. Flexibility is important, and working out helps me feel less guilty if I eat poorly one meal.
My father was just diagnosed with diabetes, himself having once been a star athlete who later let himself go with the various stresses of life. Now he can't eat the way he'd like to because he's spent the last few years eating whatever he wants with no regard for his health. It's hard on him now having to make sudden, big changes, and it's hard on my mom as well. My corsets are great and I won't stop wearing them, but I also can't let them trick me into thinking I am healthier than I am.
Friday, December 12, 2008
R.I.P., Bettie Page
Today we mourn the death of Bettie Page, unquestionably the queen of pin-ups. In her obituary in today's New York Times, Bettie is quoted as saying, "I want to be remembered as a woman who changed people's perspectives concerning nudity in its natural form."
I think she did. One of the great things about Bettie is how natural she looks--no implants, no tanning. Her trademark hairstyle is often a little frizzy, and her locks are never ramrod straight. I imagine she rolled out of bed, showered, and let her hair air-dry as she drove to a shoot. She doesn't wear lots of make-up, and generally isn't dripping in jewels and rhinestones. More or less, she's wearing underwear that happens to match.
Another thing I take from her referring to "nudity in its natural form" is her SM photography, although I am sure that is not what she meant. Nudity inspires different feelings and thoughts for everyone, many of which stem from a culture that treats nudity as taboo. Her work helped to make it okay for people to have their dirty thoughts, partially because she herself was so clean and tasteful. One thing that can be very difficult about enjoying SM play is that most people go through various stages of denial, in much the same way that I imagine gay men and women do as they come to realize their homosexuality. It's hard to admit that you enjoy being spanked or tied up, or to confront an innate desire to inflict pain on someone you love. Bettie helped make SM public, and it became part of the sexual revolution she inadvertently helped launch.
It's my belief that there is still an awful lot of prejudice and misunderstanding about SM and the people who practice it. I myself am extremely private about it, whereas my man is not, because I am very sensitive to the criticism I anticipate from others. But the message Bettie sends has helped me be at ease with my own desires. Sex is fun, and it's fun in a lot of different ways; there's really no right or wrong way to enjoy it and assumptions to the contrary are thrown out when you look at the scope of Bettie's photos. Like Bettie, you can be a good girl in soft lace some of the time and still be the bad girl in leather at other times. Because come on, admit it--you are a little bit of both.
I think she did. One of the great things about Bettie is how natural she looks--no implants, no tanning. Her trademark hairstyle is often a little frizzy, and her locks are never ramrod straight. I imagine she rolled out of bed, showered, and let her hair air-dry as she drove to a shoot. She doesn't wear lots of make-up, and generally isn't dripping in jewels and rhinestones. More or less, she's wearing underwear that happens to match.
Another thing I take from her referring to "nudity in its natural form" is her SM photography, although I am sure that is not what she meant. Nudity inspires different feelings and thoughts for everyone, many of which stem from a culture that treats nudity as taboo. Her work helped to make it okay for people to have their dirty thoughts, partially because she herself was so clean and tasteful. One thing that can be very difficult about enjoying SM play is that most people go through various stages of denial, in much the same way that I imagine gay men and women do as they come to realize their homosexuality. It's hard to admit that you enjoy being spanked or tied up, or to confront an innate desire to inflict pain on someone you love. Bettie helped make SM public, and it became part of the sexual revolution she inadvertently helped launch.
It's my belief that there is still an awful lot of prejudice and misunderstanding about SM and the people who practice it. I myself am extremely private about it, whereas my man is not, because I am very sensitive to the criticism I anticipate from others. But the message Bettie sends has helped me be at ease with my own desires. Sex is fun, and it's fun in a lot of different ways; there's really no right or wrong way to enjoy it and assumptions to the contrary are thrown out when you look at the scope of Bettie's photos. Like Bettie, you can be a good girl in soft lace some of the time and still be the bad girl in leather at other times. Because come on, admit it--you are a little bit of both.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
On My Naughty List
Instead of doing a Favorite Things post for November, I'd like to share with you just a few things on my naughty Christmas list. Please, Santa baby...I've been extra bad!
1. The SaSi
I love vibrators, and as far as I can tell the SaSi may be the cream of the crop (pun intended). What sets the SaSi apart is its use of Sensual Intelligence technology. As you use the SaSi, you tell it what levels and types of stimulation you like best, and can skip over the ones that just don't do it for you. SaSi remembers, and returns to your favorites, and, based on those, throws in some educated guesses about something new for you to try. It's silicone, so it's easy to clean, and it's rechargeable, so you don't have to keep buying batteries. Of course it can't bring you flowers or feed you soup when you're sick, but otherwise, the SaSi might be the ideal partner--does what you like, throws a few curveballs, and isn't offended if you don't like what it's doing. At $175, it's not exactly recession-friendly, but a girl can dream.
2. Fifi and Francoise
I would be happy with just about anything from Agent Provocateur under my tree, but these are a couple of my favorites. I love the lace overlays, and the pink and black combination runs throughout my favorite pieces at home. The bras give my breasts a flattering bullet-shape, and may I point out the Francoise French Thong in particular? Let's also take note of the Fifi slip. That's a gift for me and my man.
3. The Lace-up Girdle from Lace Embrace
Of course I love lacing up in my corset, but there are some days when I want something a little gentler. Maybe I'm cramping, maybe my hips are sore, or maybe I'm just bored wearing the same pair of utility corsets I have, but this girdle would be a great alternative. Not only is it sexy on its own, but it keeps everything smooth, tight and shapely, even if it's not as extreme as a corset. The smoothness in particular is a big draw, since I get very self-conscious about my corset being visible under my clothes. I've also had very pleasant dealings with Lace Embrace in the past, and would be happy to continue supporting their business.
1. The SaSi
I love vibrators, and as far as I can tell the SaSi may be the cream of the crop (pun intended). What sets the SaSi apart is its use of Sensual Intelligence technology. As you use the SaSi, you tell it what levels and types of stimulation you like best, and can skip over the ones that just don't do it for you. SaSi remembers, and returns to your favorites, and, based on those, throws in some educated guesses about something new for you to try. It's silicone, so it's easy to clean, and it's rechargeable, so you don't have to keep buying batteries. Of course it can't bring you flowers or feed you soup when you're sick, but otherwise, the SaSi might be the ideal partner--does what you like, throws a few curveballs, and isn't offended if you don't like what it's doing. At $175, it's not exactly recession-friendly, but a girl can dream. 2. Fifi and Francoise
I would be happy with just about anything from Agent Provocateur under my tree, but these are a couple of my favorites. I love the lace overlays, and the pink and black combination runs throughout my favorite pieces at home. The bras give my breasts a flattering bullet-shape, and may I point out the Francoise French Thong in particular? Let's also take note of the Fifi slip. That's a gift for me and my man.3. The Lace-up Girdle from Lace Embrace
Of course I love lacing up in my corset, but there are some days when I want something a little gentler. Maybe I'm cramping, maybe my hips are sore, or maybe I'm just bored wearing the same pair of utility corsets I have, but this girdle would be a great alternative. Not only is it sexy on its own, but it keeps everything smooth, tight and shapely, even if it's not as extreme as a corset. The smoothness in particular is a big draw, since I get very self-conscious about my corset being visible under my clothes. I've also had very pleasant dealings with Lace Embrace in the past, and would be happy to continue supporting their business.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
