Marilyn Hair 101

If you love vintage clothing like I do, you might what vintage styled hair to go with your vintage outfits! Styling your hair into these old fashioned styles may seem intimidating at first.  Truthfully, there usually are several steps involved in creating each style, but if you break it down step by step, you can achieve the look  I have been working on the classic 1950s, Marilyn Monroe inspired, style for a while... and here it is in 4 steps!

Step 1:   Set your hair!

Setting your hair, just means curl it... but curl it in a way that the curl "sets" in its rolled shape as it cools.  You can do this with  hot curlers (not my favorite because they fall out the fastest,)  a curling iron... just clip the curls up with pin curl clips and until they cool, use a thermal protecting spray on each section before you curl it!  Or do the old fashion wet-set, this means rolling your hair while it is damp, (you could use several different methods, I use foam rollers) and letting it dry before you take the rolls out, be sure to use some sort of setting lotion or mouse before you set this way!   If you need help on setting methods, youtube is your friend!  Search for tutorials and you will find a plethora to choose from!

Step 2:  Tease it out!

After you let our your curls, brush them out a bit so the relax a little, and you look a little less like Shirley Temple.  Then back comb and tease the heck out your hair so that it looks really big and really crazy!  Make sure you get a lot of height where your bangs are or would be.   Be sure to try to leave the pretty curled ends of your hair in tact!   A product that helps a lot in the teasing process is volumizing powder, you just sprinkle it towards your roots  and rub it in.. and it really adds to the height and staying power of your tease.  Many different brands make a volumizing powder. I love the "Got 2 be" line's "Powderful"  You can find this brand at your local drug store for less than $5 and it works great!

Step 3:  Mold and form it!
Once you got your tease on, it is time to make it look normal again! Lightly brush through your hair and start shaping it with your hands,  your hair's texture should be pretty pliable at this point and your curls should be able to be tamed in the direction you want to go.  When brushing through your tease, be careful to not brush out your tease!  Try to only brush through the top layer of hair, a helpful hint for this is to use a baby brush--they have soft fine bristles that will pretty much only smooth your hair!  During this step I also get out my pin curl clips and pin my hair with them in places I want my hair to take a certain shape.  This will help guide you in your brushing and sculpting, as well as make the right indentations in your hair,  I leave the clips in my hair for a bit, and then take them out.  If there is any spot that may need more staying power help, I slide in a bobby pin!

Step 4:  Lock it in!
 Take out  the clips, and smooth away in fly-aways, with your favorite pomade or wax,  I love Suavecita pomade!  Then hair spray the heck out of your style and be on your way!

What's Goin' On...

So,I try to post a sort of week-in-review every week on the blog, In 2012 it was called, "5 Things that Made This Week Fabulous."   In 2013 it was called, "Thankful it's the Weekend, small things I'm thankful for this week."   So it is a new year, might as well change the ole' title again.. so this year I'm calling it "What's Goin' On"  because basically that is exactly what the post is all about, simply what is going on in my life at the moment. 

So here's what is goin' on at the moment:

1. This week was Snowmageddon 2014.. we have about 11" of snow on the ground, and my kids' school was canceled for every day except Monday last week... this week they will go a few days, but they won't go on Thursday and Friday because of parent teacher conferences.   I love my kids.. but really, the need to go to school.  No more no school days... PLEASE.

2.  I was interviewed for a really cool new podcast called "The Pinup Podcast."  If you're interested in hearing a little about my pinup side, and how I got into the scene, or if you're just curious as to what my voice sounds like, take a listen  HERE.

3. Monster Jam was in town, we bought Will tickets for his birthday, he was so excited to see it!

4. I had a great opportunity to work with an amazing photographer,  yesterday,  I got to take so many pictures, and the best part is he asked me to model for him as a favor... No, thank you, Color Me Gone Photography,  it was absolutely a favor to me. 

5. I re-launched my etsy store, and already received my first wholesale order, from Monkey Wrench Clothing!  I was ecstatic to have a large order, and for such a great store! 

6.  I ended the week with a great pre-valentine's day dinner out with some of my favorite girls. 

All in all, it was a pretty good week, but really every week is a pretty good week when I am surrounded by so many amazing people. 

Mavyn Moms and Pinup Pals: Gigi Fair

Gigi Fair

Photography by Ashley Fox Photography

1.  Tell me a little about your children (names/ages/fun facts) 

I have two beautiful boys, Tristan who is 5 and Samuel who is 2. They are absolutely the best things to ever happen in my life. They are very rambunctious and true boys through and through. They keep me very busy! I also have two wonderful dogs that I count as my children and am a single mother so there is always something happening in my house! They all complete me and make me a better person everyday. My 5 year old has loved red lipstick and nails since he was very little and doesn't quite understand why all women don't wear lipstick like mommy does. They are sweet boys and I love seeing how much they are already drawn to pin-up and rockabilly culture. 

2. How long have you been involved in the pin-up community/ taking pin-up photos? 

 I had my first professional photo shoot 2 years ago, but have always loved the pin-up lifestyle. It just took me the right life events to have to confidence to let it out!

3. How has being a pin-up affected your parenting?

 PIn-up affects my parenting by allowing me to be a better mother. I previously was in a marriage where I wasn't "allowed" to do a lot of things for me so I had to relearn what that was like. Everyone needs time to do their own thing and chase their own dreams, no matter what they have going on. I wasn't complete without it. Having the time to be dressed my best and in front of the camera is the exact opposite of my daily life. It gives me a chance to recharge and be refocused as a mother. I also think it is important to take care of yourself and as a mother its easy to not do things for yourself like get your nails done, etc. I would much rather teach my children that its okay to take care of yourself and that just because you have children DOES NOT mean you have to let yourself go! Taking care of yourself on the outside can still be good for your health. I feel much better mentally when I am put together and let me tell you how much better my day can be with just a little red lipstick. Living the pin-up lifestyle gives me reminders to take care of myself and my children as a whole, that we are all important. At the beginning of my pin-up career I really tried to keep my "pin-up" life and "real" life separate by not really talking about my children, mostly because of my divorce. I now realize how many amazing women there are in this industry and how many amazing stories/families/lives that we have and can all learn from. There is no such thing as keeping these worlds separate, although I rarely post photos of my boys on my modeling pages. My boys also love my photos and tell me regularly that I look pretty and are amazed that there are pictures of mommy in magazines. 

Photography by Ashley Fox Photography

4.  Has Pin-up brought any obstacles to your mom life?

 Pin-up has only brought positive to my life. The only obstacles I ran into were in the process of my divorce and people wanting an excuse to judge me. When I didn't let that happen everything smoothed over. There is always an obstacle of scheduling and balancing my time, but that would exist with or without pin-up. 

Taryn LIndsey Photography

5. Tell me about the photos you chose to share... why are they your favorite?

 I love all of my photos for different reasons. I try to have a theme or specific idea when I go to a shoot and I love being able to see in print the things that I've learned, so I have shared photos from different shoots to see the progression. 

Photography by Ashley Fox Photography

6. Do you have any words of wisdom to share with other pin-up moms out there, or maybe some ladies that are considering getting involved with pin-up? 

My best advice is to just stay true to you, and know that it is hard work. Like anything you will have good days and bad days. Days you feel like you can take on the world, and days you want to quit. There will always be people who try to judge you because I think there is a large confusion in our society of sexy vs slutty. They have been turned into the same thing, and I personally think a lot of our general media falls into the slutty category. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with a woman embracing her sexiness and power as a woman regardless of whether she has 10 kids, or 1, a husband, or none, a size 0 or 20. Pinup is about empowering the sexy, confident, woman that you are so just be true to yourself. 

To see more from Gigi Fair, visit her facebook page, www.facebook.com/pinupgigifair, and follow her on instagram at @missgigifair

Thankful It's {My Birthday} Weekend

What a busy and fun week!  It was birthday week at my house!  My son celebrated his 6th birthday, and I myself, stepped up one more wrung on the ladder  going up "the hill."  

1. Last weekend, Will celebrated his birthday a few days early by having a party with all of his favorite friends. The boys made their own pizzas to eat for dinner, they tie-dyed t-shirts, the killed  piñata, and they wrestled with my husband.  They had a fantastic time being wild little boys.

2.  On Will's actual birthday I brought him  a special lunch at school, then we went to build-a-bear and he made a new friend named, Shawn.  After that we joined up with the rest of the family and my mom and step dad, opened presents and then had dinner at Will's favorite restaurant, IHOP.  He chose all you can eat pancakes for dinner, and he ended up putting down 6 pancakes!!! 

3. The day before my birthday I  celebrated a little early with a special best friends pinup photo shoot with my best gal, Katty Delux, with one of our favorite photographers, Foxy Pinups!

4.  I found out I get to go to Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend this year and I am so freaking excited about it!  I thought there were no rooms left, but miraculously one opened up for my bestie and I to stay in and have the time of our lives!  It's going to be so much fun!

5.  On my actual birthday I celebrated with some of my girl friends, with a sweet, laid back, pajama party given by Katty.  We dressed in our favorite pjs, ate some amazing breakfast foods at night, drank mimosas,   and watched two of my all time favorite movies,  Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, and Mean Girls.   I'm lucky to have so many amazing ladies  to call my friends.

 

 

Mavyn Moms & Pinup Pals: Brody Bombshell

Brody Bombshell

Varga Photography MUAH by Portia Lynn Dahl

 

1.  Tell me a little about your children (names/ages/fun facts)

 

  I have two daughters. Arlene is 3 years old. She is named after my Grandmother and is very smart and artistic. She loves to read and to draw. Bettie will be 2 in March. She is named after Ms. Bettie Page and is my little ginger firecracker. If there is something she can get into Bettie is there and with attitude to boot!

 

 

2. How long have you been involved in the pin-up community/ taking pin-up photos?

 I have been involved in the pinup community since 2007. It has been a long road with its ups and downs but I have loved every minute of it.

 

 

 3. How has being a pin-up affected your parenting (ie.. what has pinup brought to you that makes you a better mom, or lessons you've learned through pinup that you can teach your children...) 

 

 I would say that pinup was just ad addition to my already “old-fashioned” nature. I was raised in an Italian American family and my upbringing was very traditional. That is how I got into pinup. I have always had a love for older things or things from the past. I would say that that has helped me to be a better parent to my children. It has made me more present in their lives. My children are still very young but already understand the concept of helping out around the house and cleaning up after themselves. My oldest is learning how to cook. I would say if it weren’t for my upbringing being the way it was that pinup would have helped me realize the importance of these things and would have helped me to bring them home. The one thing that I would say that one thing that pinup has taught me that I will pass on to my girls is to love yourself. Not everyone is going to like you or approve of what you are doing but it is very important to follow what you love and to make yourself happy

 

4.  Has Pin-up brought any obstacles to your mom life?

I think that the biggest obstacle that Pin-up has brought to my life is time. I am a single mom and I work full time as a 911 dispatcher so my free time is limited as is. A lot of people may not realize how much time is put into each shoot. While the shoot may just take one afternoon there is a lot of prep time put into hair, wardrobe, styling of the shoot. I have just made a promise to myself to make time for it. It is my one true passion and I believe that happiness in the end will make me a happier and better parent.

 

 Dynamite Dames Photography  MUAH Vintage Flair

 

5. Tell me about the photos you chose to share... why are they your favorite?

 I chose to include photos from the photographers that I have found to be most inspirational and that have taught me the most over the years. The first photo is by Roy Varga. The second photo is by Dynamite Dames. The third photo is by one of my dearest friends Christi Williams of Grinkie Photography. It also chose this one because it was taken in my own home.

  Grinkie Photography MUAH by Brody Bombshell

 

 6. Do you have any words of wisdom to share with other pin-up moms out there, or maybe some ladies that are considering getting involved with pin-up?

I would say first that pin-up take a lot of time and a lot of money. It is NOT at all a source of extra income so you must be sure that you can afford the time/money needed to do it while still being a present parent. If you have a little extra time and money, I say GO FOR IT! It is a great hobby to have with a great community of women, many of which are parents as well. The support system I have found with these women has been unbelievable.

 

To see more from the lovely Brody Bombshell please visit her facebook page. 

Want to be a featured Mavyn Mom and Pinup Pal?  Email me at devynbeth@gmail.com

 

Catch Up

Geeze Louise, I have been on quite a little blogging hiatus lately.  My lovely little laptop's hard-drive crashed, then after it was fixed, the battery charger stopped working (and my battery needs to be replaced so it barely functions without being plugged in.)  Being the thrifty, frugal shopper that I am instead of buying the charger from Best Buy for $60, I found one on ebay for only $12,  however when I got it.. the term "universal" didn't apply to my laptop because the plug didn't fit.    Anyway with my lack of working computer this past month, I have not been able to post on here, and that has really bothered me.  But I am back now, and look for weekly features to start up again next week!  

So since I have been gone since right before Christmas, I  thought I would fill you in on how things have been since then.

--Christmas was one of the best Christmases I've had in a long time, I hosted my family in my home and everyone got a long super well, we ate great food, and exchanged great gifts.  My husband got me a super amazing and eccentric vintage tiger print coat that I love,  I got him a bank account to gather funds to spend on his 66 Mustang with a promise to deposit at least $50 per month in it.  Will got tons of stuff to do arts and crafts with which he is really into these days, and Shaylee got two pairs of boots that she has desperately wanted for some time. 

--New Year's we didn't do much, but we did eat some really good tacos.

-- My computer had drama

--My husband's car broke down  and it took over a week to get it running again

-- I used some of my Christmas gift money to get a new tattoo,  its a cute little birdy on my forearm that is holding a banner that says "worthy."  I chose this because #1 the bird is cute and reminds me of the birds in fairy tales like Snow White and Cinderella that always help the princesses with their chores.  #2 My bird and his little banner helps  me to remember my worth, sometimes I forget.. now I have a constant reminder 

--I really want to get another part time job,  not having a real good reason to get out into the world and get dolled up on a regular basis is bringing me down a little.. plus the extra funds would be helpful, so I have been on a little search for something that would be a good fit for me... still looking. 

That's about it for now, sorry I have been away for so long!  I really love this blog and I always hate when I feel like I neglect it.    How have you all been? 

My Pinup Year in Review

Pinup "modeling" has become my favorite hobby.  Mostly, because it includes all of my favorite things into one.  Prepping for a shoot invokes my creativity. I get to combine my love of vintage, hairstyling, makeup, and crafting for almost every shoot. Really, the planning phase is almost as fun as the shoot itself.  I decided to share with you a photo or two of each of my shoots from the year, as sort of a year in review. 

Spring 2013

Vixen Pin-up Photography MUAH by The Candy Shop and Nikki Moreno-Whipple

Foxy Pinups by Hilary Hope Photography with MUAH by Amanda Adams

 

 

 

Charlie Girl Photography MUAH Charlie Girl/ Nikki Moreno-Whipple

 

Summer 2013

 

Vixen Pinup Photography MUAH The Candy Shop & Vintage Flair

Dynamite Dames Photography  MUAH The Candy Shop & Vintage Flair

Hometown Betties Photography MUAH- myself

 

Fall 2013 

Foxy Pinups Photography MUAH Amanda Adams

 

Daicy//Figuerido Photography MUAH myself

 

Hometown Betties Photography MUAH myself

 

Winter 2013

Elizabeth Renee Photography MUAH myself

Atomic Photography MUAH myself