VIVA LAS VEGAS!! (Part 3) Happy Friday everyone! Here is our 3rd and final account of Viva Las Vegas from the one and only, Becky Lee:

Viva Las Vegas 14 kicked off April 21st. Viva is still getting settled into its new home at the Orleans. This is the third year Viva was held at the Orleans after being at the Gold Coast for 11 years.

I recently moved from Seattle to the Las Vegas area which made things a lot easier for me and I was happy I could bring whatever I wanted. I arrived Wednesday night and opted to take advantage of getting my wrist band early while they were testing the system. Unfortunately, I ended up waiting in a long line.

New things for Viva this year included new fabric/ribbon wrist bands which were questionable at first but ended up being better than the plastic in the long run. Pinup Workout classes by Heidi Van Horne were available for those who wanted to work off drinks from the night before. Sweetpea’s Hooch and Smooch that kicks off the start to Viva was moved to a bigger area upstairs to the Bienville room. The Pinup Angels had planned to help Sweetpea out with her charity event selling merch for the Red Cross and the people of Japan, but due to a snafu in event policies we were unable to. Tickets were added to enter the fashion show which featured designers such as What Katie Did, Bettie Page Clothing, Fables by Barrie and Swithchblade Stiletto sold out. Sabina Kelley made an appearance at the Fashion Show reception. A third Burlesque show was added and several days of the Tiki Pool Party instead of just Sunday which included the sounds of the Aquasonics and the go-go dancing skills of Miss Kitty Baby. Vintage Suits by Mary’s Vintage Swimsuit on Sunday was amazingly hosted by Lisa Luxe, judges included Java of Bachelor Pad Magazine and Shelby Loveland of Vintage Suits by Mary. I was really hoping to be in the Vintage Swimsuit Contest but had to head home and missed the show. Tom Ingram’s new project, Burlesque Bingo made its debut late Saturday night/ Sunday morning. Also to a great surprise a hotrod film called “Deuce of Spades” was shown and had a booth at the car show. It was funny cause I spent some time promoting the hotrod movie I was in “Rat Rod Rockers!” at the car show.

I spent a lot of time working, taking videos, photos, and doing interviews for all my projects. Huge thanks to my boyfriend who helped me out. I actually had the opportunity to interview Tom Ingram! With so much going on it was hard to pick and choose what to cover. If you have been to Viva, you know you can’t do it all, no matter how hard you try!

Lots of great bands played Viva this year. Pachuco Jose y Los Diamantes was a must see! I was super excited to see the Los Benders who are very dear to my heart. Other bands included Hillbilly Hellcats, Los Straightjackets with Big Sandy, The Caezars, and Deke Dickerson and the Eccofonics. Also the Charles Phoenix Slideshow and Dekes Guitar Geek Show were a big hit as always. Vendors galore, Viva was a shopper’s paradise with My Baby Jo, Daddy-O’s /Stop Staring, Mode Merr, Get Go Retro, vintage vendors like Donnaland and a huge selection of cds. I bought the new Retro Makeup book that just came out, some shoes, and got a Rat Fink car air freshener.

The car show was a success as usual. This is the first year the car show is without The Shifters Car Club. Bands included the Dynotones, the Blasters and Jerry Lee Lewis headlined. It was well planned with the vendors on one side and cars on the other. Elvira Mistress of the Dark was present signing autographs with her T-bird by her side. I was lucky to be able to get a photo with her. I was helping Java as a cigarette girl and just happened to get back in time when my boyfriend was at the front of the line, so I snuck in while she was signing a photo for me. Other booth signings included Lisa Love, Kim Falcon for Gretsch guitars, Angela Ryan for Mitzi and Co. and the Pinup Girl Clothing gals. Was excited to get an autograph and photo with one of my favorite models Mosh as well. Also the Munster’s Coach was on display for photos.

All the burlesque shows were sold out. Most people ended up waiting in huge lines to get tickets. The Burlesque Showcase was hosted by Victoria Vengence who also performed her Voodoo Witch Doctor act. No cameras or video cameras were allowed into the shows…so only professional photos are available. Elvira made an appearance at one of the burlesque showcase shows. I had so many friends entered in the Burlesque Competition.The crown of Miss Viva Las Vegas went to Inga Ingenue of Seattle. Super excited for her!

Already looking forward to next year, Viva Las Vegas 15 will be held April 5th through the 8th 2012.


Becky Lee
xoxo

beckyleexoxo.com

See all Becky's Viva Las Vegas pictures HERE

Also, an overview of Viva: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2Fmq_UJVnk
And the car show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3QBqmbpxXs

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VIVA LAS VEGAS!! (Part 2) And now for our second Viva Las Vegas experience story from Sarah (pictures coming soon):

Hi everyone! My name is Sarah Vamp and I am a model and dancer living in Las Vegas, NV. I am thrilled to be sharing my experiences at VLV 14 with you! This was my second year going to Viva Las Vegas, my first was in 2009. VLV 14 was bigger, better, and more exciting! I had the amazing opportunity to walk in the Vintage Fashion Show for La Muerte Apparel! Be sure to read on for more info on how to submit to be in the fashion show and tips on how models can get the most out of their VLV experience! The fashion show was a wonderful experience. Thursday morning was rehearsal for the fashion show and I got to meet the lovely ladies and models of La Muerte Apparel. They were so much fun, professional, and made me feel like a part of the team. La Muerte Apparel is an independently owned and operated home-based business founded by Janelle Recendez. They are currently based out of Denver, Colorado. To see their unique and one of a kind creations please visit www.lamuerteapparel.com. I was beaming with anxiousness and excitement at the rehearsal. I had been waiting for this moment to come and it was finally here! Seeing the big stage, lights, models, the crew and hearing the music meant the big day was almost here! At rehearsal I also got to meet Catherine Garcia, and Debbie Morales of Rockin Kitty Productions. Rockin Kitty Productions is the productions company that makes the Vintage Fashion Show not only fabulous but possible! They are a great team and definitely know what it takes to put on a successful fashion show! I only got a glimpse of all the hard work and preparation it takes. After rehearsal I got fitted for the outfits I was going to be modeling. My first look was a sexy black and cream halter pencil dress with a skull print on the bust. The second look was a curve hugging black corset and a gold satin custom made burlesque skirt with bustle. I loved both looks and felt confident. After the fitting I was off to the Palms where I was staying to meet my mom. She came with to support me and for a little shopping. I got everything ready and called it a night.

Finally the big day had arrived. I got to the showroom around 9:45am. The room was filled with models with curlers in their hair, the production staff, dancers rehearsing, and Rockin Kitty Productions making sure everything was going smoothly. For the first couple of hours I was filled with anticipation and was waiting for things to start happening. But as soon as I started hair and makeup everything went by very fast. The fashion show was sponsored by Besame Cosmetics and had two talented makeup and hair teams. I loved my smoky eyes, kissable red lips, and classic victory rolls. After photos were taken I headed back to La Muerte’s station and I put on the first look. Before I knew it, it was show time! We all lined up and waited for our cues. Each clothing company only had about 7-9 minutes of runway time. It goes by so fast and I was so focused on modeling the clothes, doing the right poses, and walking I didn’t have time to be nervous. Being a dancer for a heavy metal band here in Las Vegas definitely helped as well. Being on stage and walking the catwalk was rather thrilling with the lights, music, cheering, and click click of the photographer’s cameras. I was sad for it to be over, but I was happy that after wanting to walk in the fashion show many years I got the opportunity! After the fashion show all the clothing companies and models went to the Big Easy Lounge for the Designer’s Showcase. A chance for the audience to purchase the designs they just saw, take photos with models, mingle with the crowd, and meet Sabina Kelley! It was a great event. It was awesome promoting La Muerte Apparel and meeting people who had enjoyed the show. After the event my mom took me out for a wonderful dinner to celebrate then I went back to the hotel for some much needed sleep! Saturday I had a photo shoot with the talented Ama Lea. Ama Lea is an internationally published pin up/alt/horror photographer based out of Los Angeles, California and has shot with many successful models including Sabina Kelley and Mosh. You can see more of her work at www.amaleaphoto.com. The shoot was a blast and Ama was awesome to work with. She is very laid back, professional, and easy to work with. Successful model Kat Kartel, who is also based in California, did my hair and makeup. I went for a sexy, smokey eye and Kat did an awesome reddish black lip. My first look was vampilicious! I wore Bordello Mary Janes, fishnets, a red high waisted pencil skirt from www.onthetrashyside.com, a black bra, and a beautiful waist cincher provided by Exquisite Restraint. My second look was a lot of fun. Janelle from La Muerte Apparel gave me an awesome dress made out of Robert Kaufman Hollywood Monster fabric! I paired it with a red waist cincher, fishnets, and black Bordello heels to complete the look. I am confident that we got some awesome shots, and I am anxiously waiting for the proofs! After the shoot I rushed back to the hotel to get changed. I could finally unwind and enjoy VLV. First my mom and I went to the last 45 minutes of the car show. Next year I will make sure to spend more time there. I did get to go to the Pin Up Girl Clothing booth. I purchased the beautiful Evelyn Feather Print Dress with matching reversible Black Velvet Bolero. It is a wonderful dress, very girly, pretty and fits like it was made just for me. After the car show my mom and I went to the Retro Lovely Magazine Party at the Big Easy Lounge in the Orleans. It was a lot of fun; I got a tasty drink in a VLV 14 keepsake skull cup. I also got to see Riannon from PinupLifestyle and meet her husband Daniel aka Dear Daniel. After I got a refill and some photos taken my mom and I went up to the vendor area to get in some shopping. I got some lovely wedges from Bettie Page by Ellie Shoes. They are black with white polka dots, and have a cute red and black feather/flower adornment on the toe. I also got a bad ass sugar skull cigarette case and my mom got a gorgeous Pinup Couture train case that is glittery pink with leopard print lining. You know the saying time fly’s by when you’re having fun? Well that was definitely the case because before I knew it, it was time to go back to the hotel. Overall my experience at VLV 14 was beyond amazing. It is always fun to be around an environment of people where everyone is excited, having fun, and appreciates the pin up, kustom, and rockabilly culture. I am already planning and getting excited for next year!

Tips for models going to VLV

Submitting to be a model in the Vintage Fashion Show is easy! All you need is to meet the requirements and follow the submission instructions. Rockin Kitty Productions posts casting calls for the fashion show on their Facebook page. You can also find more info and requirements on VLV’s website closer to the event. Follow the instructions carefully and you will need one natural headshot, one pin up headshot, one pin up full length shot and a video of your runway walk. They will also send you examples of what they are looking for. Once they have accepted your submission they will send it to all of the companies participating in the fashion show.

NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK! VLV is an amazing place to meet photographers, makeup artists, hair stylists, clothing designers, jewelry designers, magazine publishers and so much more. Put yourself out there. Attend special events and parties at VLV. The car show is also a great place to meet and network with new people.

Book a photo shoot! There are so many talented photographers that come to VLV. It is a perfect opportunity to work with a professional team that you wouldn’t normally be able to because of location. They also usually have affordable packages that may include makeup, hair, wardrobe, props, and accessories.

Bring model business cards or comp cards. A comp card is an 8.5”x5.5” full color card of your 5 best photos. It also includes your measurements, types of modeling, and contact info. Having those on hand will make it easy for people to get into contact with you.

Utilize social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and PinupLifestyle. PinupLifestyle is a great community based website that embraces pinup lifestyles and culture! It is free to join and you can create a profile, add photos, write blogs, post casting calls, and much more. If you are on Model Mayhem search casting calls a few months before and leading up to VLV.

Hope these tips are of some help! Most importantly make new friends and have the best time of your life!

Sarah Vamp
www.facebook.com/sarahvamp
www.modelmayhem.com/sarahvamp

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VIVA LAS VEGAS!! No, I am not singing Elvis for you... I am talking about the infamous Rockabilly weekender held in (you guessed it) Las Vegas! Viva Las Vegas was founded 13 years ago by Tom Ingram and has continued to grow and develop quite the following.

Guys and gals fly in from all over the world to experience the car shows, music, burlesque, parties, and all things Rockabilly. I have been dying to attend, but unfortunately due to my hectic schedule I am still a "Viva Virgin."

Sadly I felt like I was the only doll left that has yet to experience the joys of Viva, but then I realized that I am not alone. I couldn't bear the thought of us missing out on another year of fun, so I called on a few friends to give us a little sneak peak and to share their experiences.

I have already made a pack to ditch my v-card next year and after reading some of our fans blogs I think you will be joining me ;) Over the next 3 days, we will be sharing the amazing stories from Lacey, Sarah, and our July 2010 Pin Up of the Month, Ms. Becky Lee. Make sure you check back as I am sure you will find each story as interesting and exciting as I did! A very special thanks to all three lovely ladies for sharing with us!

Nikki
xoxo

Lacey's Experience:
Viva Las Vegas 2011 has come and gone and I'd love to some how bring it back magically to do all over again! Not just because this year I was riddled with the MOST annoying cold that lasted my whole trip, but also because Viva is just soooo much fun!!!!! If you are even mildly into Rockabilly and have never gone to Viva.....what are you waiting for?? It's our Utopia! For four whole days we invade Sin City with bands, vendors and cars, cars, cars!!!! Not to mention the huge Pool Party held every year!! Truly, one of the best reasons for going is purely for people watching! Everyone shows up in their vintage best! Lots to learn, take in and share with like minded guys and gals. Every year seems to get bigger and bigger and this year was no exception.

The first day of Viva generally starts off a bit slow but this year's began with a big bang at Frankie's Tiki Room!! Lots of amazing people to mix and mingle with including some of my favorite pin up girls!!! Frankie's can become cramped quickly but the crowd is always polite and the crew always ready to show you a good time. Frankie's is a definite "don't miss" when going to Viva!

Another highlight at Viva is "Miss Wolf's Jiving Class". It's a great way to learn or brush up on your dancing skills to make way for the big jiving contest! The Jiving contest is incredible to watch even if your not the best dancer. Couples of all ages take the floor to shimmy and shake, most of which are AMAZING to watch!

Speaking of super hot contests, the Burlesque contest is another "not to be missed" event at Viva each year. Some of the hottest ladies in burlesque compete to be crowned "Miss Viva Las Vegas". The show is produced by the lovely Miss Victoria Vengeance whose stage show grows more and more unbelievably awesome every year! Each contestant does their best to woo and entice the crowd. After the last performer, it's up to the audience to decide who the new "Miss Viva Las Vegas will be". It's great fun, often because of the caliber of the contestants and host. If you love great burlesque, you will absolutely want to take part in this event!

For many, the car show is a big draw. It's always held in the back parking lot of the Orleans hotel where Viva takes place. Tons of Vendors, bands and of course the most beautiful vintage cars to be seen and photographed. The car show can be fun and a great opportunity to meet lots of well known people. But it can get rather crowded, you definitely need to pace yourself. And ladies, bring your parasols!!!!! The sun gets pretty nasty out there in the open!

The main event at the car show this year was Jerry Lee Lewis!!! Always a good idea to pick a spot early, this year it was almost impossible! EVERYONE was anxious and excited to see this true legend play. I have to admit, I didn't get much more than a peek at him here and there on stage but I will say this, closing your eyes and listening to him play, he might as well have been the Jerry Lee we all know and love. Not one trace of his age comes through in his performing. For me, it was absolutely breathtaking!!!

As I said, I wish I could go back and do it all over again! But I guess that's what next year is for! For now I do still have tons of gorgeous pictures of my two beautiful friends, Erin and Billie and me taken so kindly by our good friend and favorite photographer, the incredible Mr. Tim Hunter!!!!!

Enjoy Viva as we did and hope to see you next year!!!

Check out Lacey's pictures HERE and don't forget to check back tomorrow for Sarah's experience!

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Tiptoe Through the Garden Howdy everyone! It's been a while since we've posted and we have some interesting things to share. Today Michelle and I had loads of fun shooting photos of our current and new hair flowers that Lucy B will be offering! They are all absolutely dazzling and super fabulous! I've always loved the whole Billie Holiday/Dorothy Lamour summery tropical flower look but used to be really shy about wearing flowers in my hair. I didn't think that I could pull them off, but now I can't get enough of them! If you're a bit unsure of them like I was, please don't give up on them! Flowers have without a doubt become my favorite accessory, bringing color to my face, brightening up my wardrobe, fixing any bad hair day and just having something that no one else on the street really wears anymore-the perfect pin-up statement, I think! I've learned that the trick is all about finding the right ones for you, with the right size, shape, color and type of flower that works best with your own personal style, face, hair, mood etc. We shot a bunch of our new ones that are in an array of colors and materials, some with feathers and sequins and glitter, oh my! So definitely go take a look at all of them, especially with Spring in the air and Summer just around the corner.

I also ran across this fantastic blog about the history of men and women's hairstyles over the years that I think you all will really enjoy! The author, Miss Maude Harletan even has a post about hair flowers, how perfect! So I would read up on my history ladies and gentlemen, it's quite facinating! http://yesterhair.wordpress.com/author/yesterhair/

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Pin Up Lifestyle Contest Hello again everyone! March is finally here and you all know what that means...Congratulations to Renata Bresciani, this months pin-up from Miami! The winner for the Pin-up lifestyles contest for February, sponsored by Lucy B has also been announced. The theme, if you remember, was 'On the Phone' and the winning photo of Miss Helena Handbasket is gorgeous! Check it out below, and check out the next contest too to see what it's all about this month. It's always interesting to keep up with all that :)

Olivia

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Magic 2011 Hello again everyone! I should tell you all that we have made it back home to Los Angeles after our trip to Magic in Vegas! We had a blast sharing a booth with the fabulous Bernie Dexter. We met a ton of really awesome new friends there too which is always a pleasure, especially when they get as excited about our lingerie as we do! A lot of people were also really interested in our new adorable swim costumes, so definitely keep a look out for them on our web page since summer is just around the corner! I'm sure you all will love them all as much as everyone at Magic and I do!

Bernie's new clothing line was also a huge hit. I was lucky enough to model some of her stuff at our booth and can honestly say that everything she has is absolutely gorgeous, fits like a charm and is perfect to wear over all of your Lucy B underthings! Go take a look at her site here

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Viva Las Vegas The countdown to Magic has begun! Lucy B will be sharing a booth at the trade show in Las Vegas with non other than Bernie Dexter! Although it's been a crazy stressful January in preparation for it, I am so excited to go! I've never been to Vegas before and even though I've heard mixed reviews about it, I still can't wait to see it and decide for myself! I have a feeling I'm going to love it!

Speaking of Las Vegas- Is anyone going to Viva Las Vegas this year? I remember when I first heard about it, it sounded like the coolest thing ever! And from what it looks like, it seems to be the big Gran Daddy of Rockabilly events, at least in the U.S. I actually haven't really met many people who have gone before, and don't really know if it's all that it is hyped up to be, but I would love to go this year! Any reviews on it from you guys would be lovely, as always.

Today, I got a little sneak peak at some of the new swimsuits Michelle is working on, and they are absolutely adorable, I can't wait for all of you to see them! Just 4 more months until Summer :) The new Tigress collection that I mentioned a few weeks ago is now up on our website so go check it out if you guys haven't seen it yet! Also, our new February pin-up of the month has been announced! Congrats to Kelsey Welsted- what a pistol!

Other than that, I hope you all have a gorgeous weekend and lovely rest of the week!

Olivia

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Pin Up Lifestyle I've come to realize that Google is not a very reliable source when it comes to searching for sites that involve rockabilly and pin up culture, especially since I have never come across PinupLifestyle.com until today. In all my travels through cyber space over the years, I have surprisingly never seen Pin up Lifestyle, but have always wondered if a social networking site like it ever existed. Thankfully it does and it's really actually, pretty awesome! I'm sure some of you don't do the whole social network craze thing, and I totally get it! I'm really not much of a fan of them either, and often wonder why I waste my time on silly sites like Facebook and whatnot. But this one is different. Looking at all the gorgeous photos that people put up is really inspiring. Another cool feature on the site is their 'Community' section which houses interesting forums, casting calls, upcoming events, DIY etc. Their 'Video' section is another cool area to explore where members post up some awesome videos on all sorts of stuff, from hair and make-up tips and tricks to music videos and all that jazz. They even have a contest held every month where you can submit your best pin-up shot that goes along with their monthly theme, and have a chance to win some really cool stuff from their sponsor for that particular month. Lucy B will be sponsoring the month of February, where the theme is telephones, and if your photo gets picked, $150.00 gift certificate to Lucy B is yours! Just think of all the goodies you can get with a hundred and fifty bucks!



In other Lucy B news, we are officially offering pin-up photo shoot packages together with Sarit Photography! You'll be able to choose from 3 different packages that will comprise of a certain number of outfits, photographs etc. The definite details are on the web page so check it out!

As for me, I will soon be featured on the web site to show off our new bra sizes which I am absolutely ecstatic about and simply cannot wait for!

And for this week, that's about it! I hope all you Lucy B's have a wonderful week :)

Olivia

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Lost Angeles Ok guys, seriously. Back home, all I heard about was how great the rockabilly scene in L.A. is but I have yet to find it! Maybe I'm just not looking in the right places, but I have been dying for a good show to go to! I hear Reverend Horton Heat is playing in Anaheim soon but that's pretty much it I think? I don't really know of any local bands around L.A., but I wish did! Let me know where they're all at! And what's going on everywhere else, where you live? It'd be kinda cool for this to be a good resource to look to when you're trying to find something to do, and to see what's going on in the area...I've attempted looking on the internet for events and whatnot but besides the big summertime doozies like Viva Las Vegas, I haven't had much luck.

A downtown venue that I've heard a lot about recently is the Smell. As far as I know, there aren't any rockabilly/psychobilly shows that play there (correct me if I'm wrong) but when I went out exploring more of downtown the other day, I couldn't find it! Maybe I just completely missed it? If anyone has been there, or if there's any cool shows coming up that you know about then let me know!! Or if you guys know of any other cool venues/DIY houses, burlesque shows etc.! I'd love to get all of your inputs and recommendations!

It's been a wonderfully busy week here at Lucy B but thank golly gee it's Friday!

Until next week,
Olivia

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Good Golly Miss Olli! Howdy guys and dolls! It’s been a while, and boy do we have some exciting news! First off, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Olivia and I am fairly new to the Los Angeles scene along with the Lucy B team! Hailing from Chicago, I find not only the weather here to be a lifesaver, but also the small sprouts of rockabilly and pin-up culture! I was starting to feel like the only one left of an indangered species back there. I mean, amirite Chicagoans??

A while back, after surfing the web for real authentic pin-up gear, I stumbled upon Lucy B and it was love at first sight. Then reality hit. I wanted everything but couldn’t fit in everything. As with pretty much everywhere, bras are categorized in only three devilish letters- S, M, L. My breasts are definitelty not small, or medium sized and I wouldn’t even call them large. They’re more like…huge… Immediately heart broken and frustrated with not wanting to go back to my boring granny bras, I wanted to actually do something about it! Before I knew it, I became a fit model for Lucy B and the rest is history. Or I guess, still history in the making.

And that is where our breaking news comes in! We officially have the Bernie Dexter Hardware Bullet Bra in 32-36 DD, 34 DDD/32 F. And watch out all you even juicier ladies, cause the numbers keep on risin’! We will be adding 32 G along with a few others, so stay tuned! All you broads will also be able to get your paws on the new Bernie Dexter Tigress in the same sizes!

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