Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Karaoke Ring of Death: Duets!

This month's Karaoke Ring of Death theme was duets. I'm really excited to see what my fellow KROD-ers are going to come up with, since this is supposed to broaden the scope of who's singing (roping in a partner) or maybe employ some creative means to get around the lack of a partner.

Today I present to you Carolina of http://www.carolinathinks.com, traversing the high/low vocal extremes of "You Don't Know Me":


As for me-- I was all set to go solo (duo?) and sing a duet with myself, something I've actually done before, but fortunately, my karaoke buddy/partner in crime Nick came to the rescue so we could record one of our standards that we always perform at our local karaoke joints. You can catch us on Sandy's blog at: http://sandywessel.blogspot.com/2012/04/april-krod.html

The master list, with a link to everyone's blogs/videos, can be found at the main KROD blog: 
http://karaokeringofdeath.wordpress.com/2012/04/25/april-master-list/

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

That Vintage Vibe

I don't know why, but I've been on a real vintage/retro/rockabilly kick lately. Basically, I'm still going strong after Tabitha and I began our online dress shopping spree. Since then, I've uncovered several other websites that focus on vintage inspired fashion, many at reasonable prices, such as Dress 911, Lace Affair, The Stylish Boutique, and eShakti. 

It began when I discovered ModCloth, and immediately snapped up a couple dresses I thought would look good on my oddly-shaped/proportioned frame:

The classic 1950's soda fountain dress, which ended up being REALLY figure-flattering (even if the shoulders were a bit tight).


And moving on to more of a 60's mod look, a houndstooth-print dress which also fit well, even without a sash or belt, which I typically need on dresses to cinch the waist:


I really like the looks of a lot of the styles showcased on these vintage-inspired sites: a good mix of modesty and modern flirtiness. A lot of the cuts work well for my body type, too, since mine is not the type that's designed to show a lot of cleavage, and so many contemporary style dresses (at least, the ones that are more fun and less... dowdy) seem to aim for that.

Then! Several dress purchases later came the pièce de résistance: a lovely little cherry-print rockabilly number that fit me perfectly EVERYWHERE (a rarity in a dress-- usually there's at least ONE problem area that could use a better fit, whether it's my chest or my shoulders or waist):


Not only that, but it perfectly epitomizes that pinup, rockabilly look I'm currently enamored with. Oh, I don't fully complete the whole ensemble-- my hair is still my ordinary hair and makeup is still nonexistent save for very special occasions. But wearing that dress makes me feel feminine, flirty and fun!

So now I have my eye on the next dishy thing: that same style dress, in polka dots! What could spell "retro" more than polka dots!?


Like I said-- I'm really digging the retro/vintage look. I love how the styles of yesteryear accentuated a woman's assets without being overly trashy. Sexy yet classy. And I love how the modern take on some of these vintage styles retains a lot of that while still adding a bit of contemporary flair to it. 

How about you? What's your style?