The Rockabilly Socialite

Viva Las Vegas: Saturday Day

2013-05-21T22:53:00.002-07:00

Saturday afternoon at Viva Las Vegas means one thing- the Shifters Car Show! This year it also meant finally getting to see Little Richard. The car show involves a lot of standing, walking and heat, so I always try to dress comfortably. I had been saving this outfit since I bought it at the prior Viva, and was really looking forward to finally wearing it. It is a playsuit with matching skirt in a western novelty print rayon. I paired it with a vintage cowgirl hat, Justin boots, and vintage accessories. It was so cool and comfortable all afternoon. How much do we love Ramona's pineapple top and rope belt?

I loved this couples matching Alfred Shaheen outfits. I have this print in red. I also have those Remix wedges. I need that crab purse to match my fish purses though.

We made it to the car show in time to catch Dick Dale. I am sooooo glad we did because seeing him was a huge highlight of the weekend for me. He played favorites like Miserlou, Nitro and Ghost Riders In The Sky. He sure is the King of Surf Guitar!

People as far as the eye can see!

In between bands we walked around to see the cars and the vendors. With over 800 cars that can take quite a while!

The cars are always a hit, but I personally prefer the vintage trailers. There were some great ones, like this one here:

Goofing around with Charles Phoenix! Did you know he is extremely knowledgeable about vintage cars? He is a big car collector and knows a ton about the little details that make each model unique.

Carol and Lanark Records.

Revamp Purses

With one of my favorite models- Amanda Lee!

Lisa Love's booth where she was selling her new paperdolls, prints and more.

Riley Kern's booth had more beautiful prints!

With Dottie at Vintage Swimsuits By Mary.

This girl at Le Keux Cosmetics was such a doll. I loved there packaging. I hope to own some of there makeup soon!

The sun was starting to set and we were all ready to see the main event- Little Richard!

But first, there was the results of the pinup contest. I couldn't quite see who won, but all of the girls looked fabulous.

This was one of the contestants I believe.

It took a while, but when Little Richard hit the stage everyone went crazy! He looked "mmm so good" in his purple suit with rhinestones. His boots where literally dripping in rhinestones! He is wheelchair bound at this point, so he couldn't dance but made do in a fancy throne-like piano bench. He did all of the songs you would expect, and then some. His set was really long, maybe even too long. He had a big band backing him, which at times felt a little too big and over produced. He is definitely older and slowed down a ton, but it was still a very good show. I still got chills just being able to see this legend live on stage. I have wanted to see him forever, and I believe this was my last opportunity I may get.

With Jennifer Greenburg, author of The Rockabillies.

Overall it was a great car show. This was the first year in it's new location at The Orleans' Hotel. The new location is closer to the hotel, resulting in a shorter walk. The layout is more of a square shape too, instead of an L shape, which seemed to flow better. I loved all of the vendors they had this year, including the food and beverage trucks. They also added some grand stand seating that you could watch the bands from, which was a great idea. While the car show has changed a lot since the Gold Coast days, I think Tom and the Shifters Car Club are doing a great job.

Since this day was so epic, I had to put it into two posts. Viva Las Vegas: Saturday Night is coming in the next post!

XOXO

Dollie

INTRODUCING: Outfit Of The Day

2013-05-20T22:50:00.004-07:00

I started doing Outfit Of The Day posts on my Instagram. I have never posted any of them on my blog here, so I thought I would do one giant post to show you all. I hope you enjoy it, as it will be a new weekly feature here. I will post all of the week's outfits on Sunday or the following Monday.

These are so fun for me. I like that you can see my personal style and what mood I am in each day. You can also see which pieces I am obsessed with at the moment because I have been wearing them a lot. Right now I am all about my tan carved leather wedges and matching belt, orange top, and springy florals. Most are vintage items with some reproduction items thrown in. You can tell during the work week I don't spend a ton of time on my hair or makeup, and dress down quite a bit. I didn't include all of the details on each day's outfit to save time, but I may in the future. If you want more info ask me in the comments below, and feel free to follow me on Instagram and my Facebook fan page!

XOXO

Dollie

Viva Las Vegas: Friday

2013-05-19T13:41:00.000-07:00

On Friday at Viva Las Vegas we always head to the pool, so I wore my vintage Sears swimsuit under a red vintage skirt. I paired it with white Remix bow wedges and vintage accessories.

Zack wore a vintage Shaheen shirt, vintage slacks and sporty bucks from Remix.

Head scarf kinda day.

With Incendiary Blonde

The weather was perfect for a day at the pool.

Ashley of Lisa Freemont Street in the pool.

With one of my dearest friends, Reagan, of Lil' Vintage Homemaker.

I love the asymmetrical red detail and buttons on this suit. It was a gift that I very much enjoy!

Since the tiki pool party is 3 days long now, they had live bands, a DJ and the men's vintage swimsuit competition to entertain us. I was on the other end of the pool so I didn't quite see who won the contest this year. I remember it being light spirited and fun though!

After a dip in the pool, and before even having the time to change out of my swimsuit, we ran to catch the Charles Phoenix Slide Show. I am a huge fan of Charles' so I never miss it. Everyone is roaring in laughter at his show, you can't possibly have a bad time or leave without a smile.

His fashion choices alone make for an interesting show!

Then we ran to catch our friend Dawn Shipley and the Sharp Shooters' set.

Old Moss Back found his long lost twin brother!

Zack and Fernando

With Holly, from Tempermental Broad

Mary Simich, looking fab as always.

Then I ran upstairs to say happy birthday to Jesse.

Look at this amazing birthday cake! Have you seen anything more beautiful? And it was even more delicious. Julie did a great job finding this bakery! Thank you so much for allowing my to share in your birthday celebration.

Yes, I am seriously still running around in my swimsuit. I had to take care of business!

Finally got to change and fix my hair for the night. Viva always has you running around like a mad woman trying to catch as much as possible. The hard part is trying not to LOOK like you are doing so. I wore a vintage Shaheen sarong dress, vintage Polly heels, vintage accessories and hair flowers I made myself.

Zack wore a suit jacket, gab shirt, and slacks- all vintage, with sporty bucks by Remix. Come on, you know you like seeing cool men's fashion! I do have some male readers too.

Zoe and I are Shaheen sisters!

Mellow Jo and The Hi-Tones were great.

She has a nice voice and seemed like a friendly girl.

With Pablo

Love Ramona's dress. She always looks the best!

With Big Sandy!

We got the Mello Jo CD, I will let you know how we like it.

Can you believe that Reagan made this skirt herself? It is embroidered with Vegas motifs and has sequins all over it!

With her hubby, Brian Jay of the Last Call Boys.

Phat Cat Swinger

I love this dress on Ashley, beautiful color!

Julie, always a fashionista

strolling

With some new friends: Chelsea and Missy of Technicolor Cutie.

Kevin, Stephanie and Zack

With Nikki Hill

Zack with Roy Rapid boys

With Nena Moreno

With Jennifer Greenburg and Ceeb of Miami!

I make Crazy Joe sad I guess.

Then we went downstairs into the pub to see the All Night Jumpin' Showcase.

We were lucky to get a seat right up front with the band members, including Marky Ramon.

Crazy Joe and Deke Dickerson

Chris Sprague and Amber Foxx

Nikki and Matt Hitt

Marky Ramone

Deke Dickerson and the Ecco-Fonics

Amber Foxx

With Monica

Killer outfit, love the black and yellow!

Bloodshot Bill

Nikki Hill

That jumpsuit is amazing!

With Amber

Dj Rockin' Vic

Too pooped to party!

Roy Rapid and the Rhythm Rock Trio.

Eddie Nichols

As you have probably noticed, that All Night Jumpin' Showcase in the Pub put on by Reverend Martini was the PLACE TO BE on Friday. The lineup was amazing and there was little down time between acts. They just went on one after another. If you missed it this year, make sure not to miss it next year!

Stay tuned for Viva Las Vegas: Saturday!

XOXO

Dollie

Viva Las Vegas: Thursday

2013-05-15T23:07:00.000-07:00

On Thursday at Viva Las Vegas I wore a vintage White Stag bra top, a novelty seashell skirt, Remix wedges, and vintage accessories.

Zack wore a tiki shirt (that is part of a honeymoon set with a matching dress for me), slacks and white bucks- all vintage.

First order of business on Thursday is to get your wristband and a boot. The next order of business is going to Sweetpea's Hooch and Smooch, which is a meet and greet and basically the official start of Viva Las Vegas.

We were really looking forward to seeing Annie and the Malagueta Boys after getting a preview at Ronnie's party. This show was even better, as expected. They were great and everyone loved them.

I thought this boy was so cute! I have that same shirt!

Ghost and Suzy dancing

Then Sweetpea did a tribute to Whirling Turban, with a Whirling Turban only stroll.

It only lasted a minute until a man jumped in, and other girls with non-WT dresses.

It was a nice idea though! I still liked seeing the Whirling Turban dressed on parade.

I also got to meet the owner and designer herself!

Lisa Freemont, Doris Mayday, Alisha, Cate, Me and Katherine.

I loved these girls! They looked great all weekend and were so sweet!

After the Hooch and Smooch we went to get in line for the vendors. That is right, the line was around the corner!

Once in I actually tried to remember to take some photos for all of you vintage addicts.

I loved this rafia skirt. Never seen one like that!

I loved this skirt too, it had the coolest pockets! I wish it was my size.

After lots and lots of shopping (spoils will be in another post) we changed for dinner. I thought it would be fun to do a 60's night. I wore a vintage fringe dress, Remix pollys, and vintage accessories.

This was new this year and a great addition!

The Ragtime Wranglers

Next we caught the Janis Martin Tribute with Marti Brom and Rosie Flores.

In the background they had slide show of Janis Martin photos. It was a really nice touch. I would love to see more tribute shows like this, especially with all of the people we have lost lately. I actually think they should do a yearly tribute show with songs dedicated to all of the musicians that passed in the last year. In my opinion this show was the highlight of the evening.

West Coast Ramblers

Dance in the Bienville! It is my favorite room to dance in. The Bienville room is not too big like the main ballroom, and not too small like Big Al's downstairs. Nope, Goldilocks says this room is just right!

Zack, wearing a vintage ricky jacket, gab shirt, hollywood slacks and white bucks.

He is always very well dressed! Aren't I a lucky gal to be on his arm?

Katie Bickert was one of the best dressed all weekend!

looks like trouble!

I know you recognize this gal, Holly of Temperamental Broad.

Fringe sisters!

Another highlight of the evening was Crazy Joe's new album, The Doctor Is In.

I'm in LOVE with this record. My favorite new songs are Wasted, You're An H-Bomb, and She's My Baby.

Last show of the night was Ruby Ann.

With Marti Brom.

This is the Big Al's Bar downstairs. I don't really like dancing in this room because it is too crowded and hot. It is a total buzz kill, but that is just my opinion. Some people love it!

I didn't comment on each photo to say who was in it, just to save time. Let me know in the comments below if that is an issue for you or not.

You know what comes after Thursday? Friday! Stay tuned.

XOXO

Dollie

Viva Las Vegas 16: Wednesday

2013-05-12T19:11:00.001-07:00

Finally, I am posting about Viva Las Vegas 16. Sorry it took so long, I just had so many pictures to go through. These will still be very picture heavy posts, but let's be truthful here, you are here to see Viva pictures anyway! So let's get on with the show!

On the Wednesday before Viva Las Vegas we always go to Ronnie Weiser's Annual International Rockabilly Rebels Meet and Greet. It is always a full day in the sun so I like to wear summer-y clothing. You might as well in Vegas! I wore a vintage playsuit embroidered with strawberries. It was a gift from my friend Amber. It needed some TLC, so I hand washed it and replaced all of the smocking. It looked brand new again! I paired it with a fruity purse and a straw hat which were from from my friend Angel. The sandals are wicker with a carved wooden heel and are vintage as well. I also had cute vintage fruit basket earrings I got on my honeymoon in Palm Springs. This was my first outfit of the weekender, but was one of my very favorite!

Zack wore a vintage shirt, slacks and shoes.

Then we met up with everyone and got on the bus. Our friend always arranges a "party" bus to take us to and from the party so that we can drink and not worry about driving or taking a million cabs.

The first stop on our bus trip is always to the Las Vegas sign for a group photo.

It is a great tradition!

Drinks on the bus!

Other than beer, we also had candy and a sing-along! There was a whole CD to sing along to, but not rockabilly songs like you would expect. They are mostly funny songs like Baby Got Back and stuff. We even had printed lyrics for the hardest song- Thrift Shop by Macklemore. It is always a blast!

When we got to the party I realized I left my camera on the bus so I didn't take any photos for the first half of the party. Once I got it back I tried to snap a few for you:

Every year there is a big jam session which is always the highlight. Sometimes you can even catch the big Viva acts early... like Nikki Hill, The Caesars, Lance Lapinsky, etc. This year we saw Annie and the Malagueta Boys, which was amazing! I wish I had pictures to show you all!

Annie and the Malagueta Boys played a Brazilian song that had a dance much like the stroll. We all jumped right in and tried to learn it. It was so fun!

Thanks to Clayton Hansen for taking these photos!

All the cool people, like Marti Brom, are there!

Ramona and Roy Kay.

Before you know it the party is over and we have to continue the party down the road.

There was more singing, and this time dancing in the aisle!

Our next stop was Frankie's Tiki Room for more drinks! Frankie's is the coolest Tiki bar in Las Vegas. The best part is that it is open 24 hours!

Mr. Doody wants tiki drinks too!

After we were sufficiently liquored up we headed back to our hotel to freshen up.

I wore a vintage Shaheen circle skirt dress that I got at the Santa Monica Vintage Fashion Expo. I paired it with red Remix Paseo wedges and vintage accessories.

Zack wore a vintage ricky jacket, gabardine shirt, slacks and white bucks.

That night we went to the official Viva Las Vegas Pre-Party at the Orleans Hotel. Big Sandy was the MC for the evening.

The first band on was The Shadowmen.

Then Carl Sonny Leyland went on.

The headliner for the night was none other than RCA recording artist Joy Clay!

He was backed by Ashley Kingman's House Rockers,

The place was packed!!

After the show they did a record hop until 4am and then it was time to hit the hay for the fun to continue. Stay tuned for my next post on Viva Las Vegas: Thursday!

XOXO

Dollie

Viva Las Vegas 16: Tuesday Night

2013-05-06T22:20:00.000-07:00

We got into Vegas on Tuesday night, as per our usual. We checked into our room at The Orleans and unpacked a bit. We were happy to get the room we always like, in the 1950’s with a pool view. We like this block of rooms not only because it is literally in the 1950’s, but because it is nice and high, and close enough to the pool to see it and hear the music, without it waking us up too early in the morning. We have been in this block for a few years now and love it.

The hotel gift shop stocks a ton of stuff in case you forgot anything- swimsuits, clothing, luggage, housewares, medicine, toiletries, food, drink, cigarettes souveniers and more. I got a really cute tiki luggage tag there one year.

I wore a vintage chartreuse Aztec print skirt, red Trashy Diva top, red Remix shoes and vintage accessories.

After freshening up we headed right back into the car to cruise the strip and get a bite to eat.

We decided to eat at Roxy's Diner. We had been there once before and had a lot of fun. We can't resist cheesy 50's diners, second only to real 50's diners. This is the kind of place where they always play jukebox classics, have classic decor and serve burgers, fries and malts.

One thing that is unique is that all of the servers can sing. While Johnny Rockets has servers that preform a choreographed dance number to a recorded track, this place has servers that sing 50's songs karaoke style to you while you eat. It sounds horrible, but it is actually kinda fun. It is Vegas after all, and everyone is there to have a good time.

This guy liked to stand on the tables and dance while he sung Elvis songs. He did have a very good voice, they all did!

The malts are great too!

I tried to be somewhat healthy. I got a salad and caprese sliders. They were okay. Zack's burger looked better.

After dinner we decided to head to Fremont Street . I have never been “downtown” before and wanted to see all of the vintage neon signs and remnants of old Las Vegas . Since we couldn't make it to the Neon Graveyard, this was the next best thing.

It was actually very different than I imagined it. It was much smaller than it appears in the photos. Most of the casinos seemed to be only one story, which is very different then the modern ones on the strip. I suppose some of them (especially the hotels) were multiple floors, but they still seemed much smaller. The casinos also have very low ceilings compared to the modern ones, which added to the claustrophobic and stuffy feeling. The low ceiling did make for better viewing of the old and beautiful chandeliers though!

The neon was the highlight for sure. You can really feel the excitement and energy of old Las Vegas through the neon, which is a stark contrast to the rest of downtown, which feels a lot like death. I did feel a little unsafe there as well, as it is kinda seedy. All of the closed businesses (mostly liquor stores and five and dimes) had bars on the windows and big roll down metal cage doors. Not exactly glamorous by any means. There were homeless people, bums and cheaply dressed ladies, similar to the rest of Vegas. Once you were inside the casinos it was fine. We walked though all of the main casinos and gambled a little bit. I won about $20 playing blackjack. It wasn't much, but at least I was ahead.

The inside of one of the casinos. Lots of old charm!

This is the lobby of one of them- looks spooky! They should make some of these hotels into haunted ghost tours. I would go back for that.

After our little adventure we headed back to the hotel. We had a big day ahead of us tomorrow! Stay tuned for my next post about Ronnie Weiser's pre party on Wednesday night!

XOXO
Dollie

Viva Las Vegas Pre Parties!

2013-05-06T22:06:00.002-07:00

We went to a few different pre parties in the days leading up to Viva Las Vegas. I really want to get on with the actual Viva posts, but didn't want to skip these so to save time I put them into one long post. Hope you don't mind!

The first was the pre Viva party at the School of Rock. The School of Rock is relatively new and we haven't been able to make it yet, so this was our first time. It is thrown monthly at an Elks Lodge in Pomona. I love venues like this, so I am glad that someone is now throwing a show there monthly!

Zack felt wearing his vintage novelty print Las Vegas shirt was appropriate. Pete Curry agrees.

I thought wearing my juvenile delinquent outfit (vintage stripe pants, vintage bustier top, Remix shoes, and vintage accessories) was appropriate and Missy of Technicolor Cutie agrees! I love her Trashy Diva dress!

With my hubby. We just celebrated our one year wedding anniversary, can you believe it?

We had a little blogger meet up- Me, Incendiary Blonde and Technicolor Cutie. I was so happy to finally meet them!

Ernie Vargas was the opening act of the night.

He was very good of course.

Zack, Chris (of Roy Rapid) and Monica.

There was a really good crowd. I am not sure if they normally get this many people to come out, or if they had a better turn out just because it was the weekend before Viva. The dance floor always seemed to have people on it, and you really had to squeeze by to walk anywhere or get to the bar.

Big Sandy was the headliner, and no doubt a big draw.

We love Big Sandy!!! He did a really nice long set, with a few different songs and a few requests. Overall it was a great time. I definitely want to go back to the next School of Rock on May 18th. If you are local, I hope to see you there!

The next pre VLV party was a house party at our friend Melissa and Bud's house.

Chris, Ben, Zack, Me and Bobby. I wore a red Trashy Diva top and a vintage seer sucker skirt with felt sealife on it.

Amber and I.

DJ Blip Blop. Everyone from overseas was already in town.

The theme was under the sea, so we all got to wear cool under the sea clothing!

The decor and food was second only to the company. We never need an excuse to eat, drink and schmooze! Thanks to Bud and Melissa for throwing such a great party and having us over.

The last thing we did before leaving town for Vegas was a pre party at Joe's Great American Bar.

I loved this girl, and Pappy did too!

Robert and I.

I wore my new fav skirt from Nicole Katherine Designs, with a top from her collection. I paired it with Remix shoes and vintage accessories.

Kesha! I only get to see him in Vegas, so it is such a nice surprise to see him and others in my neck of the woods.

I got to see Incendiary Blonde again too!

Pappy was playing with his band, but we couldn't really see him because it was so crowded.

He was great of course! At least we listen to music with our ears and not our eyes. We didn't stay too late because we had work in the morning and then had to hit the road!

XOXO

Dollie

All Dolled Up with Nicole Katherine Designs Spring Line

2013-04-07T18:56:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to be sharing this Bridgette skirt from Nicole Katherine Designs spring collection with you! I first saw it a year ago as a prototype and I couldn't wait to have it. After a year it is finally out and I am thrilled with it.

I have already worn it three times since I got it. The colors in the print (mint, creamy yellow and red) lend so well to matching it with multiple tops. Here I paired it with a light yellow vintage short sleeve sweater and red accessories. I was on my way to run errands and I got sooooo many compliments on it! Here I am not wearing a petticoat with it, it is pretty full on its own.

Another time I wore it with a red button up sweetheart top also from Nicole Katherine Designs. Then I paired it with a while lace slip, petticoat and white accessories. I love colorful outfits so this is right up my alley! I wore this to the Viva Las Vegas pre party and I felt as cute as a button!

The print, colors and fullness of this skirt make it unique, but the waistband is really the stand out. The wide waistband is curved at the top like an apron, making it feel like the perfect Suzie Homemaker outfit. I think the cut is really flattering too, because it increases the distance between your waist and your bust, drawing attention to your smallest part and then gently skimming off your hips, which is your widest part.

The cherry on top would have to be the amazing pocket details though. I love that the inside lining of the pockets and all red and it comes over the pocket to form a cute red triangle on the outside. How much do we LOVE pockets on circle skirts? They come in so handy too! This skirt was initially imagineered to come with a red fabric belt, but was later removed. I may try a red belt and see how I like it.

I think this skirt is a great deal at $80.00. Nicole Katherine never skimps on quality, so you know this isn't a cheaply made mass produced reproductions garment that will fall apart. Her fabric is very high quality too, with a nice weight and soft polished cotton feel. I know you won't be disappointed with this skirt!

You can get this skirt for a limited time on her Etsy store or website while they last. I imagine they will sell out fast. Especially because she is offering a 25% off coupon to my readers. Did you catch that? 25% off your next purchase using coupon code NK25PINUP. She still has some of these red sweetheart tops for sale too, so maybe you should get one to match! That top looks cute with her jeans and coveralls too.

She has other new items in the shop too, like this super cute Fiesta pinup dress. I would adore this dress in red!

Check out this adorable "Jivin' Jumper" with open back!

You better get your butts over there before they sell out! Don't forget to use your 25% off coupon code!

XOXO

Dollie

We Have A Winner!

2013-04-07T17:52:00.001-07:00

Winner winner chicken dinner! We have a winner for the Rockabillybetties Retro Re-Do playsuit giveaway. Thank you to everyone that entered, we got great response to this giveaway!

I used Random.Org to generate a number from 1 to 119. The lucky number was 10. Comment 10 belonged to Trina44 , a long time blog reader! Trina, email me at missdolliedeville@yahoo.com to claim your prize!

Thank you again to our giveaway sponsor, Ginger of Rockabillybetties Retro Re-Do and everyone who entered. I will have more giveaways in the future, so stay tuned!

XOXO

Dollie

Pre and Post Viva Las Vegas Parties!

2013-03-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry for my lack of Pre-Viva Las Vegas posts. I have been busy getting ready. I am very much in need of a vacation and looking forward to seeing all of my friends from around the world. I am also looking forward to the great lineup, dancing, eating /drinking after months of dieting (lost 18lbs though!), and wearing all of the outfits I have been saving for the past year. Spring is my favorite time of the year and boy am I ready for it!

I am officially ready for Viva Las Vegas and starting my partying tonight:

A lot of people from out of town hit LA before heading to Vegas, and this is the show to be at tonight. I hear other vintage bloggers will be there from all over the world, so I am looking forward to meeting them!

Here is a another show happening tonight too! If you go, make sure to see Mary Simich!

Another show going on tonight if you are in the IE.

On Monday March 25th there is another Pre-Viva Las Vegas show at Joe's Great American Bar. I can't seem to find a flyer, but here is the info:

Celebrating 5 years of Happy Feet Mondays with:

Carl Sonny LEYLAND's Quartet, feat. Dan BARRETT!!

+ extraordinary guest appearances by:

John Reynolds

Big Sandy

Suzy Williams

Dave Stuckey

Andy Bean (Two Man Gentlemen Band)

The Hi Fi Honeydrops

The California Feetwarmers f/ Chloe Feoranzo

9pm till the music stops!

21+

$6 (2 drink) bar minimum

$9 - $12 suggested donation

FREE street parking

Arrive EARLY, or you'll miss some of the acts!

We will be missing this one, but if you are still in LA, check it out!

This is the Official Viva Las Vegas Pre Party happening at The Orleans on Wednesday. Last years was great, but this years line up seem even better! I am really looking forward to this.

Official Viva Las Vegas meet and greet! Hope to see you there!

And then there is this little thing called VIVA LAS VEGAS!!!!!!

You may have heard of it.

Flyer for Karen's showcase in Brendan's Pub at Viva Las Vegas.

After Viva Las Vegas, if you are in LA or local, come to these other fantastic shows. The party never stops!

This is the Official Post Viva Las Vegas Show. I am so happy to see the SideWynders on the bill. The DJs are top notch as well!

This is going to be a killer event! Come out to support Norton Records!

Come see Outta Sites if you have not had the pleasure of seeing them yet!

Right after there is another Outta Sites show- the official record release party! If you can't make it, we will have CDs and vinyl for sale at Viva Las Vegas.

I hope to see you at some of these shows. Please stop me and say hi!

XOXO

Dollie

GIVEAWAY: Rockabillybetties Retro Re-Do

2013-03-10T16:31:00.000-07:00

I recently came across a tiki print playsuit on Facebook and initially thought it was vintage. It turned out to be a reproduction from a company called Rockabillybetties Retro Re-Do. If you have not heard of it yet, Rockabillybetties does one and two piece playsuits, dresses, bra tops and skirts in a wide array of fabrics. The owner Ginger said she uses vintage patterns, but often slightly alters them to fit modern undergarments and shapes. She also really takes the time to source quality fabrics in beautiful colors and prints. The fabric that initially caught my eye turned out to be a Alfred Shaheen tiki god reissue fabric. She had the fabric in brown, green and teal. I knew I needed one of her two piece playsuits in the teal Shaheen Tiki God print, and I knew I had to share it with you all.

My set came about a week and a half later and I was floored. It was beautiful! This fabric is legit!

I loved that the shorts were not super short, they were the length they should have been in the 1940's. They are comfortable too, not too tight but not too loose.

The seams were all finished and both the top and the bottom had a Rockabillybetties Retro Re-Do tag.

Cute sewn in cuff on the shorts.

Even the side zipper matches perfectly!

The top ties at the neck and the back, and they are totally adjustable with long straps.

I love tops with this fold down bust detail.

The cup is a perfect shape and is nice a roomy- a bra top that will actually fit a larger chest!

The inside is fully lined with the same fabric as well. It is so supportive that I didn't have to wear a bra under it, which is rare.

Here are a few different angles with it on:

It is super cute, right? I can't wait until summer. I know I will get a lot of use out of this set. Since it is two pieces I can mix and match it with other pieces as well. The best part is that she is very affordable- her sets are available on Etsy for $60! She also does custom work to your exact measurements with the fabric of your choice and can even make a custom pattern for you.

Do you want a playsuit like this for yourself? If so, you are in luck! Ginger of Rockabillybetties has generously donated a playsuit for me to giveaway! This playsuit will be made in the size the winner requests, but in a surprise fabric choice. It could be this fabric, another Shaheen fabric, or something totally different. Isn't that FUN?

This giveaway is open to everyone. There are many ways to enter, do one of them, or all of them to increase your chances of winning. Here are the ways:

• Follow my blog, and leave a comment about it (if you already are, you can still get an entry for it)
• Like my fan page on Facebook, and leave a comment about it
• Visit the Rockabillybetties Etsy page , favorite it, and comment about it
• Like Rockabillybetties on Facebook and then leave a comment about it
• Post on your on blog about this giveaway, and leave a comment about it
• Post on your facebook about this giveaway, and leave a comment about it

Every time you do one of these make sure to leave a separate comment for each one. One comment= one entry. This giveaway will be open from now until Saturday 3/23/13 11:59pm PST. The winner will be chosen afterward by an online random number generator. Then I will put the winner in contact with Rockabilly Betties to order your own playsuit.

If you can't wait two weeks to see if you won, head over to her Etsy shop now to buy something that is ready to wear, or order your custom set. I hear the bra tops are flying off the racks for Viva Las Vegas!

Good luck!

XOXO

Dollie

Santa Monica Vintage Fashion Expo

2013-03-02T11:04:00.002-08:00

A few weeks ago I went to the Santa Monica Vintage Fashion Expo. This was actually my first time attending the Vintage Fashion Expo. I am not sure why I have never been before. This year I made the leap and went because I was helping GabFabs work their booth. While I was not working I took a few photos and did a little shopping.

I even ran into some people I know! With Ashleeta Beauchamp. I have her same hat in another color, so cute.

Jennifer and Michael

I was so happy to meet Mia. She may be my biggest fan! Isn't she so cute and fresh faced?

This is the Fab Gabs booth. They were really busy!

Lisa Love stopped by and did a little shopping. Too bad this gold wiggle mermaid dress wasn't her size, I know it would look amazing on her. It is still available on the FabGabs website!

The same goes for these tiny shoes- too big for her petite feet. I wish these were my size!

I also wished this outfit was my size- pink hawaiian tunic and matching pants.

As I mentioned, I did find a little time to shop. I found some great deals on 50's stuff. 50's stuff didn't seem to be too popular. The older stuff seemed to be big, or the late 60s and 70s hippie stuff. I got the white and black Mexican sequin set for $50. I got the reproduction Mexican sequin shirt with the girls on it for $25. The novelty Aztec yellow and red shirt I got for $20. The Shaheen dress at the top was about $150 I think. The pink and red velvet pants were from FabGabs in trade for my working the booth. I get all of my velvet pants from FabGabs, they seem to have my size in every color imaginable!

After a long and eventful afternoon you think I would be ready to call it a day, but nope! We decided to head to Viva Cantina to see

The Twilight Drifters

Deke Dickerson!

And special guest from Zazou Cowboys!

He did a song about "whale tails" on girls and it was hilarious! He really reminds me of Sage.

Until next time.

XOXO

Dollie

20% off at 2sweet4words on Etsy!

2013-03-02T09:46:00.001-08:00

The other day I got a vintage purse and broach set from Etsy seller 2sweet4words. She is offering 20% off with $50 purchase to my readers so I thought I would share a few things from her shop in case anyone was in need of anything quickly before Viva.

Me with my sister and my new purse. Pants (fabgabs) and top are both vintage.

I wanted a purse this coral color for a while now. I love the little beads and beaded handle.

The inside is perfectly clean and the gold toned hardware is impeccably sturdy. I love this purse and will get a lot of use out of it this summer.

I adore dogwoods, they are my favorite flower (that is not really a flower). I love finding vintage dogwood stuff. I have never seen a set like this with a broach and matching earrings so I was really excited!

The shop owner, Johari, was super sweet and had great communication. She messaged me to tell me the story about where she got the pieces. Don't you love that? I love to know the history of something. She said she got the purse at a church charity thrift shop on the side of the road on an old highway while on a road trip to the deep south. I knew these pieces felt southern to me!

She is offering a 20% off of $50 minimum purchase code right now to my readers, so I picked a few cute things to show you all in case you are in need of a last minute outfit before Viva Las Vegas:

Visit 2sweet4words at http://www.etsy.com/shop/2sweet4wordsVintage

and use coupon code ROCKABILLYDOLLIE at checkout.

XOXO

Dollie

Los Straitjackets on Conan

2013-02-28T21:59:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago Los Straitjackets played on the Conan O'Brien show. We are friends with a few of the members so we wanted to be there to support them. They do not allow cameras in the back lot or on the set so I wasn't able to get many photos. However, once the show ended our friend Chris "Sugarballs" Sprague got us from the audience and brought us onto the stage. The staff there was actually really nice and told us to sit on stage and take a few pics.

Chris got to sit in for Conan and Zack and I got to sit in the guest chairs. How lucky are we?

Afterward we got to go back stage and see the green room. They had a ton of yummy and healthy food options for the guests. Each guest on the show got their own room that was equipped almost like a hotel room, private bathroom with shower, couch, TV, fridge, food and drink. They even had the fanciest massage chairs I have ever seen. Unfortunately, no one really got to meet Conan. He was in his own separate area.

Afterward we all went to a local Irish Pub, Timmy Nolan's, to celebrate.

Nothing says "celebration" like a snakebite!

We had so many people that we took up almost a whole room upstairs.

The lovely Amber Foxx modeling an Irish Coffee.

My hansom hubbie.

Sandra Lee and I.

Left to right: Zack, Amber, Big Sandy, Me, Sandra and Chris

With Pete Curry

Ron Dziubla and Pete Curry

Jason and Chris

After a delightful dinner and many drinks, Conan finally came on. We got to watch it air on the TVs in the bar. Obviously we hooted and hollared very obnoxiously when Los Straitjackets came on. Once the other bar-goers understood that they seemed okay with it. How often do your friends play Conan anyway?

If you didn't catch the live airing, you can see it on Conan's website. It was great and worth a view!

XOXO

Dollie

Guitar Geek Festival Day 1

2013-02-27T19:37:00.000-08:00

Last month Zack and I were lucky to be asked by Deke Dickerson to work the door at the Guitar Geek Festival. This year was the 10th and last Guitar Geek Festival so we knew we couldn't miss it. Helping work the event was just icing on the cake!

Zachary setting up freebie guitar strings by the door.

DJ Dan Moses playing all the right music, including the new Outta Sites CD!

Little ol' me, working the wristband table. I had my hands full most of the weekend, but I still managed to take a few photos for you.

Speaking of the Outta Sites, here are a few of the members- Jason Eoff, Zack Simpson and Chris Sprague.

T.K. Smith had a display table showing his custom guitars (the best around).

The festival started off swingin' with Joel Paterson.

Del Casher was next on stage.

This was my first time seeing Paul Pigat. I really liked him a lot! I bought his CD, but it was a little more like Brian Setzer then his live show was. It was still good, but not what I was expecting based on this show.

I did a quick stop over at the merch table to visit. I worked the merch table last year and jokingly told people I got promoted to door girl this year. The merch table is really big, it actually runs the length of the ballroom wall. I just snapped a photo of this portion because it held the Outta Sites pre-release CDs. But most of the acts have merch up for sale in this one location.

The vintage guitar museum grows every year. I couldn't even photograph it all this year. It was overflowing! I wish you could see all of the little tags that say what each piece is. Most of these items were owned by legends and/or used on famous records.

This was really unique-one of the first drumming machines!

This is Zack's dream guitar!

Bigsby!

Beautiful!

Me, Amber Foxx and Zachary.

Next up was Deke. Yes, he actually plays his own events. How does he find the time?

My other "job" I do at Guitar Geek is to model the guitars that are being raffled off. It is actually really fun! Companies like Fender and Gretsch donate guitars to be raffled off and all of the money from the sales goes to diabetes research.

All I have to do is stand there and look pretty while Deke pulls the winning raffle ticket. The men seem to get a kick out of it!

And I get to touch and look at all the cool guitars!

GoGo dancing is always a must.

The best show of the night was Barbara Lynn, hands down. I was so happy to be able to see her. She ROCKS! It was great to see a female guitar player at this very male dominated event. I hope to see her again, hopefully Viva Las Vegas will book her as a legend.

By this time the room was packed. There was hardly room to move around. Everyone wanted to catch Barbara Lynn.

Guitar Geek is never without surprises. This year we had a whole band of Santas!

Man...or Astroman? Not my style, but they put on a crazy show! I like the lights they used. I felt like I was riding Space Mountain at Disneyland.

With Sean Law. He came all the way from Canada for this event! I wore my vintage velvet capri pants from Fab Gabs, my favorite sweater from Paris, and a matching vintage chiffon scarf.

Guitar Geek Festival Day 2

2013-02-27T19:29:00.000-08:00

On day two of the Guitar Geek Festival we stopped at North Woods Inn for dinner. We haven't been since last Guitar Geek, even though we pass it all the time.

This restaurant is themed like a log cabin in the snow. The best part is throwing peanut shells on the floor.

We take funny photos.

I always get the salad and garlic bread. Soooo good.

Anyway, sorry for the detour. Back to the main event- Guitar Geek!

The first band of Saturday night was the Outta Sites. They are my new favorite band, and not just because my husband is the super hot bass player. If you have never heard of them before, look them up on YouTube. They also have a new CD and vinyl coming out.

Monkey's Uncle!

Karlin helping me with the door.

Random photo of a "shitar".

Ramblin' James!

Ashley Kingman and T.K. Smith together on the stage again!

Then we got to raffle off more guitars.

This is a George Barris model bu Hallmark.

The back was signed by all sorts of cool people.

I love to meet readers. This is Evan. We bonded over Red Simpson and the Bakersfield sound.

Zack and Sally Jo were the only couple of the night to actually dance, super cute.

The headliner of the night was Los Straitjackets! They were great as always. They even had Danny Amis with them this time.

The Guitar Geek always closes with a huge jam. Anyone that has a guitar and a cord can jump on stage and play. This year they ended in "Gloria" but sung by Deke as G-E-E-K. It was a hoot.

I am so glad I got to be a part of Guitar Geek again this year, but sad that it is the last one. Deke deserves some time off though!

XOXO

Dollie

Queenie May's Cold Cream

2013-02-24T14:10:00.002-08:00

I have been using a new cold cream for the last month, and I thought I would share it with you all. I have been using Pond's cold cream for a few years now but I wanted an all natural version. I had heard other vintage ladies talking about Queenie May's Cold Cream and I couldn't wait to try it!

Queenie May's Cold Cream is made in New Zeland from an original recipe from the 1930's. It is made with an olive oil base, so no mineral oil or parabens. There is no added scents or anything either, just a clean smell. Some people mentioned it smelling like roses, but I didn't distinctly notice that.

What surprised me most is that this cream does not feel watery and thin like Pond's. Oh no, this stuff is THICK! The first time I opened the jar it had these little air bubbles at the top and when I poked it with my finger it felt like a sponge. A little really goes a long way too. I imagine this jar will last me a very long time. So while it is a little more expensive then Pond's ($47 including shipping), I think it is worth it. I love that it cleans and moisturizes in one step without water. That way I can use it in my dressing room. It had become a nightly ritual to take a quiet moment to myself and massage this cream into my face. It is so luxurious!

Of course, how can I not mention that this is the most beautiful cold cream ever? I love that it comes in a glass jar! I always favor glass over plastic. The vintage looking label and the gold top makes it feel right at home on my vanity too. I love this cold cream! Now I really want to try the vanishing cream as well, but it is out of stock at the moment.

You can get your own jar at Queenie May's website. Let me know what you think about it when you try it.

XOXO

Dollie

Rambling James and The Billyboppers at Viva Cantina

2013-02-23T13:23:00.000-08:00

This is just a quick post to share some photos of Ramblin' James and The Billyboppers at Viva Cantina. We went to see them after the baby shower I went to for Erin Carpenter. No rest for the wicked!

Ramblin' James is always a good show. Wally, Ashley and Dave backing him up doesn't hurt either!

There is always a good dancing crowd at Viva Cantina. They get good DJs there.

James

This couple were great to watch. Only rockabilly guys can have tattoos, wear boots and DANCE too!

Me, Zachary, Shorty, Rene and Kara. It looks like Kara is involved in some sort of love triangle here. I wonder if I should be worried....

We have some sharp looking friends!

Sally Jo and Rene.

Until next time,

XOXO

Dollie

Carpenter Baby Shower!

2013-02-23T11:59:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I had the extreme pleasure of being invited to Erin Carpenter's baby shower, hosted by Jillian Villanueva. Jillian's house is one of the most stylish homes I have ever been in, so I knew I had to share it with you all. I am behind in my posts (what's new, having too much fun!), so I am a few weeks late in sharing this with you all. Better late then never!

Her living room- amazing Moss lamps and Carlo of Hollywood!

Cool coffee table!

Homemade vanilla gluten free cupcakes

She even packaged them up as to-go gifts with custom labels.

Retro alphabet flash cards were clipped to a clothes line for a cute decoration throughout the house. This was the dessert buffet- cookies, cupcakes, cheesecake, danishes and mini pineapple upside down cake.

It was so hard not to eat it all, but I am watching my figure for Viva Las Vegas after all!

A big table was set up on the patio.

There is that custom logo again- it was on everything. Simply perfect!

Mama-to-be was glowing! This was the drink table with lemonade and ice tea served in cups with the logo and retro paper straws.

The backyard was beautiful!

Cheese, crackers and veggies. Lot's more gluten free options here too.

Hot foods table. The bacon wrapped dates were a huge hit. I will be making those for my next party. Notice the food tags with the custom logo?

This is Erin opening my gift.

After gifts we decorated onesies for the baby. Jillian had gathered the cutest iron-on fabrics. She also provided felt, needles and thread.

We had everything we needed to create a onesie masterpiece.

This was a cute one.

Here is mine, almost finished- Just missing the wings!

This was the other one I made. Very outdoorsy, my "other" side!

Before I left, I got to tour the rest of the house. Isn't this bedroom perfect? Makes me regret not putting wallpaper on the wall behind my bed.

I like the clean modern look throughout the house using white. I am anti-white (and black for that matter) in my home, but it really works in her house! One of the most stylish homes ever, right?

This is the guest room. Even more Moss lamps and Carlo!

Thank you so much to Erin and Jillian for allowing me to take part in this amazing baby shower. Jillian is really a great hostess, I better step up my game! I am so exited for the little Carpenter baby, I know Erin will be a great mother.

XOXO

Dollie

Rockabilly Worldwide

2013-02-03T10:52:00.000-08:00

I was recently asked to be the second contributing author on RockabillyWorldwide.com, second to the beautiful Sabina Kelly! This is quite an honor for me as I want to get more into contributor writing for websites, magazines, etc. I will try my best to keep my content unique on this website, so be sure to check it out from time to time. I will be keeping my usual content here, and more broad-spectrum rockabilly lifestyle topics there. This website is a great resource for forum conversation, which has been lacking in my opinion since the shift from Myspace to Facebook a few years back. Myspace had great forums for us all to connect in back then. I am hoping this new website can replace that for me. My page/blog can be found under Dollie the Rockabilly Socialite. The sign-up is really easy too. I hope to see you there!

XOXO

Dollie

Looking Forward to the Weekend: Deke's Guitar Geek

2013-01-25T09:51:00.002-08:00

Today is day! Guitar Geek is here! Sadly, this is going to be the last Guitar Geek Festival. At least he is going out with a bang! Barbara Lynn, Los Straitjackets, Outta Sites, Astro Man and many more. If you have never been, I recommend you come now. I will be working the door. See you there!

A collection of my favorite Viva Las Vegas outfits!

2013-01-21T23:10:00.000-08:00

In honor of Viva Las Vegas 16 being just 9 weeks away I wanted to make a collection of my favorite Viva Las Vegas outfits. But in order for you to really appreciate my best Viva outfits, you would have to know where I started. I didn't always have the best fashion sense. I also didn't know the importance of foundation garments! Lastly, I didn't always know how to do my hair and makeup the best wait to suit my face. But of course, as a naive young-in' I thought I had it going on. I was happy at the time at least, so that is all that really mattered.

Here are my least favorite outfits:

I have posted this photo before. This is from my first VLV. This is a repro dress from a popular company. At the time I thought it was my best dress. Now I can see how unforgiving those stretchy shiny fabrics can be! I am also not a fan of the black stockings, my hair and my makeup. All I can say is, what was I thinking?

This is another outfit from that same year. I used to love this dress. I think I got it at the mall. I should have left it there!

This is another one of my worst-dressed picks. This is where the saying "just because it is vintage doesn't make it good" comes to mind. I bought this dress that same day up in the vendor room. I couldn't wait to wear it even though it needed a belt, so I bought this one to go with it. I thought it matched at the time and that I looked so good, but in retrospect I was way off the mark. It is not a bad dress, but it never fit me right and it need a skinny belt. Now I have a rule not to wear anything I just bought.

Now on to my favorite Viva outfits!!

This was also from my first VLV. Proof that not all of my outfits were misses my first year. This was my first vintage dresses. I still really love it.

From my second VLV. I love that barkcloth skirt!

From my third VLV. You can see how I am starting to find MY style. I wish this dress still fit, but I ended up selling it.

At this time I still didn't really know much more then basic makeup, but my hair was getting better! This is when I started loving gloves.

This was my first Hawaiian dress. I think I wore it at the car show to my 2nd and 3rd Vivas until I broke the zipper. It was a repro from Canada.

This was my first deadstock dress. I still have it with the tags but it doesn't fit anymore. This was my first really fancy schmancy vintage dress.

This was my first playsuit with matching skirt. It started my obsession with collecting them. This is still at the top of my list for favorite outfits of all time. My hair and makeup was considerably better at this point.

My first pair of Freddies of Pinewood jeans! They look really cute with this vintage top and made a perfect late night dance outfit.

My first gabardine dress. I took this one in, I could never sell it!

Another cute two piece outfit!

My favorite top with some deadstock shorts. Once I lost weight I really liked wearing shorts (for the first time in my life basically).

Kamehameha playsuit and matching skirt.

My first vintage gold lame pants and vintage bra top!

My favorite Shaheen. Zack got it as a birthday gift to me.

Shaheen playsuit and matching tea timer. My addiction to Shaheen and multi-piece sets was in full effect at this point.

My first vintage prom dress!

Deadstock Ruth Clarage 4 piece set.

Shaheen playsuit with matching pool coat.

Shaheen hostess pant set.

Another Shaheen from Zachary.

I know I forgot some, but these are most of my favorite outfits from VLV past. It is fun to look back and see how you have changed over the years. I would love to see some other bloggers post their favorite weekender outfits!

XOXO

Dollie

We Have a Giveaway Winner!

2013-01-21T20:23:00.002-08:00

Thank you to everyone who entered the SparkleLux giveaway, it was a huge success. I especially want to thank Miss Tayva for donating a pair of SparkleLux earrings to one lucky winner. So without further ado, we have a winner!

I requested a random number from Random.Org from 1 through 114 and out popped number 26 which was Betty2Tone(Laura)! She is a long time follower and fellow blogger over at http://betty2tone.blogspot.com/. I am so happy she won her choice of earrings from SparkleLux. I am pretty jealous myself!

Thanks again to everyone who entered! It is sad that not everyone could win this giveaway, but at least we can all buy our own pair of these beautiful earrings to enjoy. I will be hosting another amazing giveaway (clothing related this time) in another few weeks, so stay tuned!

XOXO

Dollie

Giveaway: SparkleLux Earrings!

2013-01-14T22:01:00.003-08:00

I am happy to announce that I have another fabulous giveaway courtesy of SparkleLux!

Have you heard of SparkleLux?

SparkleLux is Vintage Reproduction Jewelry made in Palm Springs, CA by Miss Tayva.

I first saw her jewelry being sold at Sneaki Tiki in Long Beach and I adored it immediatly. I love the unique color combinations and fun shapes. Any vintage confetti lucite jewelry collector knows that sometimes you just can't find a specific color combination to match an outfit. That is where Miss Tayva comes in! She figured out how to make authentic reproduction confetti jewelry and compacts! She makes them in a lot of color combinations, and even takes custom orders so you are sure to get exactly what you want. One unique feature about her earrings is that they are not clip-ons, they are posts! I found that very convenient in the pair I bought, which was on the larger side:

Aren't they beautiful? I am really into green right now, so these Mint Julep earrings are floating my boat!

Now we are going to float your boat by giving away a pair of SparkleLux earrings! The best part is that the winner gets to have the pair of their choice with surgical steel posts!

I can't wait to get a pair of the pink ones!

I love the Million Dollar Mermaid and theStarliter!

Lisa love by Chris Gomez

Bri Ruiz by Marco Patino

Lolita Haze the Nymphet of Burlesque by Darkbloom Photography

Now you can look as good as these lovely models in your own pair of SparkleLux earrings by entering my giveaway. This giveaway is open to everyone no matter location, age, or gender. There are many ways to enter, do one of them, or all of them to increase your chances of winning. Here are the ways:

• Follow my blog, and leave a comment about it

• Like my fan page on Facebook, and leave a comment about it

• Visit the SparkleLux Etsy page and leave a comment about which product you like best

• Like SparkleLux on Facebook and then leave a comment about it

• Post on your on blog about this giveaway, and leave a comment about it

• Post on your facebook about this giveaway, and leave a comment about it

Every time you do one of these make sure to leave a separate comment for each one. One comment= one entry. This giveaway will be open from now until Sunday 1/20/13 11:59pm PST. The winner will be chosen afterward by an online random number generator. Then I will put the winner in contact with Miss Tayva to order your earrings!

Sadly, only one person can win this giveaway. But you can all enjoy SparkleLux earrings by purchasing via Etsy. Not only will you look great, but you will be supporting a small local business who makes their product in the good old US of A, which will make you feel good too!

Enjoy!

XOXO

Dollie

Party Time!

2013-01-13T23:05:00.000-08:00

We had a very small group of friends over for a cocktail party on the weekend between Christmas and New Years. We picked this weekend because friends had parties booked all of the other weekends, but it actually turned out to be a great time to throw a party. We had invited only about 10 close friends that we knew all got along well together. It was hard limiting the guest list so much, so we decided to include some people that may not have been able to come to some of our other parties. We were very happy that we had chosen to keep the guest list small because the party was only days after Wives With Beehives aired and I was not exactly in my right frame of mind for hosting. The day before the party was hard for me. I couldn't get up the gumption to shop, cook or clean. Eventually I decided to start with baking sugar cookies. I love baking sugar cookies every year and knew the intricate decorating would keep my mind off of other things. So bake I did! I made four dozen beautiful sugar cookies in pastel colors to match my kitchen. While I was at my local cake decorating store I also picked up a super cute apron at 50% off, which made me feel better too. A lady can never have enough aprons!

My favorite cookie was the one with the tree and pearl garland.

I had so many cookies that I just put them everywhere!

I also made Charles Phoenix's melting cheeseball man. I put him in a vintage fondue pot though, which meant I had to decapitate him come melting time. It worked out though, as you will see later in this post.

I also made his Astro Weenie Christmas Tree. I love Charles Phoenix's kitschy test kitchen creations!

I used the apothecary jars from our wedding reception candy bar to hold candy cane kettle corn (so addictive) and candy cane malt balls. Cute and functional!

I added more holiday candy in the living room too! This is a vintage chip-n-dip minus the dip bowl and with my Shiny Brite tree in its place.

Leslie and Sandra chatting.

Bobby Foxx, Brian Foy and Amber Foxx all looking dapper.

Tommy Harkinrider, Chris Sprague, Pete Curry and his wife Kita.

Once the guests where there I put out the hot appetizers. I wanted the guests to have something substantial to eat since people were drinking. These mini twice baked potatoes were a big hit!

My frosty the cheeseball man turned into a yummy dip! I added jalapenos to him for a kick.

Once his body was melted and consumed I dropped in his head and we all had a second helping. Worked like a charm!

The spread.

There was also crab rangoons, sausage stuffed mushrooms, antipasto platter, and mini pot pies. Everything was gobbled up fast!

Look at how cute this gift from Reagan was! I wish I had a picture of what was in it to show you. It was the most beautiful and formal apron ever! It has scalloped trim, is in my favorite colors, teal and salmon and has a screen printed floral design. It is stunning! I will have to photograph it for you soon. Thanks Reagan!

The boys look cute in my kitchen.

Zack recreating one of our favorite photos.

Cara, Amber, Deen, Sandra and I were having the best girl talk ever!

I wish I got more pictures of me, the guests (didn't get pics of everyone), and our awesome bar spread (my pomegranate champagne cocktail) but I was too busy having fun to take photos. It was a blast having our good friends there to spend the holidays with. Everyone had a great time and it really took my mind off of the show airing. The next day we slept in until 3pm! That is how you know it was a successful party.

And before I go, how about these amazing vintage lucite purses? This party had a great assortment, but I only got a picture of these two lovelies. I thought you would enjoy that!

XOXO

Dollie