Like Etta James, I am Singing At Last!

I finally, FINALLY, managed to get my photos uploaded. So, this is a picture heavy post, that will briefly discuss two events. Let's start with November 1st: one week ago.

This was my costume. I was a Murderess from an Agatha Christie story. The knife was something I just held for the pictures. This is also what I wore to the Great Gatsby, with Leonardo DiCaprio.

My roommate was Poison Ivy, and dyed her hair for the occasion.

Now, to the opera. My roommate and I got all dolled up to go see the Magic Flute, which is still playing in Norfolk or Virginia Beach for a little while longer, and then moves to Fairfax and Richmond. You should see it it is divine!

You can see it in the first picture better, but I found a black turban hat with a feather tassel at a CHKD thrift store just two hours before the opera. It was such a lucky find!

This dress I got last year at 360 Vintage and More, it is listed under the shops page. The owner is sweet as sugar and very accommodating!

This is the fur that my mother got me when we were in Fredericksburg. You can't really see it, but the fur is brown black, and so were the feathers on the hat. It was cold out, and we had to walk, so it was just perfect to wear to the opera. But, I would have worn it even if it weren't cold enough. I just love fur!

My roommate and I were completely contrasting, and it was great! She was draped in flowing white, and I was a column of black. We looked like a set sold separately. Adorable!

The Photo credit for all of the pictures with me in them goes to Morgan Leary, a dear old friend.

Hallowe'en Costumes: The Monkees

Hallowe'en is a week from Thursday, so over the next week and a half I am going to post three or four costume ideas.

Today, I am going to do the classic television show/Beatles knock-off band The Monkees. The Monkees look is easy to attain for both men and women. They wore collared shirts, trousers (rarely jeans, except Mike, and boots). I am proud to admit that as a teenager I was obsessed and replicated the look daily. I even made a Nesmith hat, or Nezhat, and wore it every day for about six months (and two of those were part of a very hot summer).

Step 1:

The first step to get a Monkees look is the hair. They had the classic Beatle-bob cut:

You see the side part on their hair? The hair is long (ish), straight, and smooth, with bangs.

For a Mike costume you would want to add the hat. The Nesmith Hat. See the one in the picture above? It is a wool hat with matching pom. That is all. Typically they are in green, but they can, really, be any color. I have seen him wear red, blue, black, white, and grey. Plop the hat on top of the bob and you have the start of your costume.

Later on Micky (second from right) sported an afro, which is also an option for variation.

Step 2:

The next step is the shirt. Sometimes in the show they would wear suits, but in general the look was a double breasted shirt, or a shirt with a loud print, as you can see above.

For a Mike (left) look you would wear a bright color with a short psychedelic tie that goes with (but not necessarily matches) your pants. And don't forget the hat!

For a Peter look (center) you would wear a tunic shirt (very hippie) with several strands of love beads instead of a tie.

For a Micky (not pictured) and Davy (right) look wear a double breasted shirt (first picture) in a solid color (red, blue, or black preferably), or a button up shirt with a loud pattern. These two would sometimes wear some love beads, but not as much Peter.

Later on for Micky, he took to wearing a tablecloth as a poncho:

Note the afro and the poncho

Step 3:

The second to last step for the Monkees costume is pants along with a belt:


For a Mike costume you could wear corduroy or jeans (he is from Texas); notice the subtle pin stripe in his pants.

For Peter, wear grey, brown, or tan trousers (a good neutral). They can be corduroy, but not denim. Lastly, buckle your belt to the side. Peter did this to be different.

Micky and Davy, again, are similar in costume. Wear neutral trousers, not corduroy or denim. Buckle the belt in the center. Micky sometimes wore louder pants, but as a rule he stuck to neutrals.

For a female variation I wore high waisted skirts with a slight A-line or a loose pencil skirt. I paired these with a thick belt like the ones in the picture.

Step 4:

The last step for a Monkees costume is the boots and shoes.

In general they wore a Beatle-boot. See above picture. The boot has a slight heel (one inch or so), a slightly pointed toe, and came up a little above the ankle. For a female variation I wore three inch heeled booties that laced up the front

However, Peter took to wearing moccasins later on the more he became involved in the hippie movement. One warning, though, if you do Peter's complete look you might get mistaken for a hippie, not a Monkee.


This is me when I was a teenager, and did a Mike photo shoot with my sister.

Hopefully you can find a good costume!

Jazz

Yesterday I said that I was going to be going to a jazz night that evening at a local pub in Fredericksburg. It turns out that the jazz was a lie.

You think of Ella Fitzgerald:
Everything Happens to Me, is in my current top songs by her (this video is mislabeled as Moonlight in Vermont, which is also a fantastic song). This is what I was expecting, or maybe something more upbeat, like Goody Goody.

You know what we got? A local rock band. They were pretty good, I will not lie, but they were not what I was expecting. In fact, I was so disappointed I could not make myself stay and listen to them for more than a half hour. I wish I could tell you the name, but, alas, I could not understand them.

I love jazz. It has something for every mood.

When I'm feeling cynical, I go for Goody, Goody, which I discovered when I was in the play You Can't Take it With You (I was Penny).
If I feel romantic, I go for Little Things Mean a Lot, by Kitty Kallen. Or even I Only Have Eyes for You, by Ella again.
I have a list of jazz, or at least jazz like songs from the 50's/60's Mad Men era, that I listen to over and over, here we go (also, Ella Fitzgerald is my favorite, as you will soon see):
These Foolish Things, Ella, or anyone
The Very thought of You, by Frank Sinatra and Ella
Bewitched, by Ella
Moi Je Joue, by Birgitte Bardot
Ciel de Lit, by Birgitte Bardot
Cry me a River, Ella
Someone to Watch Over Me, Ella
Embraceable You, Ella
Je ne Veut pas Travailler, Pink Martini
Fly me to the Moon, Frank Sinatra
The Way you Look Tonight, Frank Sinatra
It had to be You, Frank Sinatra
Come Fly with Me, Frank Sinatra
Stormy Weather, Ella
Ain't That a Kick in the Head, Dean Martin
At Last, Etta James
Let's Do it, Ella
My Special Angel, Bobby Vinton
I Can't Get Started, Ella
I can Dream Can't I, Toni Arden or The Andrews Sisters (both versions are great!)
We'll Meet Again, Vera Lynn
Break it to Me Gently, Brenda Lee
Je ne Regrette Rien, Edith Piaf
I'm Through with Love, Marylin Monroe
Let's Make Love, Marylin Monroe
Botch-a-me, Rosemary Clooney
Lollypops and Roses, Jack Jones
C'est Magnifique, Peggy Lee or Dean Martin
Goody Goody, Ella
Summertime, Ella
My Funny Valentine, Ella
Blue Moon, Ella
Dream a Little Dream of Me, Ella Fitzgerald with Louis Armstrong
Night and Day, Ella
Heart and Soul, Ella
The Man I Love, Ella
Sentimental Mood, Ella
Misty, Ella
All the Things you are, Ella
Manhattan, Ella
It Don't Mean a Thing, Ella
I only Have Eyes for You, Ella
Anything Goes, Ella
The Lady is a Tramp, Ella
Black Coffee, Ella
Isn't it Romantic, Ella
Let's Call the Whole Thing off, Ella Fitzgerald with Louis Armstrong
Love is Here to Stay, Ella
Everything Happens to me, Ella
Nice Work if You can Get it, Ella
They Can't take that Away from Me, Ella Fitzgerald with Louis Armstrong
Unforgettable, Nat King Cole
Smile, Nat King Cole
Moonlight in Vermont, Nat King Cole
Moonlight in Vermont, Ella
Autumn Leaves, Nat King Cole
Half of a Photograph, Kay Starr
Little Things Mean a lot, Kitty Kallen

These songs are just in the order I discovered them, so no particular reason for the order. I typically sit down with an easy read, put this list on shuffle and sit for a while. It is loverly. Youtube has all of these songs, if you want to give them a try.