Saturday, April 30, 2011

The Making of a Bridal Fascinator: Rough Draft




I have the honor of making a bride's fascinator from scratch. Here is our rough draft (it doesn't look like much now - think of it as a rough sketch) on my millinery head - the colors will be different - I won't give anything away but you can watch my progress as I create this topper! Next step - building the base and dying the feathers!

4-30-11: Custom Headbands for Aurelia







Aurelia is four years old and she is a little style maven! She is cute as a bug's ear and loves my bird headbands - which is quite an honor! Sadly, I was not able to find her a cardinal(the bird, not the senior ecclesiastical official or dinosaur topper... yet. With the help of her mother, she chose these birds to adorn her precious widdle head!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

4-24-11: Yale Cohn - Portrait Series







Custom track jacket by Tonya TKO Kehoe for Glitter Mafia Derby Gear. Modeled by local celebrity talk show host Yale Cohn of "Talking With... Yale Cohn".


Thursday, April 14, 2011

SX-70 Photos Misc









The Ghost of Jennie Wade







Though there were 51,112 soldiers killed and wounded in the battle of Gettysburg, July 1st, 2nd and 3rd, 1863, ironically only one other then military personnel met death. An attractive young lady by the name of Mary Virginia Wade. The nickname of "JENNIE" was acquired through an error in recording her death, and strangely enough, has stuck ever since. Even the monument erected in her memory is engraved "Jennie" wade! Thus she is nationally known!!!

One of five children of James Wade, a tailor by trade, "Jennie" was born May 21, 1843. Through her father and necessity, she became very artful in sewing. Too, it is recorded, she was good looking, hard working and a credit to American womanhood, in maintaining a neat, clean, well managed home. She assumed many of her mother's responsibilities. Thus was she occupied at the outbreak of the great battle.

Just a few days prior to the battle, Jennie's sister gave birth to a son. Her mother had gone to her sister's home, in the southern part of the town, and was there at the outbreak of the battle. When the noise of the battle began to the north of town, and the commotion and loud concussions suggested unsafety, the householders either sought shelter in cellars or left for points south of town. Hence, Jennie hastily picked up her younger brother and dashed for the shelter of her sister's home. (Incidentally, that home stands today, and is historically known as "THE JENNIE WADE MUSEUM"). There Jennie began performing the household chore of answering the door knocks; which usually were soldiers requesting food, or water. Pail after pail of water she carried from the well, for the soldiers. That evening, the battle-lines shifted to the South. Instead of being a house of refuge, it was a house between the lines of battle. Soldiers fell around the house and in the yard. At the risk of her own life, Jennie went out to give water to the wounded and aid to the dying. This continued for two days and nights. On the morning of the 3rd of July, a soldier knocked on the door begging for some food. Jennie said they had none left, but if he would come back a little later she'd have some biscuits baked. The delighted soldier promised to return.

It was customary for Jennie to read several passages from the Bible every morning before breakfast. After a meager breakfast she began to ready the biscuit sponge. At 8 o'clock she asked her mother to fix the fire as she proceeded to make the biscuits promised to the soldier and had just started to knead the dough when a sharpshooter's bullet accidentally struck through the north door - continuing through an inner door - hitting Jennie in the back and through the heart. She fell dead without a sound.

In her pocket was found a picture of her fiancée, who was wounded about the same time, in the battle of Carter's Woods, Virginia. Her mother tenderly wrapped her body - hands still covered with biscuit dough - in a quilt, all to be later placed just that way in a coffin and buried in her sister's back yard without benefit of embalming, prayers or music. Here the body remained till after the war. Later it was removed to a grave in the Evergreen Cemetery, over which stands a monument in her memory. Today, near the grave of Jennie Wade lies the body of her fiancée, Johnston Skelly, who died just eight days after her death, unaware that the war which was to bring about his death had already brought death to his intended bride.

-Literature accompanying the "JENNIE" WADE DOLL, N.L. Redding Co.
Gettysburg, PA 1959


Tuesday, April 5, 2011

George's Letters: 2-25-1943







Dear George,


   Since there is a lull in our work right now and the Navy Insp. doesn't need his pen, I'll try and get a few lines written to you.
   How have you been? Fine, I hope! Me, well, since I got over my spell of the flu, I have been rather tired but feel real good. The nurse told me that I had "(illegible word)-Malaria fever". That is, I eat well, sleep well, but I'm too darned lazy to work. Ha! Ha! Now you know what is wrong with you! No kidding, I honestly believe I'm getting spring fever. We have had a lot of nice sunshiny days with mud and everything else mixed in with it and most of the ice and snow is gone, but the ice on the river hasn't started to go out yet or even to break up.
   Well, I'm back again. I had to get up and go talk to one of the guards. He sure is cute. Red-headed, freckles and brown eyes. About 6 ft tall and not over 21 if he is even that old. Now don't get any ideas! Jim Barnett by name. Do you know him?
   Gee, this place sure is a mess. They are moving the whole plant around and maybe by next X-mas they will be all settled. Our department will either be moved out the back door or up in the front offices. Ha! Ha! They even have to rewire the joint from one end to the other. Now they are building some more bullpens for some of the big bosses. Well, I've got to go upstairs and wash my hands for lunch, then come down and buy my lunch before the crowd gets there.
   Well, lunch is over and I'm back again. Everything is quiet out here right now. We still haven't any work to do.
   Darlene and I went up to hear Ray Pearls last night and boy was he ever good. He sounded just like Guy Lombardo. His music was very smooth, even their arrangement of "Woodchopper's Ball". There was really a very good crowd up there and even some extra men. I didn't think there was that many men left in town or even the state of Iowa but I guess there is.
   This big city of ours was invaded by 400 army air corps cadets last Tuesday afternoon so now maybe we will have somebody to dance with on Saturday and Sunday nights. Of course, that is as far as it goes with me because I don't give two hoots about having any of them on my trail all the time, and besides they are nothing but a bunch of young kids.
   Mom is on her sixth week in the hospital. She should be home sometime next week if nothing happens.
   I got me a beautiful tan and brown slack suit the other night and do I ever like it. It is real cute. I'm going to have seven or eight more made just like it only different colors to wear to work. I just had a whole mess of clothes cleaned so I guess I'll wear slacks for awhile. Then too they are so much more comfortable than dresses or skirts of any sort and really look a lot nicer on girls. I'm going to wear them all the time this summer. They are as cheap as dresses so why not. I'm going to make me another suit for Easter. It is just as cheap to make it as it is to buy it so why not. Boy, will I be dressed up. Ha! Ha! I'll have to have my pictures taken in all my new clothes so you can see what I look like. Ha! Ha! You wouldn't even know me, as if you want to?!
   Gee, I wish you could be home with me for a little while anyway. No kidding, George, there are times when I get so blue and brokenhearted I could just kill myself; but then I suppose I shouldn't get that way, but I can't help it any. Every thing has happened in such a hurry and has come all at once, that I don't even know where I'm at or where I stand. Gee whiz, I shouldn't write things like that should I? I'm just plain crazy, I guess! I've got to end this and only pray for the day when you get to come home for a few minutes as least.


Good-bye for now,
Lots of Love,
Ethella


P.S. Write honey when you can. I'll understand if it is a long time between letters.


Love and Kisses,
Ethella

4-5-11: Hunny Bunny Takes a Break






Monday, April 4, 2011

Les Dames du Burlesque: Salon: Individuals Part 1











Location: The Wherehouse; Iowa City, IA
Theme: Glam Rock Salon
Project: 2012 Les Dames calendar
Inspirations: "Amadeus", Marie Antoinette, David Bowie, Jem and The Holograms, lace, neon, ennui
Fine Art Photographer: Heather Atkinson
High Fashion Make-up: Tonya Kehoe for House of Glitter
Showpiece Hair: Sorayah Hamilton and Spencer Lundquist
Set Stylist/Girl Friday: Margaret Roberts
Set Props/Costumes: Artifacts/Model's Own
Models: Les Dames du Burlesque d'Iowa City (in order: Tough Kookie, Jenna Tonic, Sugar Tits, Sugah Pie, Bonita Applebum, Bunny Von Black)