Mission Accomplished

Sometimes we eagerly over anticipate an event. We plan out each detail. We daydream about it. We talk about it. And, as is the case here, we write about it. Sometimes, the event itself turns out to be a bit of a letdown as we have blown it up in our imaginations so much that the actual unfolding cannot live up to that vision.

I am happy to share that this wasn't the case with my Pin Up Girl transformation and photo shoot yesterday. I did my best to just go with it and have fun regardless of how it all went. Of course, I had imagined it a thousand times in the last few months but I went into it with as little expectation as possible.

After gathering all of my props and costumes and accessories and donning yoga pants and a black shirt and sandals, I set off for Ottawa at 9am. I was instructed to refrain from anything that might mark my skin (i.e. socks, bra straps, etc.) and, of course, to come sans make-up and with a head of clean hair washed the night before.

I picked up cousin, Loanna, who was my assistant for the day and we arrived at Alison's studio by 11am on the dot. Alison works with the photographer and gets the "models" ready for the shoot by creating the 'look' of the Pin Up Girl with authentic hairstyles and make-up. The photographer, Suzanne, met us and took one before shot. I had Loanna take a photo of myself, Suzanne and Alison before the experience was officially launched.

From left to right: Suzanne, myself and Alison: Before

Suzanne left and we began the 2.5 hour process of turning me into a Pin Up Girl. We started with hair and before I knew it, Alison had my entire head wrapped up in curlers.

Take a good look. This is the first and last time you will see me in curlers!

 The patience and skill that is involved in creating these hairstyles makes me appreciate the women of yesterday even more. We joked that when they had to refuse a date offer because "they were setting their hair," they meant it. And they would keep these hairstyles intact for a week or so before washing and re-styling them. That's why they slept with hair nets. Before long, the style started to take shape and I was beginning to feel more and more like a Pin Up Girl.

I was also feeling the effects of two sleepless nights and was wondering how I would muster the energy to be photographed all afternoon. Loanna snapped this flattering shot of me.

After hair, Alison started the make-up application beginning with a heavier stage type of foundation. It had a yellow-ish tinge to it but she assured me that it would not seem yellowish in the photos. Due to the bright lights of the studio, heavier-than-usual make-up was applied.

And finally, I was adorned with false eyelashes. This was the first time for me but definitely not the last time. This one little addition made me feel like a glamorous diva in an instant!

We were finished by 1:45pm and quickly rushed off to Suzanne's studio which is located only blocks from Alison's studio. Suzanne photographs her clients on a white backdrop so that she can add things to the finished product to change the feel of the photograph. Remember this is a Pin Up Girl photo shoot so there are usually lots of props and additions to each pose. I had many costume changes and did poses that involved ice cream sundaes, a chocolate cupcake with a cherry on top, a retro telephone, old suitcases and even some shots with black stockings, corsets and a white fur rug. You can use your imagination.............

Here's a teaser! The very first outfit and pose!

After three hours of shooting, we decided to wrap it up for the day. I finished the session with my own version of the famous Rosie the Riveter pose. It looked awesome!

Since we were on the east end of Ottawa and we knew that rush hour traffic would be at its peak, we decided to go and have a gluten-free pizza at Bella Vista Pizzeria on Bank Street. It was a wonderful way to end the day and to celebrate the completion of this four month journey!

One last Pin Up Girl pose for good measure!

Suzanne has promised me some photos for next week so that I can finally share the end result with all of you!
I am hoping that those of you who followed will be inspired by my journey and will seek out your own Inner Pin Up Girl for she exists in all of us. I know the exact moment during the photo shoot when "SHE" was released! I felt the shift and I even commented to Suzanne and Loanna that MY Inner Pin Up Girl had been freed. I encourage you to do the same.

Was this worth it as far as the investment? Absolutely!! I wanted to do this right and have it done by a professional. This was a shared birthday gift from my husband, Tim, and from my 39-year old self to my 40- year old self. And the experience was worth every lunge, squat, bicep curl, plank and penny. I am grateful that my friend, Justin Tracey, who has photographed my casting exhibit in the past, recommended Sweet Diva Photography because Suzanne (and Alison!) made the experience authentic and fun and comfortable and I can't wait to see the finished product! I will happily bid farewell to my 30's and embrace my 40's with open arms and a big, false-eyelash wink!

The End of the Project is Near

Tomorrow is preparation day for Thursday which is the Pin Up Girl photo shoot!! I have made a list and I am checking it twice. I have clothes and shoes and stockings and granny panties and a pointy bra to pack. I have an antique hand mirror, jewelery, a bustier, and other accessories to gather. Yes, my 29 faithful followers, this four month journey is coming to a close and I am feeling very happy about how it all turned out.

My 40th birthday is exactly two weeks from Thursday and I will hopefully have one photo of the shoot to share that day. The rest may not come for a month or so as the photographer is away on holidays for several weeks. She has promised to get at least one to me to share here with all of you.

When I started this project, I wasn't sure what I had gotten myself into but four months seemed like a good length of time to figure that out. I hit many bumps along the way, moments of doubt and had even thought of throwing in the towel at one point until my husband gently reminded me that I was in the midst of hormonal imbalance. I have lost inches and pounds but most of all, I have become physically stronger and in the best shape I have ever been in. I have dropped a size and I am on my way to dropping another size. By my 40th birthday, I will have reached all of the goals I set in the beginning: drop a size, lose 15 pounds, complete a 5km run and be fit and strong. Oh,  and fit back into the $80 jeans I bought last year when I was in liver failure and lost a pile of weight in a short amount of time :-)

Check in on Thursday when I post some of the photos of the transformation into a Pin Up Girl.

Consultation Complete

Yesterday I met with my hair and make-up professional and then my photographer for the Pin Up Girl photo shoot scheduled for Thursday, March 24th. I have to say that five days ago, I was feeling pretty dumpy and although I planned to go through with the "shoot," I wasn't feeling overly "pin-up-y" (is that a word?) because I was feeling thoroughly pms-y. When I talked with my husband about postponing the whole thing, he gently replied, "It's just the water retention talking." Bless his heart. I just about fell off of the couch with laughter!

But lo and behold, my inner Pin Up Girl re-emerged once my hormonal state re-balanced and I joyfully drove to Ottawa yesterday morning. I arrived at Alison's home studio on time and we got right into discussing what we would do with my hair. The big issue was my long, all-one-length, hairstyle (if you can call it a style). Choices were limited due to the fact that I have no layers whatsoever. I am growing it to donate to Angel Hair for Kids and although I have reached the ten inch requirement, I am not prepared to chop it off just yet. Alison has an entire book of 1940's and 1950's hairstyles and soon we found one that was in between the 1940's housewife style and a sexier 1940's hairstyle. Make-up is fairly standard for this era.........false eyelashes, pink cheeks and dark red lips. Alison is a real life pin up girl and so really understands the whole "look" of the Pin Up Girl. The consultation took about a half hour and then I was off to meet Suzanne, the photographer.

This consultation involved meeting in person, seeing the studio, discussing my ideas and "vision" for the shoot as well as what I would like to have for my keepsakes.......a book of the top ten photos in 5x7's or perhaps a 13-month calendar or even a deck of cards with one pose adorning the backside of the card. I am leaning towards a 2011 calendar as it has the year that I turned 40 and it is just so cool to BE the Pin Up Girl in the calendar. This was a wonderful experience and meeting Suzanne and Alison made me even more excited to complete The 40's Project.

I soon realized that I would need a pair of black shoes for this event. Now, my husband might argue that I own a lot of shoes. Can you ever have too many pairs of shoes?  Seriously, though, I do not own one pair of plain black shoes........I have silver and chocolate brown and periwinkle blue and pink and red and.......but not one pair of black shoes. I made a quick stop in a Spring shoe store at Bayshore and lo and behold, I saw the most gorgeous pair of nude heels in a Betty Boop style and instantly fell in love with them. I also figured they'd be practical for some of the outfits I would be wearing. They were also only $40.

These remind me of the shoes the models on "The Price Is Right" wore!

 Then I tried on a black pair which I found on the clearance rack and they were on sale for $30.

Check out the complimentary shoe decor!

 I was feeling quite pleased with myself when I spun around to see a woman strutting around the store in a ruby red pair of shoes which had a double strap across the top of the foot. Of course, they were a size 6 and were the last pair. She also found them on the sale rack. The salesperson assisting me quickly ran to the back room and voila......there was one pair left and they were a size 6! I tried them on and then asked hesitantly, "How much?" The salesperson joyfully announced, "$17!" and smiling from ear to ear. "I'll take them" was my reply. So, I didn't get the red satin pair at Pom Pom a couple of weeks ago but instead got three pairs for the same price.

Red Ruby Shoes

 As I prepare for the photo shoot scheduled for a week from tomorrow, I continue to search for some cool vintage outfits or 1940's inspired styles. If you have anything I could borrow or have older relatives who wouldn't mind if you raided their closets or attics, please let me know. Thanks in advance!

No More Screwing Around

Holy Moly! In a week and a half I will be sitting with hair and make-up followed by the Pin Up Girl photographer planning my shoot on March 24th. I have been daydreaming about costumes, new shoes, stockings, gloves, and so on and yet that is as far as I have gotten.

Well, except for last week when I was on a field trip for my other blog, The Letter Writing Revolution.  I was walking by Pom Pom in The Glebe neighbourhood of Ottawa and discovered these incredible $130 shoes on for $80.

I didn't buy them......for two reasons:
One: they didn't have them in my size
Two: I already own red shoes.

If they had the black pair in my size, I may have figured out a way to spring for them. They were THAT gorgeous......satin with the perfect 1940's satin bow on the toe. It is no secret, I turn to putty when I am in the company of gorgeous shoes. I mean, I literally get giddy when I am surrounded by beautiful and unique shoes. In fact, when our daughter would be admitted to the Children's Hospital in Ottawa which was a total of eight months in her first year of life alone, I used to 'soothe'  (read: self-medicate) myself with a new pair of shoes. It was my little treat and the hospitalization was my excuse to them. The unfortunate thing is that my life as a mother of a child with special needs, a childbirth educator, a retired Doula and a casting artist does not allow me to wear my shoes as often as I would like.

Anyway, my point is, I have a lot of work to do before March 24th. This is a big deal. I need to stop screwing around and get this Pin Up Girl into some vintage shops and maybe a lingerie shop or two ;-)