Birthday Tea Party 2012

Like all of my posts, this one from my birthday is long overdue - my birthday was over a month ago! But we've been busy with all sorts of dance camps, Costume College, weddings (plus going to work!) - and for my birthday Chris bought me the fancy-pants photo editing software Lightroom, and I was determined to at least learn the basics and use it for my most recent photos, which took a while.

I'm also running low on my free space for photos through Blogger, so I started a new Flickr account. Hopefully all these new tools will makes things easier and more streamlined, but there's definitely a learning curve with them!

For my birthday this year, I wanted to have a girl's day out - a group of girlfriends joined me at the Orange Circle in Orange, CA for afternoon tea and vintage shopping. It was lovely but HOT walking around in the middle of the day! People wearing shorts and tanks thought we were crazy, but I'm glad my friends are such good sports.

And even though we brought fancy-pant cameras and I spent hours with my new software, the best photo of the day is the one I took with my iPhone and Instagrammed. Argh! ;)

Lauren and Cait both bought their hats on our outing - 

Lauren's hat came from the estate of Dixie Lee, Bing Crosby's first wife. How cool is that!

I didn't need to buy a hat, because I already had one with a rhinestone shrimp on it!

Delphine, me, and Cait at the Orange Circle fountain. 

So many shadows - noon is not the best time for photos!

Vintage girl with her vintage iPhone.

A local friend tipped me off to this cute Orange mural.

Delphine - fantastic dancer and newly married lady!

Lauren made her outfit, and has awesome stripe matching skillz.

Teatime! We went to Paris in a Cup, which is delightful and rather touristy, down to the fake French on the menu. Delphine, our Parisian transplant, had a good giggle at that.

Petit fours and edible orchids - it tasted kind of like lettuce.

Poor photography skills, but it shows the cute room!

And of course Charlie Cat had to sneak into the

 photoshoot at the end of the day. What a ham!

Jean Veloz, still dancing at age 88

If you've reading my blog for a while, you might remember me mentioning an original LA lindy hopper named Jean Veloz. She's revered as one of the most stylish and most inspirational swing dancers in LA during the early 40's, and she's still out dancing. A couple weeks ago Jean headed out to Herrang, Sweden, to teach and dance at their yearly event.

Here she is, with all her style and class, dancing with Marcus Koch at Herrang:

We all want to be her when we grow up.

For more on Jean Veloz, click the tag at the bottom.

Happy Independence Day!

Collier's Magazine, June 24th, 1939

Back Cover

I'm off work for the rest of the week, and plan to do some patternmaking/sewing, shoe shopping, and on Sunday I'm celebrating my birthday with friends. Hope you have a safe, happy and relaxing holiday!

Buena Vista Street - Grand Re-Opening!

This post is overdue but fun, so only slight apologies for the delay! ;)

After long anticipation, Disney's California Adventure opened its newly retrofied Buena Vista Street and Carsland on June 15th, and the day before they closed the park for final preparations and a private party for press and employees. To add some fun to the street inspired by Los Angeles in the 1920's & 30's, Chris & I joined some friends in dancing to Dean Mora's Modern Rhythmists. So much fun to be there at the re-opening of Buena Vista Street, dancing to LA's best and most authentic early jazz band!

Chip & Dale dancing the Charleston

Dancers en route to California Adventure

Twilight on Buena Vista Street

Dean Mora introducing his Modern Rhythmists

Chris and I joined dancers from Pasadena Ballroom Dance 

and the Hollywood Hotshots for the event

Hollywood Hotshots Minn Vo & Stefanie Klausman performing "Campus Capers"

After the first band set I changed outfits and got a quick photo with the Red Car Trolley. 

So neat to see this bit of LA history recreated!

Chip (or is it Dale?) dancing with some visitors.

With Katie, Hollywood Hotshot and fellow FIDM graduate!

Pluto getting down!