Cleo Moore - B-Movie Bad Girl

In a world where it is hip to be a fan of Marilyn Monroe or Audrey Hepburn, few people take the time to learn about the other lesser known stars from Old Hollywood. Sure if you scratch the surface a few may know who Cary Grant or even Bette Davis are, but say a name like... Cleo Moore and you mind as well be talking gibberish. Don't know who Cleo is either? That's okay, you will after I'm done with you!

I had heard her name a few times throughout my researching of miscellaneous things about Old Hollywood over the years, but it wasn't until I was chatting with a friend on Facebook and her name came up that I took a little more time to learn about this beautiful blonde. As it turns out my friend is a distant relative of hers, which peaked my interest even more.

Cleo was born and raised in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana area... which just happens to be near my hometown of New Orleans. In 1944 she married Louisiana Governor Huey Long's son Palmer Long, but the union only lasted a few weeks. Later the next year, Cleo would pack up and move to California with her family with her sights set on making it in motion pictures.

While trying to make a name for herself in Hollywood, Cleo became a popular model, posing for many cheesecake style photos. It wouldn't be until 1948 that Cleo would actually clock in some on-screen time, thanks to Warner Bros. She was usually given bit parts in B films such as Embraceable You (1948) and Congo Bill (1948) and in 1950 she would jump ship to RKO Studios where she was given more of the same.

In 1952, Cleo signed to Columbia Pictures and was molded into their next big star. She dyed her hair platinum blonde to fill in as Columbia's blonde bombshell role. At the time all the studios were trying to bank off the success that FOX was having with Marilyn Monroe. She was pegged 'The Next Big Thing' and 'The Blonde Rita Hayworth.' She first gained attention in Nicholas Ray's film noir, On Dangerous Ground (1952). 

Over the next few years, Cleo would enjoy success at the box office starring in such films as The Other Woman (1954) and One Girl's Confessions (1953). But with the signing of Kim Novak as Columbia's next 'it' girl, Cleo would be given roles in forgettable b films. After completing her last film with Columbia ,Women's Prison, in 1956, Moore signed on to Universal Studios where she was given a few more roles, but would never garner the attention she had enjoyed just a few years prior.

In 1957, Cleo retired from acting and settled into a non-Hollywood life with her second husband and dedicated herself as wife and mother to their child who was born in 1963. Sadly, Cleo would pass away in 1973 of a heart attack at the young age of 48.

Cleo with fellow blonde bombshell Jayne Mansfield

In a period where curvacious blonde bombshells were being thrown at the public in hoards, Cleo struggled to find her footing amongst stars such as Jayne Mansfield and Mamie Van Doren, and is often forgotten about in today's world. Luckily for  those of us who care to, we can re watch her films and give her the dues she was owed. Sometimes it's those forgotten b movie roles where some of these stars turned in their best performances.

Happy Holidays!

I cant believe the holiday season is almost over with now! Since tomorrow is Christmas Day, I just wanted to stop by and wish everyone a Happy Holiday! Thanks to all of you who visit the blog, I love reading your comments! Y'all have a good one!

Ferragamo: Shoe Designer

I know my post on this blog are sparse... to say the least, but I am so glad to see you guys are still visiting! I am going to do my best to keep up with it better than I have the last few months. Even if I just post a picture I love... I will make my way over here!

And so here we have a picture I found on Pintrest a few weeks ago...Here we see acclaimed shoe designer Ferragamo kneeling among the shoe forms of some of Old Hollywood's top stars. Rita Hayworth, Audrey Hepburn, and Lauren Bacall are just a few of the names seen in this photo!

Ferragamo started making shoes when he was only 9 and became one of the most sought out shoe designers in Hollywood. He has been credited with creating platform soles and wedge heels! Think about that next time you are are out shoe shopping and try on those platforms! He is most famous for creating the ruby slippers from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Below is a picture of Audrey Hepburn during one of their shoe fittings...

Marilyn Monroe by Nickolas Murray

I came across these beautiful color shots of Marilyn Monroe while browsing my long time favorite forum Everlasting Star and wanted to share. The photos were taken by photographer Nickolas Murray in 1952. I was struck by the clarity and vibrant colors... simply beautiful!

Murray was a Hungarian immigrant who became famous for his celebrity portraits published in Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bazaar, and Ladies' Home Journal. In the 1930's he turned his focus from portraits to commercial photography where he established many of the conventions of color advertising. He was known as the master of the three-color carbro process.

The Music of Funny Face (1957)

It was another boring Monday at the camera shop, and my mind was going a million miles a minute. Then all of a sudden there I found myself singing, out loud I might add, 's wonderful... s marvelous!'. As usual my co workers looked at me like I was nuts. It was at that moment I realized I never purchased the soundtrack to one of my favorite films... the 1957 fashion inspired musical Funny Face.

How had I not added this to my collection? With the wonderful songwriting of Ira Gershwin, Roger Edens and Leonard Gershe sung by the amazing voices of Fred Astaire, Audrey Hepburn and Kay Thompson... it seemed silly that I hadn't been enjoying this is my music collection all this time. Well as soon as I got home I purchased it from iTunes and haven't stopped listening since!

It is so hard to pick favorites on this album because it is  s wonderful (too much?) from beginning to end, but if I had to they would be... 'Think Pink', 'Bonjour Paris', 'How To Be Lovely', and 'S Wonderful'. But! Above all the others, 'Clap Yo Hands', is by far my favorite. The beat, the lyrics, it is just too much! And don't even get me started when Kay Thompson starts belting at the end... I immediately throw up my hands and start flailing around the room like a possessed drag queen joining the jubilee!

Well as if you can't tell from what I have already said, if you haven't seen this movie... you are missing out! You need to see it, hear it, experience it! Take my word on it!

You can find it on iTunes here.

Flashback Post: Jane Russell Sings!

Back in September of 2011, I did a two part article about Jane Russell's singing career. Many people today don't know that Jane had a successful music career outside of her film career. She released a few albums, had a nightclub act, and even was part of Christian music group. Her albums (not in their original forms) are available on iTunes for purchase. If you like to relax to beautiful jazz tunes, you should check them out.

And here you are... 

a Flashback Post from September 2011: Jane Russell Sings!

Lana Del Rey "National Anthem"

This post isn't really about Old Hollywood, but is about something inspired by Old Hollywood. My current music obsession is the gorgeously talented Lana Del Rey. The self-proclaimed 'Gangsta Nancy Sinatra' has released a video to accompany the release of her latest single 'National Anthem.' In the video Lana can be seen paying tribute to the fabulous Marilyn Monroe by singing her breathy, sultry version of Happy Birthday. Lana looks stunning in a gown very much inspired by the one Monroe wore in 1962.

The rest of the video is Lana's take on the relationship between Jackie O and JFK. She and rapper A$AP Rocky spend the video giving their best impersonations of the Kennedy's and the video ends with a very subtle nod to the President's assassination.

Lana looks remarkable in this video. Her hair, make-up, and wardrobe are all very 1960's inspired. I need this woman's hair! I need this woman's lips!

Sorry if this post doesn't interest someone you guys, but I had to share it because I simply adore it! And if you haven't yet heard of Lana Del Rey, now is your chance to discover a wonder new artist on the rise.

 

And as a little something extra, here is a photo of Lana standing in front of a portrait of Marilyn Monroe from the 1959 film Some Like It Hot.

Pin-Up Girls | Before & After

Walk up to any check out lane at a grocery store and you will be surrounded by magazine covers full of beautiful stars. Stars people look up to for their perfect complexions and perfect figures. While most of these stars really do posses these qualities... it's just never to the degree that is shown on ads and magazine covers. As most of you know, a photo is never shown to the public these days without being touched by Hollywood's Photoshop masters. 

In recent times quite a few of these naturally beautiful stars have went against 'the man' and had their non-Photoshopped photos shown to their fans. Among those who showed their original photos is one of my favorite singers... Britney Spears. Stars like Jessica Simpson and Taylor Swift have even done photo shoots without a stitch of make-up to show they are beautiful without these tools.

Which brings me to the point of this post... the 1940-1950's pin-up girls. In my downtime at work I like to browse the photography website pophoto.com. On there main page the other day was an article about how the altering of woman's bodies was around long before image editing software. The article shows many beautiful pieces of pin-up art along side their original photos. It is quite fun to see how the models were posed with a specific outcome in mind. Check them out here.

The difference between the pin-up girls and today's ads/magazine covers? The pin-up artist used their photographs to create a piece of artwork and not to alter a photo to fool the public. Now I know that no one in their right mind would compare the two (if you would then we have other issues here), but it is interesting to see how an industry took off from these master artists works.

Some of my favorite pictures of my fave blonde Marilyn Monroe are the photos she took with famed pin-up artist Earl Moran. She was still in full Norma Jeane mode and looks so care free and to be having so much fun. I also learned today Earl Moran even did paintings of my other favorite blonde Jayne Mansfield! Here are some of those pics...

Happy Birthday Babs!

I know it has been well over a month since I posted anything here on Blame Mame, but I needed to post something about one of my faves... Barbra Streisand! Today is her 70th birthday! I haven't seen many of her films, but after seeing Funny Girl on the big screen at a local theaters Classic Film showings... I was hooked for life! I listen to that soundtrack all the time! So Happy Birthday Babs! Ive also included my favorite number from Funny Girl... just in case you're interested. 

"I'd Rather Be Blue" from Funny Girl

PS. I am going to make a better effort at posting more on here... I miss it. My life has changed a lot in the last 5-6 months and honestly, I haven't seen a classic film in full since November. I feel ashamed! Hehe. Well keep an eye out for new posts to come... I also have a new website in the works. Exciting stuff! Take care y'all!

Jayne Mansfield: Gone Too Soon

When I seen that Comet Over Hollywood was holding the Gone Too Soon Blogathon in March I was intrigued because there were so many greats who's lives ended too soon. Some of my favorites like Marilyn Monroe, Jean Harlow, and Judy Garland are among those who died before the age of 50. For this blogathon I decided to write about Jayne Mansfield. Known more for her voluptuous figure and scandalous publicity stunts... many don't know about the women behind the tatas. So in this star profile, I will discuss the highlights and little known facts about Jayne.

All breasts and no brains? Not this lady!

Probably the biggest misconception about Jayne is that she was a 'dumb blonde'. This one sort of came with the territory of blonde bombshell in the 1950's. Along side Marilyn Monroe, Mamie Van Doren, and Kim Novak, Jayne's figure was what brought the film offers in... not the acting. It didn't help that Jayne realized it wasn't her 163 IQ (by her own claim) that got publicity, but rather her 40-21-35 shape, and used it to her advantage to further her film career. What is a shame is many people still do not know that Jayne was one smart cookie. A woman who spoke five different languages and was a classically trained violinist and pianist is no dumb blonde. Let's face it, anyone without brains wouldn't have been able to build a career with so little successful films and still be a household name to this day!

Award Winning Actress? You Betcha!

But it wasn't just her smarts that went under the radar... the public has never given her acting the props it deserved. Beyond the fact that she won a Theatre World Award and a Golden Globe, it would take a great actor to convince the world she was the persona she portrayed. The blonde hair, the hour glass figure, the high pitched squeal... it was all part of the character she created. All you have to do is watch The Girl Cant Help It (1956) or Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter (1957) to see what a wonderful comedian she was. Want to see her do a dramatic role? Check her out in 1957's The Wayward Bus or The Burgler. Jayne also received praise for her roles on the stage as well. She performed in successful runs of Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Bus Stop, and Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman.

Missed Roles? There were a few!

Early in her career Jayne tried her hand for the part of The Girl in the film version of The Seven Year Itch, but was unable to impress the studio heads. She was also offered the lead role opposite James Stewart and Jack Lemmon in Bell, Book, And Candle. She had to turn the role down due to being pregnant and the role was given to one of her rivals Kim Novak. In the 60's she was offered the role of Ginger on the television show Gilligan's Island, but turned it down because she felt the role was more of the same typecast she was trying to avoid. I cant even imagine how different these works would have been with Jayne in those roles... would have been interesting to see.

Career outside of Hollywood? For sure.

When her career in Hollywood slowed down, Jayne took to the Las Vegas stage for a nightclub act called The House of Love. She earned top dollar for the times and the show was such a success that 20th Century Fox Records recorded the show and released Jayne Mansfield Busts Up Last Vegas. She would eventually take her hit show on road and eventually around the world. 

As you can see there was much more to Jayne Mansfield than what meets the eye. Ive always been fascinated by her and I you learned something new about her from reading this. Her life came to a tragic end far too soon, and we lost one of our iconic Blonde Bombshells.

Happy Birthday Jean Harlow!

Don't usually do birthday posts, but I couldn't help it! It's Jean Harlow after all! Today 101 years ago, Harlean Harlow Carpenter was brought into this world and blondes have never been the same since!

Gone Too Soon: Jayne Mansfield (Coming Soon)

I was browsing blogs the other day when I ran across a banner about an upcoming blogathon that caught my eye. Which blogathon you may ask? Comet Over Hollywood's Gone Too Soon Blogathon would be the one! The primese is to write a post(s) about a star that died before the age of 50. There were plenty to chose from... Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, Jean Harlow. Well I chose another funny, pretty lady to write about... make sure you check back on March 9 or 10!

Frankly, My Dear Classic Film Survey

Rianna over at Frankly, My Dear has been hosting a Classic Film Survey for the month of February. I said earlier in the month that I wanted to take part... it's better late than never right? Sorry for the delay, life has just been hectic. So here it goes...

1. Favorite classic Disney?

 
It is very hard for me to answer this because I am such a Disney fanatic, but I chose Sleeping Beauty (1959). I went with this film because of how beautifully done the illustrations were. You can literally take a frame from any part of the film and it would look like a piece of art! I especially love the scenes where Aurora is walking through the woods singing with all of the animals.

2. Favorite film from the year 1939?

 
This one is pretty easy... The Women. An all woman cast with Norma Shearer, Rosalind Russell and Joan Crawford? What more could you ask for?

3. Favorite Carole Lombard screwball role?

  

While I am a little ashamed to say so, I've only seen one of Carole's films... Mr and Mrs Smith (1941). So I will go with that one as my favorite. I did a review on it, you can read here. I must say that after seeing this picture, I will definitely be watching more of her films.

4. Favorite off screen couple?

Jean Harlow and William Powell. They seemed to be deeply in love. Their 6 month engagement came to an end with Harlow's premature death.

5. Favorite pair of best friends?

Ive always loved the behind-the-scene story of the friendship Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe developed on the set of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). I love that Jane would stop by Marilyn's dressing room and walk with her on set because she knew how terrified Monroe was. A true friend.

Happy Valentines!

Happy Valentines day to all the lovers out there. 

If you don't believe in the holiday... have a great day any how!

Old Hollywood Headlines #5

Here we are again with another addition to the Old Hollywood Headlines series. As usual, there is a little bit of everything dealing with Old Hollywood. From the blog, to fellow bloggers, to my reel life... I hope you guys are enjoying these posts!

► BLAME MAME

001. I've made a few new posts recently, so if you haven't checked those out, please make sure to! I wrote about Cecil Beaton's photo shoot with the lovely Marilyn Monroe in 1956 and I explained where my interest in Classic Hollywood came from in Part 2 of Who What Where When Why.

002. I know my film reviews have been far between each other, but that is because I haven't had much time to watch all the films I would like to. The only film I have watched since Thanksgiving is What A Wonderful Life (1946), so there will definitely be a review of that film soon. I started watching the Jean Harlow picture Reckless (1935) and the Rita Hayworth film Tonight and Every Night (1945), but I seem to keep falling asleep before I can finish them. Maybe one of these days.

003. Last month Blame Mame was accepted into the Classic Movie Blog Association! That is pretty exciting for me because I missed the deadline last year to apply, so I am glad my blog was liked enough to be voted into the group. If you have a classic Hollywood blog and would like to become apart of the CMBA, check them out here.

► BLOGOSPHERE

001. I would like to thank Classic Movies for highlighting my Monroe/Beaton post on their Classic Links post!

002. Rianna over at Frankly, My Dear is hosting the Classic Film Survey. There are 15 questions to answer about many subject of old Hollywood. I think Blame Mame will definitely take part in it! If you are interested in doing to the survey yourself, please visit Rianna!

003. Blame Mame would like to wish The Hollywood Revue a very Happy 2nd Blogaversary! Here's to many more years of blogging and fun events like the Fashion in Film Blogathon!

004. Comet Over Hollywood highlights some of the lowlights of old Hollywood dye job on their Hair To Dye For post... some of my favorite are on the list: Rita, Cyd, Jane

005. Classic Film and TV Cafe is hosting the Classic Movie Dogathon. So if you love classic movies and pooches... check it out!

► REEL LIFE

001. I have made quite a few classic Hollywood purchases in the last few weeks, but I have to say my favorite is the book Marilyn Monroe: Metamorphosis by David Will. The large picture book is filled with gorgeous pictures that seem to jump from the pages. It is obvious the author put a lot of time in to finding the best quality images for this book because I've never seen some of them in the quality you find in this book. If you haven't seen it yet, it is worth the stop at the local book store!

002. If you remember a few weeks I talked about not being able to watch my Jean Harlow DVD collection because my DVD player gave me an error. Well after doing a little research online, it seems Warner Archive put a block on the disc so it cant be read on players with burners. Luckily my dad has a cheapy DVD player and I have borrowed that to watch them... not that I have been able to watch one yet.

1956 | A New Marilyn

I've always loved the photos taken of Marilyn Monroe during her session with famed photographer Cecil Beaton. This was a turning point in Marilyn's real-life and career and he captures her beauty effortlessly. I especially love the photos taken by Beaton's assistant of him photographing Marilyn.

There came a time in Marilyn Monroe's career when she grew tired of being a pin-up queen. She grew tired of being viewed as a body with a voice and getting little respect as an actor or a person. She refused to take roles that were more of the same, which resulted in her being suspended from 20th Century Fox. Marilyn was ready to become a serious actress, so she headed to New York where she joined The Actor's Studio and created Marilyn Monroe Productions with friend/photographer Milton Greene. Next on the agenda? Be photographed as a lady with class who demanded respect. Who better to take those photos than high society photographer Cecil Beaton?

On February 22, 1956, Monroe arrived at Beaton's suite at Ambassador Hotel in New York City. She arrived with two gowns and left her sexpot attitude behind in order to develop another side of Marilyn Monroe. A more mature, sophisticated side that wanted to be taken seriously. As usual, Marilyn did her own make-up (a fact many find hard to believe). Cecil had redecorated the suite in a 'Japanese Nouveau' style and brought a few props for Marilyn to use while being photographed. The results were beautiful and unlike any other images of Marilyn anyone had seen before. 

Cecil Beaton would later describe his subject... "The initial shyness over, excitement has now gotten the better of her. She romps, she squeals with delight, she leaps onto the sofa. She puts a flower stem in her mouth, puffing on a daisy as though it were a cigarette. It is an artless, impromptu, high-spirited, infectiously gay performance. It may end in tears."

As you can see, the photographs are nothing less than amazing!

Reel Life | Who, What, Where, When, Why #2

So here I am again with my second part of the Who What Where When Why series. A few weeks ago I wrote about 'why' I love Classic Hollywood, this time I am going to explain how it started with 'what where and when.' While it is true my passion didn't develop until my late teen years, my interest was peaked at an early age.

As a young'n I would spend my days at my grandma's house while my parents were working. I would wake up  from naps to find the television screen had lost all of it's color and my grandma would laugh at me when I would ask what was wrong with it. She would explain that before there were colored televisions and cordless phones that people actually had to go out to the theaters to see movies. I was amazed and had to learn more about this medium from an 'ancient' time. We would sit there on that old orange sofa, I would be eating my silver dollar sized pancakes, and we would watch all of these different films. Some were full of music I would listen to and some made me laugh so hard I couldn't breathe. Without knowing it, my grandma was imprinting my brain with these wonderful films and stars. And then came the day she introduced me to I Love Lucy. I was officially hooked. My favorite episode was the one where Lucy mimics Carmen Miranda. I still bust out laughing if I watch that scene. Ma Ma Ma Yo Quero!

Then came the time when my parents divorced and I wound up living with my other grandma in northern Indiana. I spent a lot of my time there alone exploring the little town and the surrounding wooded area. My grandma had a room I wasn't allowed to go in, but I would often sneak in there to see what the big deal was. It was a pretty large room with wall to wall glass cases full of porcelain dolls. You could find every type of doll in that room, but the ones that caught my eye were in a case toward the back left of the room. There was a glamorous blonde in a pink dress, a funny looking red head with a mixing bowl wearing a black and white polka dot dress (I recognized her right away), and a handsome guy wearing a red-leather jacket with blue jeans. They were so different from the other dolls on display. They were cool, they were glamorous, they had so much personality. I would often pretend to be hanging out with them when I was out on my many adventures. I think it goes without saying that my imagination had no boundaries. I would later find out what the beautiful blonde was Marilyn Monroe, the funny lady was Lucille Ball, and the rebel was James Dean.

Years later that Marilyn Monroe doll was given to me and sat in my room for many years. The house where I lived in Indiana had caught fire and the doll was one of the only things to survive, without an arm, but she survived. It is funny how that doll made it's way into my life because if it hadn't been for it, I probably wouldn't have grown so fond of Old Hollywood.

Of course with age, those television sittings with my grandma and the imaginary friends would become a thing of the past and I would spend most of my time being a young teenager. It wasn't until a few days before my 7th grade Social Studies project was due that I was thrust back into the magical world of the Golden Age of Hollywood. I was sitting in my room racking my brain for an idea for my project when my eyes came across that Marilyn Monroe doll. A light bulb went off. If she was important enough to have a doll made of her, she must be interesting enough to do a project on. And there I went... printing pictures, learning about this fabulous woman, and sinking deeper into a love of the days when stars were so glam. That project would go on to win 3rd place, thank you very much. Ha.

After that project was over with, I made it my mission to see all of Marilyn's films. It was from this mission I was introduced to so many of my favorite Old Hollywood stars. Stars like Jane Russell, Bette Davis, Cary Grant, and Barbara Stanwyck. It was like a domino effect. I would watch one movie and it would lead to me loving another star and then another and then another! Before I knew it I had a long list of wonderful stars to learn about. From these discoveries I was introduced to three of my all-time favorite: Jean Harlow, Rita Hayworth, and Joan Crawford.

I will be forever grateful to both of my grandmas for helping me see into the past and discovering this wonderful time in cinema history.

And so there you have it... What Where When.

Flashback Post | Rita Hayworth... Blonde Bombshell?

Some of you may remember my July 23rd, 2011 post highlighting Rita Hayworth's transformation into a blonde bombshell for her role in The Lady From Shanghai. If you do remember or if you don't, please check it out once again... it still amazes me how good she could look with any color hair.

Here it is... Make Overs | Rita Hayworth

Old Hollywood Headlines #4

So here we are in 2012... where has the time gone? I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! My holiday season was filled with new adventures, meeting new people, and overall good times. Since Thanksgiving my personal life has changed beyond anything I imagined it would be. I have discovered so many things I didn't know I would enjoy so much and I have met many wonderful people that have shown me how life can really be. Along with that, I have to a degree put my blog on the back burner, and for that, I am sorry. I can see from the stats on blogger that you guys are still stopping by and that itself is enough motivation to keep it going! So without further adieu... how about some Old Hollywood Headlines?

 

► Blame Mame

001. If you haven't already, please join Blame Mame over on Facebook!


► Blogosphere

001. Ever wanted to see some of Alfred Hitchcock's famous films be the theme of a Vanity Fair shoot? Well look no further than Elisa's Classic Films to see the shoot that was featured in the March 2008 issue. I am sure most of you have seen these, but they were new to me... I always love to see how 'new' Hollywood tries so hard to capture the essence of old Hollywood.

 

Part 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 08 09 10

002. Over on Another Old Movie Blog, the 1952 Jane Russell film Las Vegas Story gets reviews. I am little jealous because I need to see this film as part of my Jane Russell Filmography Project, but have been unable to find it anywhere to view. If you have any hints as to where I can find it, please let me know!

003. Comet Over Hollywood has announded a blogathon that will take place in March. The blogathon is titled Gone Too Soon and will feature posts about actors who died before the age of 50. I will have a hard time chosing between writing about Jean Harlow, Marilyn Monroe, or Jayne Mansfield. -rubs chin- Guess we'll see what happens in March!

004. Carole Lombard was known for having a potty mouth... The Scarlett Olive shared a video highlighting her infamous mouth in outtakes/bloopers from My Man Godfrey.
 

► Reel Life

One day while exploring the New Orleans Riverwalk, I came across a store called Retro Road Trip. From the front door I could see merchandise with the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Wizard of Oz and so much more... there was no way I could NOT go in! It was a really fun gift shop with tshirts and gadgets featuring some of your favorite retro characters and celebs. I suprisingly left with nothing in hand, I had to be good. Especially after my last two trips to Barnes and Noble. Haha!

I hope everyone has a Happy New Year!