Halloween has become a holiday enjoyed not only by children but by adults as well for an entirely different set of reasons.  It has been said that October 31st is the one day out of the year where inhibitions can be shed and modesty can be put to the side. It is a day in which it is completely socially acceptable to don an outfit you would only dream of wearing in your wildest fantasies. Halloween gives us the opportunity to loosen up a little bit and maybe even show some skin. It allows us to unleash our sexy side and let the sex pot within make an appearance. And, in the grand scheme of things, letting our sex pot out one day of the year may very well lead to her making an appearance more regularly.  Here are some tips for creating a sexy Halloween holiday that might just stick with you year round.

Fulfill Your Fantasies

Halloween provides us with an excellent opportunity to fulfill our fantasies. What character or role have you played in your fantasies? Were you a sexy schoolgirl? A naughty nurse? Maybe you were a mysterious geisha, a sensuous senorita, or a provocative pirate. On this day, you can be whoever you want. You are no longer Jennifer, the accountant. You are now a commanding officer or a sensual maiden. Whatever your fantasy may be, look for a costume that best reflects a character you’ve fantasized about being.

Define Your Style

When picking a costume, it is important to know what your style of sexy is. Are you mysterious sexy? Cute sexy? Seductive sexy? Sporty sexy? Knowing what style of sexy you are will help you choose a costume that best matches your underlying sensuality and will help you feel more comfortable in fulfilling your fantasy role.

Complement Your Assets

Each of us have features that others find attractive. When searching for a costume, it is important to identify your assets and then look for something that will complement those assets. If your legs are your best feature, look for a costume that accentuates your legs. If your bust is your best feature, find a costume that reveals your cleavage. Perhaps you’ve been told you have a to-die-for derriere. In this case, choose a costume that draws attention to your caboose. Got a nice set of abs? Look for an outfit that reveals your mid drift. Finding a costume that enhances your best features will help you feel more comfortable and more attractive in your costume.

Pack a Punch

Look for accessories that will really drive home the theme of your costume. This can include finding a pair of shoes that seamlessly match your costume’s concept. If you’re a sexy cowgirl, grab a pair of cowgirl boots; a ballerina, look for ballerina slippers; a Greek goddess, find a pair of gold gladiator heels, etc, etc. Also, look for stockings, jewelry, gloves, and any other accessories that will complement your outfit and help complete the picture.

Get comfortable

Before Halloween arrives, try on your costume and get comfortable in it. Nothing diminishes sexiness more than feeling uncomfortable and ill at ease in an outfit. Try on your costume and get used to how it feels on you. Wear it while you do simple pastimes or household chores. Sweep in it, dust in it, read in it. The idea here is to get accustomed to the way it fits on your body. Once you feel that you are comfortable in your costume, find a mirror and admire yourself in it. Admire how the costume accentuates your features and feel free to admit that your look good in it. Then be sure to role play. Watch yourself in the mirror and get comfortable with your new persona.

Now that you’ve found the costume that fulfills your fantasies, represents your style, & accentuates your assets, and you’ve accessorized and gotten comfortable with your new costume, you’re ready to live the fantasy. Get into character and go with it. Enjoy the way it feels to get out of your own skin for a bit. Relish the self-confidence and power that you feel in this new role. Be sure to capitalize on the moment and truly become your fantasy persona. And remember, the more you enjoy the experience, the more likely it is you will take your sexy with you long after Halloween is over.

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And if you want to know how to add spiders to spiderwebs CHECK THIS OUT!!!

Often we are asked ‘How do you create vintage pinup hair to go with a vintage gown?’   To the rescue is Amanda Hallay and her video showing you easy steps to creating several types of  1940′s vintage hairdos.

Prom Dresses

When shopping from prom dresses choosing the perfect prom dress is an important decision! Do you go short or long? What color should you choose? Strapless, halter or strappy? So many decision when sorting through all of those prom dresses!

Is this prom dress right for my school?
When shopping for your prom dress, consider if your choice would be proper for your school. Movie stars walking the red carpet do not need to show a lot of skin to look sexy and stunning.

Does the color of this prom dress look good with my skin tone?
Skin tones can be divided into “seasons” depending on some key characteristics.

“Winter” complexions have blue or pink undertones. Skin can be pale white, yellowish-olive, or dark. Winter people are generally brunettes, with deeply colored eyes. Many Asians and African Americans fall into this category. Winters should try prom dresses whose colors are sharp, stark and clear. White, black, navy blue, red and shocking pink all go well with winter complexions. For lighter colors, wear icy tones rather than pastels. Avoid subdued tones like beige, orange and gold. Try these Unique Vintage options:

“Summer” complexions, like winter complexions, have blue or pink undertones. Skin is pale and pink. Summers are often natural blondes or brunettes with pale eyes. Summers should choose prom dresses that are pastels and soft neutrals with rose and blue undertones. Lavender, plum, rose-brown and soft blue suit summers well while black and orange do not. Take a look at these Unique Vintage options:

“Autumn”. Autumn complexions have golden undertones. Many redheads and brunettes with golden brown eyes fall into this category. Autumns should try prom dresses whose colors have golden undertones, like camel, beige, orange, gold and dark brown. Avoid colors with blue tones, like navy:

“Spring.” Spring complexions have golden undertones and are usually creamy white or peach. Spring people generally have straw-colored or strawberry red hair, freckles, rosy cheeks, and blue or green eyes. Springs can try prom dresses with warm colors like camel, peach, golden yellow and golden brown. Avoid dark, dull colors. Check out these Unique Vintage options:

Does the shape of this prom dress work with my body type?
Everyone has things that they don’t like about their body. When shopping for prom dresses, keep in mind that the right dress can hide flaws. Keep your particular body type in mind when shopping. You can accentuate the positive and downplay the areas that you don’t like. Whatever type of body you have, you can find a flattering dress to fit your shape.

When looking at prom dresses think about what your body type is:
Triange Body Shape: Triangle body types are categorized by a wider waist and smaller shoulders. Triangle body types also generally have a full lower half of their body. Flattering this body type is easy following a few simple rules. Flattering any body type is done by focusing on emphasizing the positive, and by minimizing the negative. The trick is to draw attention away from imperfections by the way you dress.

Try wearing light colors on top, dark colors on bottom. Simply put, dark colors hide, while light colors magnify. Select prom dresses with sleeves to draw the eye out, making shoulders seem wider, and balances out the larger hips.

Wear a prom dress that fits. Prom dresses that are too big look sloppy and unfinished, and doesn’t disguise narrow shoulders. Prom dresses that fits the shoulders exactly and simply draw the attention elsewhere looks polished and attractive. Find a good tailor. This especially applies to large busted triangle body types. In order to get a prom dress to fit properly, it is sometimes necessary to have it properly altered. Other styles of prom dresses that are not flattering on a triangle body shape include boat necks, anything without collars and scoop neck shirts.

Apple Body Shape: Women with apple body types tend to have an average to large bust, a wide waist and thin legs. Flat rear ends, narrow hips and wide shoulders are also key characteristics of an apple. Focusing on the positive–the arms, legs, and bust; while camouflaging the negative–the waist in particular; is the key to flattering an apple body type.

Choose prom dresses that have tops with details such a ruching on the sides, knotting, pleating or ruching. These details will draw less attention to the tummy area, which is an apple body type’s trouble area.

Wear v-neck or scooped neckline shirts. They accentuate the bust, which is a key feature. Any shirt that has an interesting neckline works well for an apple body type.

Dress in monochromatic prom dresses or add just one more color. Keeping the number of colors down creates an illusion of length, which draws attention away from the waist.

Wear dark-colored on the lower half of the prom dress. To draw attention from the waist and flatter the apple body type, dress in a lighter colored top.

Wear prom dresses that hit right above the knee. Flattering the legs, the best characteristic of an apple body type, is easy in a mid-length skirt. Beware, though—prom dresses that are too long, that hit below the knee mid-calf, for example, will not accentuate the legs, but draw negative attention to the stomach.

Hourglass Body Shape:
An hourglass body type has moderate to large bust and hips, and a small waist—generally 10 inches smaller than the bust and hips. The hourglass is the most highly desired body type for women due to its femininity. Dressing to flatter the hourglass body type focuses on proportion, since the top and bottom half balance out so well.

Choose prom dresses with tops that define your small waist. Wrap tops, tie waist tops or belted tops are great examples of this.

Show off a great bust. Scoop necks tops and V-neck tops are examples of tops that do this for an hourglass body type.

Avoid necklines that hit high on the neck like turtlenecks. They draw attention aw

Pin up is about production. And this production of Beyonce’s video is top notch!

“Why Don’t You Love Me” – Beyoncé from Beyoncé on Vimeo.

Ooooh La La!!

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Over there, to the right….

For your sweetheart

So you still are shopping for a late or belated Valentines Gift? Look no further than Papergems Sweet Nothings! The journal you can pass back and forth to your sweetheart throughout the year. Guys this will surely get you lots of brownie points! Check it out below.

My tiny, handmade Sweet Nothings Journal is a space for flirtatious inklings. A heart-shaped space in which one can spark wonder with a beloved by scribing a sweet nothing on its pages, tucking it into its pouch, then hiding it for a cherished to find and return, complete with their own sweet flirtations! The intrigue continues until all 40 pages are filled. Imagination is favored via a flow of words or images, as these pages accept all media of expression. Titillation can be created by slipping small love trinkets or treats [read: chocolate/candy or something else perhaps?] into the organza pouch.
Closed, this journal is 4 1/4″ X 2″. Sleeved in plastic, this journal is ready to display and measures: 6 1/4″ W X 6″ H. Journal sets come in: red & gold, white & gold or white & silver (scroll to down to see these colors). Custom colors can be discussed by contacting me at the email listed below.

Sweet Nothing Journals make fabulous gifts/favors for: weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, anniversaries, graduations, lovers, birthdays, Valentine’s Day, as party favors or a ‘thinking about you’ gift. Treat yourself by penning your individual affirmations inside or amuse another with this ‘gift-for-the-soul.’ Sweet Nothings Journals make any day a special occasion full of hide-n-seek adventure for all ages.
PAPERGEMS‘ Sweet Nothings Deal:
These handmade Sweet Nothings Journals wholesale, complete with pouch, at a price point of: Wholesale @ US $5.00/each unit [including shipping]. No minimum order. For bulk orders of 100 units or more, my wholesale price drops to US $3.00/each unit [including shipping]. Custom orders require individual quotes, please email me to discuss your thoughts. I handle all production aspects of this gift item.

http://www.papergems.com

Contact me directly to inquire about orders: mwiseman@papergems.com

Pinup as we know it today is radically different to its humble origins which can be traced back to the beginning of the 20th century, a time when sexuality was both scrutinized and suppressed. For instance a woman showing a bare ankle was considered risqué and the word “sex” itself was not even used publicly.

As ever people find a way round even the most stringent of rules and the desire for images of an erotic nature was overcome by the birth of portraying scantily clad ladies as an art form.

As art such images were deemed acceptable by the society of the time and many of these early drawings and illustrations that are considered the roots of the pinup genre used imagery of the burlesque striptease routines as their starting point.

Additionally magazines such as ‘The Police Gazette’ illustrated stories of murder and mayhem by showing the leading ladies in various states of undress, which was considered to be completely legitimate by the general populous as they were considered newsworthy.

During the 1920′s society began to rebel against the repression of the previous decades with the energetic dancing, partying and fashions such as flap skirts that showed more leg than ever before.

It was at this time that underground ‘pulp’ detective magazines appeared using drawings and paintings of bondage and nudity to illustrate their stories of murder and kidnap.

Meanwhile a new genre of nudist publications also surfaced linking sex and humor again using drawings to illustrate their stories and jokes. It was from such publications that what we think of as pinup art began to evolve during the early 1930′s.

Artists such as George Petty and Alberto Vargas created calendar girls that very soon adorned the walls of garages and workshops everywhere.

Additionally Esquire magazine was initially published in this decade and very soon it was regularly carrying pinup art and illustrations from many different artists.

However it was the 1940′s and World War II that really saw pinup art explode into the phenomenon we know today.

There wasn’t a G.I. who didn’t have a painting of his favorite movie star such as Rita Hayworth or Bettie Grable on his locker door or stuffed somewhere in his kitbag so that he could be reminded of home during the long hours spent away from his family and loved ones.

Add to that the girls so painstakingly painted on to the side of military aircraft in order to bring them luck on their numerous missions and it was easy to see that pinup art had found a footing in mainstream society.

Post WWII artists such as Elvgren emerged as failing magazines and publishers tried to woo the public with risqué imagery. By this time the original artwork from the more popular artists was becoming much sought after by certain collectors and it was finally accepted that pinup had a place in the art world which was somewhat ironic considering it’s origins.

During the late 1950′s and early 1960′s pinup began to surface in the form of photography as well as the now traditional art. Magazines such as the famous Playboy were published blending pinup style photography with well written lifestyle articles and the response was huge.

The magazines ripped through any remaining repression gaining acceptability in most parts of society in a matter of a few years.

At this time different models and artists began to mutate pinup across and into different genres such as fetish and even bondage, the most famous of these being the partnership between Bettie Page and Irving Claws.

Although some of this imagery could be considered much darker in style than that of the early pinup artists it was still invariably done with a sense of fun, tease and innocence that typifies the pinup genre.

During the 1960′s Playboy and other magazines gained a huge circulation all the while moving pinup style imagery into the psyche of mainstream America.

Unfortunately by the 1970′s photography had just about taken over from art and most of the original pinup artists had retired from the genre they had so lovingly created.

With the advent of video the demand for adult material began to move towards far more lewd and graphic imagery depicting all manner of sex acts and it seemed that the playful innocence of pinup was lost forever.

However during the 1980′s new artists such as Dave Stevens kept the genre going and with the arrival of the Internet in the late 1990′s it soon became apparent that interest in classic pinup art and photography was still very much alive.

In the last few years there has been a real rekindling of mainstream interest in the genre with new art appearing from modern artists such as Olivia and many of the original Playboy pinup models using the Internet to sell their classic prints and images.

From this a new breed of Internet pinup models has emerged and although many of them cross over into other genres they owe at least part of their style to the classic pinup era.

Amongst them are several models who have attempted to solely recreate the classic pinup look with varying degrees of success.

All in all it seems strange that it should be something as modern as the Internet that will help ensure that classic pinup will be with us long into the 21st century.

Fortunately it seems that at least some people out there still enjoy the beauty and tease of the pinup genre over the much stronger and more explicit material that is now so freely available.

This is somewhat ironic when you consider that the latter in part way only exists due to pinup art and photography helping to make images with an erotic leaning more and more acceptable to American culture throughout the 20th century.

The main thing is that pinup lives …

Long may it continue …

Reprint from Wally Adams

I wanted to know if there were/are any African American Pinup women that are in the online search. To my surprise there are! I have posted below what I found. Ive tried to give credit to each but if Ive missed any please correct me.

This one is from the pinupblog.com sie.
Found: African American Cheesecake!

You know I’m always looking for diversity in the pinup industry. Meet Char E’ (Pronounced Shar-A), she’s been modelling in the pinup style since 1999. She is the epitome of diversity, being part African American, part Native American and part Irish. I discovered Char E’ at CafePress, where you can find many more of her pinup images. To get the full lowdown on Char E’ check out her interview at Black Men in America.