allglamnofilter

Today of all days, I want to celebrate the life of Norma Jeane Baker aka Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn was an incredibly strong woman who overcame great odds to achieve wonderful things.

For almost 20 years I’ve been trying to uncover the truth about her life and I believe true Marilyn fans already know she was an intelligent , hard working woman with a very big heart. It’s important to know that Marilyn was Norma Jeane’s alter ego. Marilyn was an image, a part she played on screen and she played the part so well- that people thought that’s who she really was. Those close to Norma Jean have said she could switch Marilyn on and off like a light and often referred to Marilyn in the third person.

With so much focus on her death, her incredible achievements are often overlooked. During my search to uncover the truth about Marilyn, I discovered she was a humanitarian. She loved animals and people of all walks of life. She was passionate about Civil Rights and even participated in Freedom Rides protesting the loss of minority rights. Marilyn also donated her time, money and fame to charitable foundations such as St. Jude’s , Toys for Tots and the March of Dimes.

More than anything Marilyn wanted to be taken seriously as an actress. She was serious about her craft and worked hard to perfect it. She was known for taking acting, dance, elocution and voice lessons -sometimes all in the same day. Marilyn never stopped bettering herself artistically and intellectually. She dedicated her life to working hard without lowering her principles.

When asked about Marilyn’s present day popularity on Good Night Marilyn Radio, Dr. Joe Dispenza, expert on change, the brain, mind & human potential said “Marilyn’s legacy says a lot about energy because energy in the universe never dies.”

We’re all drawn to Marilyn for different reasons but there isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not inspired by her grace and resilience. Even this week with the passing of my fur baby, I thought about Marilyn smiling through so much pain and it gave me strength. Today, on what would have been Marilyn’s 93rd birthday, let’s celebrate the truth not the conspiracies.

Happy Birthday, Marilyn.

Photography by Emily Petri Photography

Chicwish has so many amazing dresses in stock right now and this is one of them! Initially I was a little worried about this dress being too short but it’s actually pretty perfect and as you can see, it’s “finger tip rule” friendly. Does anyone else still live by the finger tip rule 😂 ? Ok, for those of you who aren’t familiar with it, it basically means the hem of your skirt should be three inches below the tops of your fingers as you stand straight with your hands by your side. What can I say? I’m old fashioned and I love pretty dresses.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Thank you to Chicwish for sponsoring this post.

Photography by Emily Petri Photography.

Last week my husband and I went to Seattle for a couple days. It was a super quick trip, but a much needed getaway from the daily grind in Portland.

While we were there, we stayed at the Palihotel near Pike Place Market. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen the photos I posted to my story, but I can really only describe the interior of the hotel as something out of a Wes Anderson film! It’s obvious why it was named one of the best new hotels in the world this year by Travel + Leisure. Such a cute place!

Not only was the hotel’s vintage charm irresistible, it was the perfect backdrop for my shoot with Seattle based photographer, Karya Schanilec !

I have to say, I knew this dress was something special the minute I put it on. This dress belonged to Ginger Kay Marks. Ginger was born on November 28, 1942 to Lois and Tony Marks. She was the oldest of three children and actively involved in the performing arts throughout grade school. During her adult life, Ginger was a professional dancer. She and her dance partner, Gig Gallion, performed at well known establishments such as The Copacabana and even joined Bob Hope on many of his USO tours performing for our troops worldwide. After retiring from show business, she relocated to California’s Carmel-Monterey area. I never got the opportunity to meet Ginger but I’m honored to be able to share her story. Her spirit lives on through her accomplishments and the beautiful dresses she owned.

When local photographer Emily Petri asked me to be apart of her “Flashback Friday” series, of course I was onboard – I’m always dreaming of a different time and place! Since most of the vintage pieces in my collection are from the 1940s, 50s & 60s, I needed a piece that was quintessentially 70s and I already had a dress in mind!

I’ve had my eye on this dress from Most Everything Vintage for a while now, but it was so different from the dresses I normally fall for that I was apprehensive to buy it. Now that it’s in my closet, I’m coming up with new ways I can style it and even alter it to add to its versatility.

I have to say, this shoot has a special place in my heart because I was able to incorporate the acoustic guitar my parents got me in high school in to the images. I don’t play it much now, but I took lessons for years. Also, have I mentioned I was raised on Classic Rock?! I grew up listening to Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, America, Queen and The Beatles- so I was completely in my element walking around downtown Portland with my Fender.

Last but certainly not least, Emily and I wanted to pay tribute to the amazing women in music during this era. You had Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt and Stevie Nicks, just to name a few.

Be sure to follow Emily Petri on Instagram for more Of her “Flashback Friday” series! Happy Tuesday, everyone!

It was so much fun cheering on my favorite baseball team last week in Seattle, the Chicago Cubs!! Some of you may not know this, but I’ve been a Cubs fan my entire life! Ok, there may have been one summer when I was elementary school that I decided to cheer for the White Sox just to be different from my younger brother, but we won’t talk about that summer 😂.

Prior to moving to Portland OR five years ago, my husband and I lived two miles from Wrigley Field. We would go to games all the time and at some point, I began to take going to the ballpark for granted. Since I never really thought we would leave Chicago, I just assumed I would be able to go to games at Wrigley whenever I wanted. Looking back, that assumption is probably one of my biggest Chicago regrets.

We flew back to the Windy City in 2016 to attend a wedding, we made it from O’Hare to a bar/restaurant we use to frequent in our old neighborhood just in time to see the Cubs win the World Series. I’m not sure when we’ll make it back to Chicago for a game, but I’m thankful for trips to Seattle and WGN. Go Cubs!

P.S. this look may or may not have been inspired by Baseball Barbie 😂 and you can shop it here : bow skirt , Cubs jersey , Cubs pennant , heart shaped sunglasses

The minute I saw this dress from Chicwish, I thought of Hollywood actress and inventor, Hedy Lamarr. It reminded me of the celestial gown she wore in the 1941 drama “Zeigfeld Girl” and I had to have it! Since I was so in love with this dress and images from the film, it just made sense to channel Hollywood’s Golden Age for this look. Even the modern (aka non-vintage) pieces I add to my wardrobe always seem to be vintage inspired.

If you’re familiar with my blog and Instagram, then you already know most of my style inspiration comes from fashion history and classic films. Sure the iconic women I admire most dressed impeccably, but they also exuded the grace and confidence that inspired the images for this post.

Thank you to Chicwish for sponsoring this post.

Thank you to Emily Petri for these amazing images.

I realized I haven’t done an Instagram roundup in a while and with the first day of spring only a few days away, I thought it would be fun to look back on winter. Despite this winter being dryer than last, I still managed to add a couple pairs of rainboots and a few more umbrellas to my wardrobe. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Pacific Northwest winters, it’s that they’re all different and by different I mean some are wetter than others. I wouldn’t say I’ve mastered “rain gear chic”, but I’m definitely getting closer. Luckily the rainy days were few and far between this winter, so the elements didn’t cramp my style.

Happy almost spring, everyone!

Last month I randomly stumbled upon these sweatpants on ASOS.com and ordered them almost immediately! Since comfort shouldn’t mean sacrificing style, these pants are a total win-win! Shop the look denim jacket //handbag // ruffle sweatpants

Photography by Shauna Dullanty @littlephotofox

I love red and pink year round, but I especially love it around Valentine’s Day! Over the past few years, this color blocking combo has become my go-to Valentine’s Day look simply because it’s chic and effortless. If you’re like me, you probably already have plenty of red and pink in your closet. So….try combining your favorite stand alone pieces to create the perfect Valentine’s Day outfit! For my look, I decided to combine pieces with feminine details, just to add a touch of romanticism. But, if you’re looking for something less frilly…. No problem! Basics also work here which is why I love this look so much!

Last but not least, heart shaped sunglasses are optional, but I highly recommend them!

Happy Almost Friday, everyone!

*Thank you to Emily Petri Photography! I had so much fun working with you!

Shop my look : paper-bag trousers , pink blouse (similar) , also loving this one !