AmandaBeth Bracelet Giveaway!!!

Whew! So I'm finally checking back in here. It's been a busy day, but I've loved seeing the posts and photos you have shared! Keep them coming and remember that you can link up at any time through Saturday!

Now, here's a little giveaway to make this mini-event more "event-ish." (Doing a tiny one day event is feeling really weird. ;) All you've got do is leave a comment with your name (either real, or an online "pen name") and some way of contacting you (email, blog, et cetera), and you could win this lovely Beads on a Wire bracelet from AmandaBeth Boutique.

A simple gold-plated wire is strung with a lovely mix of glass pearls and ocean blue glass beads, making this a sweet jewelry accessory for any occasion. The bracelet hooks closed, and the beads shuffle themselves around on the wire with movement.

In order to get additional entries you can:

• Follow the blog, AmandaBFly on Twitter, or Amanda Flynn on Tumblr, or become a fan of AmandaBeth on Facebook - 1 entry for each
• Post about the giveaway (on your blog, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, et cetera - include the link in your comment!) - 2 entries for each

Make sure you leave a separate comment for each thing you do or the additional entries will not be counted. The giveaway will run through midnight (EST) on Saturday, September 11th, the winner will be chosen via Random.org and announced the following day.

Good luck! :)

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Masquerade - An Online Event!

I am pleased to announce that Masquerade - An Online Event is now up and running! Today's the day to get your lovely "masquerade" themed posts and photos up on your blog (if you haven't done so already!) and link them all in the box below. (I decided to leave it open through Saturday, so you've got plenty of time! :)

Please be sure link the direct post URL and not your blog address. And if you haven't read the details and rules of the event yet, please check out this post.

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SHEALYNNS-FAERIE-SHOPPE: My Masquerade Costume Cute N Modest: A Marvelous Masquerade! Masquerade. . . Who Are We Really? Fairie Ball Iradessa: Masquerade! My Next Project Analysis: The "Masquerade" Gown Musings of an Innovative Maiden

A Masquerade Ball. . . what a splendid party. Bridget at Gonna Take a Ride Across the Moon Ileigh Jean A summer masquerade Bramblewood Fashion - Sisters at a Masquerade Fairies and French Fries - Musical Masquerade Is This Modest~Isnt It Just Loverly? ? MASQUERADE! ?? ~The Thomas Family This linky list is now closed.

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On Saturday, we were blessed to attend a real life masquerade ball put on by a friend, and it was loads of fun. I was blown away by how creative and gorgeous everyone's costumes were, especially the masks! These essential accessories varied from half masks to those that covered the entire face (I considered one of those myself), and were made from plaster, paper-maché, foam, fabric, lace and more.

The day was warm, and dancing with a mask on made things slightly more sweaty, but I was delighted to see how many people stuck it out and wore their masks faithfully. I must admit that I dumped my shoes, stockings and gloves within the first half hour. ;)

I made my edwardian gown back in March when I was a "Dreamer" (a.k.a. dead person ;) in the musical The Secret Garden, using an old Simplicity costume pattern that wasn't too farby, and some lovely sheer white fabric that I was lucky enough to snag for only $2 a yard. (This is actually the same fabric that I used to make the Chemise Dress I've featured in a few other posts.) The lace for the belt,  the cuffs and the neckline came from a bag of random bridal trimmings I had on hand. The basic mask came from Jo-Ann's, and I cut it quite a bit to get the shape I wanted before gluing another bridal lace piece over the entire thing and adding ribbon ties.

My original scheme was to attend the masquerade as the ghost of some historical or literary character. After an extensive amount of research (and more than a few creepy web site visits) I decided on the victorian actress Lillie Langtry, who has supposedly been "seen" on a few occasions. ;) But due to her rather awful love life, I changed to a more generic "woman in white/snow queen/gibson girl/debuntante/ghostly lady from your dreams." Just lovely, right? ;)

Anyway, feel free to share your own costume inspirations! I'll hopefully be cooking up some more masquerade-ish fun today - stop in again later!  :)

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Margaret Style

Amidst all the beauty and glamour of the grown women of the golden age of Hollywood were some of the most memorable and talented child stars of all time. Many of them had short careers, reaching great success at a young age, then growing out of their popular roles and having to live in the shadow of their younger selves for the rest of their lives. None the less, they all played a vital part in the development of the motion picture industry and made a few special classics along the way.

I believe that one of the most endearing and talented child stars of all time was Margaret O'Brien. Catapulting to stardom at the age of five years old in the film A Journey for Margaret (after which she changed her named from Maxine to Margaret), she hammered out an impressive resume over the next seven years (she appeared in six films in 1943 alone), including some pretty nice classics, and was awarded a special Juvenile Award for Outstanding Child Actress of 1944. (Her very first appearance onscreen was actually in the Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney film, Babes on Broadway, and is a hilarious 60 seconds. ;)

Margaret, unlike the bubbly Shirley Temple of the previous decade, was a highly talented dramatic actress (boy, could she cry!) who excelled in a wide range of roles, from devilish imp to tearful orphan to the cutie-pie next-door. Her comedic timing was excellent and one look from those dark eyes or a flash of her winning smile was enough to steal a scene.

Of course, child stars' fashions had as much of an influence on the styles of the era as the grown-ups, and Margaret modeled her fair share of the short, full-skirted dresses of the period, as well as enough oversized bows for a whole family of girls.

Even though Margaret wasn't able to make the transition from child to adult roles and her career went nowhere after the year 1950, she left her stamp on the movies and raised the bar for child actors of the next generation. And she did grow into a very pretty young woman (see right). Here you can take a peek at an "older" Margaret's appearance on What's My Line?

And now I'd like to share one of my favorite clips of this lady, in which  Margaret (as the precocious "Tootie") dances the cake walk with always-the-greatest Judy Garland. The film is the classic Meet Me In St. Louis.

The most important reason that Margaret O'Brien is a special favorite of mine is because she reminds me so much of my (now nine-year-old) sister Maggie. This makes watching (and listening - love that voice) to Margaret on screen twice as fun. (And the name coincidence is really something!)

Now we've just got to learn the cake walk together. I don't mind being Judy's character one bit... ;)





P.S. Don't forget the Masquerade event next Tuesday! I'd appreciate anyone who shares the banner and a link on their blog - spread the word!

Also, remember that the Leaf Earrings are still on sale for $6 through the end of September. They make a great gift for a fashionista friend... or yourself. ;)

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A crafty Vlog update and a surprise...

Ok, so this video is way longer than a proper vlog should be. I apologize. I obviously need to be less chatty and descriptive (hey! I'm a writer! ;). I'll do better next time.

Be sure to check out the full details on my fine art pillows and tote bags - now ON SALE with FREE SHIPPING in the US!




And don't forget the Leaf/Feather earrings (anybody got a fantastic name suggestion?)! For the next two weeks, they'll be available exclusively through AmandaBeth Online for a reduced price of $6, with FREE SHIPPING in the US.

Forest Green, Emerald Green, Teal, Gold and Purple earring styles.

To order, just send me a quick email at amandabethboutique{at}gmail.com with your choice of color, your shipping address and paypal email address so that I can send you a simple invoice and get your earrings to you as quickly as possible! (Quantities of each color are limited, so get them soon!) Starting in September, the earrings will be listed in my shop for a higher price. The Purple and Teal Earrings have been sold out.

Forest Green - Emerald Green - Teal

Gold - Purple - back of earrings (these would look great reversed as well!)

Oh, and I wanted to pass along those links my friend shared on how to make those fabric flowers I showed in my last vlog. I hope you'll get creative and enjoy making some of your own!

• Emily's Little World
• Simply Vintage Girl
• Just Another Hang Up
• Ruffles and Stuff

I hope you all have a lovely, fashion-y weekend! Enjoy!


P.S. Check out the toolbar (at the bottom of your browser window) and tell me what you think! (If this considerably slows down the page for any of you, please let me know! It allows you to search the site, translate the page into your language (I love my international readers! :), see the latest posts, visit a randomly generated post, see who's online right now, share and subscribe, and check out my YouTube channel, Facebook and Twitter. Hopefully it will help you explore the blog better than before. :)

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Masquerade - An Online Event - August 31st, 2010

Well, the vlog is still on the way (some nasty sickness is wreaking havoc in myself and my family right now), but I think it will be worth the wait. I've got some fun fashiony stuff to show you all in regards to my shop, and also a little surprise. :)

Meanwhile, the random "masquerade" post I put up last week got some great comments. I've got a friend putting on a masquerade ball later this month, so the subject has been in my mind quite a bit lately. :) After reading all of your fabulous ideas, I thought it would be fun to have a little Masquerade event online here at AmandaBeth. That way we all get a chance to carry out our costume ideas (as well as anything else "masquerade" related) and share them together. :)

So, many of you have participated in past AmandaBeth blog events (Summer Fashion Week, Maid Marian's Wardrobe, and Secondhand Fashion Week) and know how these things run. You'll have the next two weeks to prepare a "masquerade" themed post. August 31st will the day of the online masquerade ball/fashion show and you'll be able to link your post up here at AmandaBeth Online.

How To Participate

Dress up in your own "masquerade"costume and do a photo shoot. Be creative and original - remember that you can be a person, place or thing, animal, vegetable or mineral. There really aren't any limits. I only ask that all costumes be kept modest (nothing low-cut, super-tight, short or otherwise sleezy). I reserve the right to remove any posts from the link box that feature images that I don't feel are appropriate.

Make sure that you share all the fun details of who or what you're supposed to be and how you created or came up with your costume. If you'd rather not "attend" in costume, you can write up a post on anything to do with the masquerade theme and share it as well. (Remember, you can prepare and publish your post on your own blog any time over the next few weeks!)

Details

Masquerade - An Online Event will run all day at AmandaBeth Online on August 31st, 2010. There will be a link box up here for anyone who wants to share their post(s). If you are going to participate (or would just like to spread the word) please use the image at the top of this post on your blog with a link to http://amandabethonline.blogspot.com (feel free to resize the image as needed).

I'll be here if anyone has any questions or suggestions. If you'd like to be an official sponsor of the event and have your site or business banner heavily featured during the occasion, please send me an email at amandabethboutique{at}gmail.com for more info. I'd also love to run a giveaway or two, so contact me if you'd like to promote your business and donate an item!

Oh yes, and I think we are way overdo for another live chat. Keep that Tuesday evening - the 31st - open! ;)

Get ready to pull out your best fashiony disguise...

P.S. Don't forget your mask!!!

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An August Evening...

How is everyone this fine week? I hope you all are well and having a relaxing summer! I'm pretty much up to my ears in prep for the weekend right now (playing two shows and participating in a big family party), so I hope you'll forgive the lack of a proper post. I've got some fun fashiony ideas up my sleeve for the rest of the month (or two), and am planning on shooting a new Vlog with some interesting stuff for next week. You don't want to miss it, so be sure to check back often!

So, I'll just leave you with a pretty photo and a question:
If you were to attend a masquerade ball, what would be your costume or disguise?

Hmm... :)

Love you all! Thanks for stopping by!

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"Dream Out Loud" by Selena Gomez - A Review

These days it seems like a new celebrity launches her (or his) own perfume or clothing line every other week. Getting a line of clothes has become incredibly easy for those with a name and face that will be recognized and sought after. Often I wonder how much input the celebrity even had in the designing of the line, if they even know anything about fashion in the first place (they've all got stylists, although I'm not so sure all of them take the good advice), or whether they even really care about it in the first place. Perhaps it's just another thing to slap their image on.

I am usually rather skeptical when the latest "pop princess" releases her line and, more often than not, adds another wave of immodest, disempowering clothing to the easily-swayed masses of "tween" girls who want somebody to look up to and follow. Nine out of ten times, the looks are highly inappropriate for the age they are targeting (or for anyone, really) and I wouldn't want my eleven-year-old sister within ten feet of them. (Ok, so there were a couple of graphic tees that I liked in the Miley Cyrus Walmart line, but those were the rare exception. :P)

So, now that all that criticism is out there, I will admit that I felt a surge of anticipation when I heard that Selena Gomez was coming out with her own line. Although I can't give really give any celebrity my "stamp of approval" or recommendation (it's too risky!), I do think that Selena is a sweet and classy young lady who has a great sense of fashion (and isn't afraid to dress her age - refreshing!). I also had the opportunity to see her once in person, so I've got an extra soft spot for her. ;) I truly wish her well.

Yesterday, my sister Lydia and I took ourselves (and a camera) off to the nearest Kmart to see just how Selena's clothing line was in-person (the images online can be so deceiving). Originally I was really disappointed that the line was to be released by Kmart.

My first thought: "Oh. Kmart. That's cheap."
My second thought: "Wait! That means it's affordable! Nice." :)

And truly, I think that a fun, trendy collection like this is best being cheap, considering that its targeting towards young girls whose parents are paying for their things anyway and would probably prefer to get them some fun back-to-school pieces at a reasonable price. :)

When we got inside the store, I looked around, expecting to be blown away by some huge poster of Selena (I saw one in a photograph of another store), or at least a clue to where the stuff would be parked. But no, I had to ask an employee. :P

Then I was rather disappointed to be dumped in the junior section, where a couple of 8.5x11 signs informed me that this was where Selena Gomez was hanging out. Not only that, but almost all of the line was mixed in among the other brands, forcing me to search through to find what I was looking for.

To add injury to insult, the accessories were not displayed with the rest of the clothing, but in a completely different part of the store. A bit of a let-down. (I'm hoping this was just my store, because I saw a nicely organized prominent display online. :)

But enough of that - on to the good stuff! :)

Selena's clothing line is named Dream Out Loud. I've always been a big dreamer (ambitious firstborn here!) so the title itself caught my attention, and I like how the theme is carried through some of the pieces (like the tee shirt that says "Why Stop Dreaming When You Wake Up?" - how sweet is that? :).

The DOL logo features a bird in flight, which makes me think of two things: Dove Soap, and Sparrow Records (a Christian record label that my first fave singer Twila Paris was signed with back in the day ;). Which makes it a bit amusing to see little birds plastered all over everything. But I am glad the logo is sweet and inspirational. (What does it first make you think of?)

And while we are on the subject of "sweet and inspirational" I do want to say that I am really happy with most of the pieces in this line. Selena is now eighteen years old, and yet the clothing is not too grown-up. In fact, almost all of the pieces were modest (or could be made so by simple layering or mixing and matching with other items). Really, these were something something I would be fine with my eleven-year-old sister wearing, and that was encouraging... (Ok, so with the exception of one short skirt, but I'm pretty sure that was it!).

Another note, since this came up in the comments: This line is not just for younger girls. I saw lots of pieces that I personally loved and could easily incorporate into my wardrobe (although I do tend to like youthful stuff). So don't necessarily write the line off if you're out of your teens. I think the junior section is always the most fun to shop, anyway... :)

I'd say my one little complaint is that the quality of these pieces isn't fantastic (this is Kmart!). But considering the very reasonable prices and the fact that these are trendy items that a young girl will probably grow out of and discard within a a year, it's understandable. And, now that I've really thought about it, I also think it's great that Selena partnered with a company that made her designs affordable to little girls who may not have lots of money, but dream big. :)

I think my favorite items in the collection were the sweet and ultra-feminine tops, in soft creams and bold shades. (Yay for purple!) Oh yes, and probably the slouchy knit hats - they are so cute!

Be sure to check out the complete collection online at Kmart - and share which items are your favorites! Also, what are your thoughts on the line in general, or even the celebrity clothing designs trend? I want to know what you think!



P.S. Be sure to check back tomorrow to see who was the lucky winner of the Modest Swimsuit Giveaway!

Oh yes, and we just broke 400 Blogger Followers! THANK YOU!!! xo :)

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And the winner of the modest Hydrochic swimsuit is...

Haley!!!


Random.org choose 21 as the magic number for today (not a bad one, it's a really nice age to be... ;), which means that Haley will be receiving the HydroChic swimsuit top and bottom of her choice. Congratulations Haley - I hope you enjoy your prize! :)

Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter the giveaway! Remember, you can still receive 8% off anything you order at HydroChic.com with the coupon code: AmandaBeth


Remember to keep it cool and modest this summer! xo

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Also, I just wanted to take a second to let you know that a "Narnia" themed blog event that is currently running over at The Christian Fashionista. If you've enjoyed the past fashion events that we've hosted here at AmandaBeth, you might want to check it out. :)

Have a lovely rest of the week! God bless.

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