AVALON

2016, or 1946? 

all images © Ava Alamshah 

The End

something vintage

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This illustration is pure magic!  Cross breeding never looked so dapper.  My new friend, Lydia, found this beautiful blog about vintage books.  The internet is a sea of visual joy.

your friend,

ava

Merry Merry

  Ema finds the best photos.  The best!   Rita Hayworth, xmas, ornaments in a pool?!!!  AHHH

  I hope to see you all for the holiday festivities this Saturday.  Click  H E R E  for more info.  Now if I could just recreate this scene...pool and all.

your friend,

ava

Happy Monday!

Look at this image of Lucille Ball!

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your friend,

ava

On Hiatus

To all my friends,


I'm sorry for my absence (from my blog), but rest assured, I will be back in no time. 


Mean while, I hope you enjoy these images. 




your friend,


ava

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A friend from work put Shelley Duvall on my mind

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Another discovery down the rabbit hole. Really digging on this girl's illustrations. 

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Shelley Duvall, some guy, and cotton candy 

The Drums - Money from Tim Heinrich on Vimeo.


My new favorite band, courtesy of my boyfriend.  This song rings true to our situation at the moment.  These guys are dreamy. High school crushing X infinity. 

Lydia! 

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Gonna go back to this hair

From Lula Mag, Issue 5

I thought this was really cute

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English Card Deck 1820

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also, thanks to my friend, Ema, for introducing me to the first two sources. 

circus showgirl, 1950

Hello we heart vintage, for the last three images! 

xoxoxxx

oodles of poodles

Feeling kind of uninspired lately. I think this cold has really gotten me down.  My boyfriend sent me this photo of Audrey a little while ago because he knows how obsessed I've become.  How can I be sad when looking at this beautiful woman in her poodle blouse? 

Speaking of poodles, look what I found!

That's a young Joan Collins in the first photo.  When I clicked on the image, it led me to this woman's really cute blog.  I was happy to discover that Johanna loves vintage fashion, and from the looks of it, she makes her own clothes.  She is also from Sweden, collects Barbie dolls, loves Disney themed parks and paints. She's also cute as a button.  Check out her style.  Very retro.  Let's be friends. 


Also, how weird and awesome is that photo of Zsa Zsa Gabor?  That poodle cracks me up, I don't know how to feel about this.




your friend,


ava

My New Coat

Just in time for this cloudy weather.  I managed to find this amazing bargain while shopping for ornaments at Anthropologie.  This is my forth coat added to my collection and it makes me think that I should stop living in Los Angeles because I hardly get to wear them.  It has these short sleeves that evoke a certain era where women wore long, elegant gloves.  It's cliche, but I instantly thought of Audrey after trying it on.  A lot of people have been saying Jackie O too.  It's forcing me to dress more elegantly, which I always wanted to to, but never knew how to execute until I reached my mid to late 20s.  Now that I'm almost 30, I've reached this point in my life where no matter where I am, I always want to look like a lady.  Though, I don't want to seem too prim and proper.  Besides wearing with dresses, I'm going to embrace this coat with jeans and a tee shirt.  Dressing it down a bit will give it some edge.  

The images below capture a certain vibe I'm embracing.  Strong and feminine. Bold brows and a bold lip, with a beautiful 40s/50s ensemble.  Throw in something modern so it's not too "Halloween Party", like some gold metallic nail polish, or leather booties.  I also love it when classic pieces are re-styled to look more modern, such as a classic oxford with a leopard print.  I never thought I would like leopard print again, and dare I say, clogs.  Who am I?  I love a good statement necklace too and I keep a lot of vintage pieces passed down to me by my very stylish mother.  She's the only one, besides my friend, Stefani, who knows my tastes so well.  Especially my taste in jewelry.  

Say "YES" to night portraits.  Especially when your subject is this good.

xx


your friend,


ava

Color Blocking & Job Locking

These past few days have been a whirl wind of job searching for my lovely boyfriend.  Freelance isn't quite paying the bills, so it's time for something steady..with benefits no doubt!  I dream about it every day that something will turn up.  Times have been tough, and not just for us, but for the country.  I'm thankful because it's a fact that things could be worse.   Yesterday, we hit the local mall in stride for his interview with a pretty "hip" clothing chain. I'll give you a hint...it starts with U & ends with O & sounds like Schmurban Schmoutfitters. 

I like what a good friend of his said... "Just know that you're cooler than anything in there."

This is so true. 

Tiffany's always has some unique window displays. Who doesn't like diamonds with their ice cream

Killing time at the mall always reminds me of my high school days.  School and the local mall.  That was it, and it was everything.  Oh, youth and the joys of being irresponsible.  

We cruised Neiman Marcus which was delightful.  It is easier to look at clothes that I absolutely know I could never afford, even if I worked every single day without breaks.  No impulse buys!  Just walking around feeling a bit naughty because we were taking pictures in front of their art displays.  A shopgirl asked Jeaux if he was looking for anything in particular, and he answered, "no thanks, just came to see the art."  "Oh.." she replied. 

I absolutely loved the color blocking of the paintings and thought they went well with my outfit.  It was a trip to find out that some of the paintings were created by this woman.  A similar painting is on display and part of Neiman Marcus' permanent collection.  She is also the associate dean for CalArts School of Art.  Our alma mater. 

Pants & top, both H&M. Vintage bag from Mom. The necklace was a steal at Urban a long while ago. I think I only payed 9 bucks.  (Shhh..but it's a secret!) 

Iridescent butterflies hang from the ceiling at Neiman Marcus. This picture does not do it justice. 

Doesn't he look handsome? My Blue Boy. 




your friend,


ava

Wedding Bliss

Notice the classy red cups to the right? Filled with the finest champagne

       

Feeling very Audrey. Dress by Calvin Klein, urban outfitters lace oxfords, Mac russian red lipstick, vintage necklace & bag (the best hand-me-downs from my very stylish mother)

It's really happening!

Besties

Timeless

Amber's brother, Colin (to the right), photo bombing

Kyle was one of the lucky groomsman. He's really tall & makes cool videos for time warner cable

Feeling fancy

There was a lightning storm later in the evening. A truly magical night