Possibilities

We have a handsome possible candidate to join me on select future photo shoots. Every film femme needs a dashing leading man! Stay tuned.

Also, if you are on Facebook, you can fan, or "like" my Midnight Refrain page for updates and discussions. I believe there is a link to it in the top right, here on the blog page. Or you can go on Facebook and search "Laura Shaffer's Midnight Refrain".

Please feel free, here or on the Facebook page, to share ideas, music, and photos!

Chinatown - set/wardrobe lust

I'm about halfway through a rewatch of Chinatown, maybe the best neo noir. I want those sets for our photo and video shoots! And the cars! (And the hats. Always want more hats.)

It's fun to recognize some of the location shots. The historic casino at Avalon is easy.

New old music!

Hello Darlings,

Just a mini blog to let you know that we recorded 4 new tunes for the album today. What a pleasure to work with such talented professionals. Thank you to (in alphabetical order) Arno Marsh, Bob Sachs, Charlie Shaffer, Dave Hart, T-Bone Demman, and Toto Zara. Sweet stuff.

Swinging on a star,
Laura

From hair to eternity

Heh heh heh heh...just a moment while I savor my corny title....heh heh.......ok. So I'm in a quest for authenticity. I have nearly always styled my hair with a vintage accent, from about age 18 or so, when I became enamored with classic movies and vintage style. But I have always used curling irons, and on rare occasions, when it's been long enough since the last time that I entertain the delusion that they will work, hot rollers. I have the misfortune of having pin-straight, heavy, thick hair. Girls with curly locks would not agree that this is unfortunate, I know, but you know the adage: Girls with curls always want straight, and a rolling stone gathers no moss. Or something like that. The point is that my hair does not hold curl. And I have tortured it for decades with heat appliances to get curl. But I finally thought "[forehead slap] Why not try a wet set? It's authentic to the era and it doesn't damage hair." [another forehead slap for good measure] So, after some research, I tried my first wet set in about 30 years. Although this is the first I've done, it's not the first I've had done. My patient mother used to set my hair at night when I was a small child. She was the suffering-est mother in the neighborhood when it came to her daughter's hair, I fear. Too wet, and it doesn't dry by morning. Not wet enough, curl falls right out. Plus, it took a mountain of rollers since I have a lot of hair. I remember my mother being envious of my friend's mother across the street - her daughter had fine hair and it took 3 minutes and 5 rollers and she was done. Meanwhile, Shirley Shaffer is slaving away across the street, endlessly sectioning, spraying, rolling, telling me to sit still. So I attempted my first ever sponge roller set a few nights ago. It took about 35 minutes and came out surprisingly well for a first draft, although not as curly as I'd hoped, and it relaxed to nothing impressive by nighttime. So, last night, I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and tried again, using wetter hair and more setting lotion, and a few more rollers. And this morning before I unrolled it, I used a soft bonnet dryer (that attaches to your hair dryer) for 15 minutes, just to be sure it was dry. About an hour later I unrolled it. It was the thrill of my adult life. The first section of hair that I unrolled, and my hair is below my shoulders, sprung back up into a happy coil, sitting just above my ear. [!!!] With all the rollers finally out, and not brushed, it was a sight to behold. Tight coils all over my head, hair taken up about 5-6 inches. Oh, joy! I squealed and bounced, watching the coils spring up and down. -I'm really going on, aren't I? I'm sorry. Still excited about it, I guess. But if you're still reading you have no one to blame but yourself. So lots of brushing and lots of styling creme later, I ended up with something like Ava Gardner in The Killers, or Ann Sheridan, or this one promo photo I have of Gene Tierney where her hair is longer and curlier than she typically wore it (early in her career). I could not have been happier. Curls, glorious curls! I whipped on a darling vintage dress and red lipstick and went to meet friends for afternoon cocktails and a fantastic big band. 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 5 saxes, piano, bass, guitar and drums. Swinging band, killer bloody marys, curly hair - is it my birthday? Felt like it!

I would like to give a mention to Lisa Freemont Street, wonderful youtube/blog personality. Her hair tutorials and product reviews are informative and entertaining. If you're looking for a little vintage beauty in your life, I would recommend checking her out. http://www.lisafremontpages.blogspot.com/




In other news: In a week we will be recording our next 4 songs. This session will include Cry Me a River. The one song that no Julie London songbook would be complete without.



Always true to you in my fashion,

Laura