Hearst Castle-inspired pinup in June Bombshell!

The June issue of Bombshell magazine is out! My Hearst Castle-inspired set by Marilee Caruso (who also did the makeup and hair) is in Book 1, including the inside cover facing the table of contents. If you want to grab this – or any – Magcloud publication on sale, there’s a discount code right now: MAG25.

Catherine Morland in Bombshell magazine
Hearst Castle library-inspired image by Marilee Caruso. I’m wearing the Gene dress by Trashy Diva.

Since I am a huge fan of William Randolph Hearst’s La Cuesta Encantata estate (“the enchanted hill,” now a California State Park located near San Simeon, CA), I wanted to incorporate a sliver of the atmosphere there. Virtually all aspects of the architecture and decoration were overseen by architect and Berkeley grad (Go Bears!) Julia Morgan over nearly three decades, and it remains one of her most impressive projects.

Hearst Castle library photographed by me
Hearst Castle library photographed by me. Note the Greek pottery atop the bookcases.

Since we couldn’t shoot at the actual house, we adapted Marilee’s “study” setup to double as W.R.’s library. The original room  is very Spanish Baroque in ways that only a wealthy media mogul who collected lots of European antiques can replicate, but we did our best. I added a reproduction Greek vase (dude collected tons of art, including a huge ancient pottery collection from Greek antiquity which he highlighted in his library) and my “Citizen Kane” snowglobe to the studio set.

Marilee put images from my Film Noir shoot on the late 1940s tv console to add another layer of meaning, as both Hearst and Marion Davies (his girlfriend and major silent era and golden age of Hollywood star) were involved in the early American film industry. Given the tv cabinet and the more mid-century look of the studio set, we couldn’t do 1920s or 30s. And since the house was closed during World War II and  Mr. Hearst and Davies left the house in 1947 due to the former’s ill health, we figured a small evening party in 1946 or 1947 “coulda happened” like this.

You can find this and all my issues via my Linktree.

Pinup Picnic on the cover of Retro Lovely’s 20th Century Retrospective 1950s Vol. 1

I’m thrilled that one of my “picnic pinup” photos by Marilee Caruso was selected as a cover for the Retro Lovely 20th Century Retrospective – 1950’s special edition! My Summer pinup cover can be found on Volume 1! 

Retro Lovely 20th Century Retrospective 1950s cover featuring Catherine Morland
Retro Lovely 20th Century Retrospective 1950s cover featuring Catherine Morland.

There’s also a six-page feature inside with more photos from the set. Just FYI – right now you can get 20% off on this issue and more at Magcloud using code MAG20 through 5/25/2023!

And if you’d like to shoot your own Summer Pinup-themed shoot with Marilee, she’s offering a special event at her new Sacramento studio on June 24th and 25th, featuring makeup and hair by one of my favorites ever, Rockwell De’Vil!

Summer picnic pinup with Catherine Morland's banana
Summer picnic pinup with Catherine Morland’s banana.

For this shoot, I wore a pretty 1950s Daisy-themed dress by Prettie Lanes (it’s a copy of an original from the fifties) and a Niçois hat from France. The necklace was made for me as a gift from a loved one, and just so happened to match. 😉

To grab a copy of my cover issue (or a poster featuring the cover art), here are the Magcloud links (don’t forget to use code MAG20 through 5/25/2023 to get 20% off):

Retro Lovely Bond Girls pinup: I cosplay Plenty O’Toole from Diamonds Are Forever

It’s not a secret that I’m into “Bond Girls,” so when I saw it was a theme for one of this year’s Retro Lovely special editions, I immediately knew I had to submit something. I chose one of my favorite James Bond film girls to emulate: Plenty O’Toole from 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever, played by the gorgeous Lana Wood.

Catherine Morland cosplays as Bond Girl Plenty O’Toole.

Marilee Caruso did the pretty hair and makeup and took the photos for our six-page feature. I didn’t think I’d be able to pull off an early-1970s look, but Marilee made it work and I ended up loving the results. She also shot Missy Maybe’s lovely cover set for the same issue!

Catherine Morland cosplays as Bond Girl Plenty O’Toole.

More after the jump…

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Northanger Abbey Cosplay Pinup: Catherine Morland does…Catherine Morland

Hurray, another nifty Retro Lovely cover photographed by Marilee Caruso Photography (who also did the makeup and hair)! This time, it’s in Retro Lovely’s cosplay title, Masquerade No. 26!

You can grab a copy of the magazine or a cover poster via Magcloud, and use code BF25 to get a discount (on these or any Magcloud publication) through 11/28/2022 (the actual discount varies by publisher and issue, btw). Note that I don’t make any money off of purchases direct from Magcloud, just the Tiki issue and posters (I have one mag copy left and a handful of posters if you want to help feed my pinup addiction. I mean, support me as I pursue this noble hobby! Ha!).

This one’s kinda meta, because my nom-de-pinup is Catherine Morland and I’m actually portraying Jane Austen’s heroine from Northanger Abbey, Catherine Morland, in the photo set. As she’s into gothic romances and horrid novels of all kinds, we have Catherine reading novels by candlelight in a spooky forestscape of her imagination. Eat your heart out, Emily St. Aubert!

Retro Lovely Masquerade Catherine Morland Cover
I cosplay as Northanger Abbey’s Catherine Morland…my pinup namesake!

More after the jump…

Continue reading “Northanger Abbey Cosplay Pinup: Catherine Morland does…Catherine Morland”

Victorian Pinup: Retro Lovely Victoriana Cover

While it’s not strictly pinup, the late 1860s dinner gown pictures Marilee Caruso took of me at the California State Capitol are in Retro Lovely’s inaugural Victoriana issue!

Marilee also did the beautiful makeup and hair, which works well with the fashion aesthetic even though we intended it to be fantasy. The dress is by Kay Gnagey of Originals by Kay and is based on an original ensemble in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s fashion collection. The Chantilly lace shawl is an antique, and the fan is from Amazon with a vintage silk ribbon from Etsy.

Victoriana Cover
Catherine Morland photographed by Marilee Caruso for Retro Lovely’s Victoriana special edition.
Catherine Morland photographed by Marilee Caruso for Retro Lovely's Victoriana special edition
Catherine Morland photographed by Marilee Caruso for Retro Lovely’s Victoriana special edition.
Catherine Morland photographed by Marilee Caruso for Retro Lovely's Victoriana special edition
Catherine Morland photographed by Marilee Caruso for Retro Lovely’s Victoriana special edition.
Catherine Morland photographed by Marilee Caruso for Retro Lovely's Victoriana special edition
Catherine Morland photographed by Marilee Caruso for Retro Lovely’s Victoriana special edition.

Early 1960s pinup inspired by the golden age of Playboy in Retro Lovely #211

Everything happens at once, it seems! Back in September, Marilee Caruso and I shot a set of images inspired by the October, 1962 cover of Playboy magazine. Today, they became a six-page pinup spread in Retro Lovely Issue #211!

Our version of the October 1962 Playboy cover
Our version of the October, 1962 Playboy cover.
October, 1962 Playboy Cover, featuring that month's centerfold, Laura Young
October, 1962 Playboy cover, featuring that month’s centerfold (aka “playmate”), Laura Young.

Marilee did the fabulous early 1960s makeup and hair (and lent me those awesome vintage earrings!), and I supplied my own clothes and vintage copy of the magazine. The playmate necklace (crystal pave bunny head) is a cheapie I got years ago on Ebay, the velvet dress is the olive green velvet Starlet Wiggle from the Vixen line by Micheline Pitt, and the shoes are my old reliable Christian Louboutin Piou-Piou patent stiletto pumps.

Catherine Morland posing with the magazine that inspired the shoot
Catherine Morland posing with the magazine that inspired the shoot. That centerfold is apparently VERY spicy.
I love the simple set Marilee created for the shoot
I love the simple set Marilee created for the shoot. It mimics the original while also adding texture.

As always, you can get the issue straight from Magcloud (when you order a hard copy you get a digital copy for free, immediately). For all of my recent pinup publications, see my Linktree.

More photos from the shoot after the jump!

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Anne Sharp’s presentation copy of Emma is now the “most expensive” Jane Austen work to date…

So apparently, Anne Sharp’s presentation copy of Emma recently re-sold for a record-setting £375,000. It’s now the “most expensive” Jane Austen work to date. The new owner is from the U.S., but has decided to loan it indefinitely for display at Chawton House (Jane Austen’s brother Edward’s home in Hampshire, which is now a center dedicated to research on women writers). Jane Austen’s most famous home, Chawton Cottage, is located on the estate and serves as a museum dedicated to the author’s life and works.

More on this sale, Jane Austen’s Emma, and early editions of and reactions to the work:

Spooky Season Pinup: Retro Lovely Halloween 2022 Special Edition Volume 2 cover…

So I woke up yesterday morning to a fun pinup surprise – another Retro Lovely cover (this is the official Magcloud purchase link for the issue; this is the purchase link for the cover poster)! I’m one of two covers for the Halloween special edition volume 2. The images come from the Yvonne deCarlo-inspired Halloween cat shoot I did back in May with Marilee Caruso.

My Retro Lovely Halloween cover
My Retro Lovely Halloween special edition cover, photographed by Marilee Caruso.
Yvonne deCarlo as a Halloween cat
Yvonne deCarlo as a Halloween cat.

It’s not an exact copy, but that’s intentional. More images after the jump…

Continue reading “Spooky Season Pinup: Retro Lovely Halloween 2022 Special Edition Volume 2 cover…”