If Betty Grable were still alive, I would have to tell her to watch her back! That’s because Heather Stumpf at Vavoom Pinups made me into a pinup girl for a day… and with convincing, gorgeus results:

In addition to promoting the Chicago Ugly Christmas Sweater party being held tonight by snapping my pic in an ugly Christmas  sweater and vest, Heather snapped my photo in a cute red dress posing with lots of different props.

How did I go from regular, everyday MCH blogger Dev to Chicago Cherie? First, you have to get your cute pinup butt over to Heather’s studio in Logan Square to get your hair and makeup done.

The studio is so cool. It’s a beautiful loft with huge windows and cute, 40s-inspired decor. You can see pictures of the studio here. Heather puts you right at ease with her bubbly, friendly personality and her infectious energy for pinup glamour. She chatted with me while my hair was being curled about what I had hoped to do during the shoot. Honestly, I didn’t have many ideas, but luckily she had a vision that worked perfectly with both the ugly sweater/vest and pretty red dress.

My hair was designed and styled by Heidi McLaughlin

My makeup was designed and applied by Heather Stratos, who also owns a blog…check it out!

The actual shoot was amazingly fun. I am pretty energetic (understatement of the year!) and was ready to shake my tail feathers for Heather and she just let me do my thing while she snapped picture after picture.

She has great suggestions about what to do with your hands, where to stand, how to hold your head and what props to use, so if you are new to the whole modeling thing, no worries!

She really knows how to make your curves look amazing, too, so don’t be afraid to push it out! Meow!

Brad Flora from Windy Citizen was supervising the shoot to make sure we got some pictures that would work for the party promo. Heather noted that, “We never get boys in here!” So I guess Brad was pretty lucky :o).

If you like to switch your poses up often, just let Heather know. She was an expert at only having to take several shots to get an amazing picture, then switches your pose up. During the shoot, I held a red candy box in the shape of a heart; wore ice skates, posed with tinsel, sat on a suitcase (and leaned over it, too!); had fun with a hoola hoop and more. It was so much fun, I didn’t want to leave!

The coolest thing is that Heather has a package online that would allow you to pose for your own calendar! You mean I can be Miss March, Miss May AND Miss October!? Stop! I am already dreaming of my Miss October spread!

The best part of the whole experience is how beautiful the whole Vavoom staff will make you feel. Classic pinups were actresses and models with amazingly curvy bodies and adorable faces, and Heather and co. will make you realise that you have both. After your experience with Vavoom you will wonder a.) “Why did it take me so long to do this?!” and b.) “What can I do to feel like this more often?”

The answer? Buy a 40s pinup dress, learn how to style your hair in a classic 40s style and get more pictures taken by Heather at Vavoom!

Happy Pinupping, loves!

Dev xx

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