Pin up Plan - Art of Seduction - The Ideal

"The Ideal reflects one's fantasy.  They are an artist in creating the illusion you require.  In a world of disenchantment and baseness, there is a limitless seductive power in following the path of the Ideal." - The Art of Seduction

Madame du Pompadour

Famous Ideals:

• Madame du Pompadour
• Tullia d'Aragona
• John F. Kennedy
• Cassanova

Tullia d'Aragona

Keys to the Character:

• The ability to observe
• Combination of sensuality and innocence
• The ability to stroke people's vanity
• Stir up good feelings and a positive response

Symbol - The Portrait Painter:  Causes other's physical imperfections to disappear.  Brings out noble qualities, immortalizes.

Pin up Style:

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Hugs and Smooches,
D

The Pin up Plan Workout

I once read that you should write down all the activities you found the most joy in as a child and try to work them into your adult life.  (I'd love to source that little bon mot for you, but I'm afraid I'm a self-improvement book junkie and at this point there are all sorts of little jumbled bits of wisdom floating around in my brain that I can't quite place ;)

Gil Elvgren

I've decided to apply this to the workout portion of the Pin up Plan.

So..what did I love to do as a child...

Gil Elvgren

• Hike and climb trees - I spent 2/3rds of my day in the woods when I was a kid.  I loved exploring, building forts and planting flowers.  I had a backpack full of field guides (I had every Audubon book ever written on trees, plants, mushrooms and birds), snacks, and a sketchbook.  Doesn't that sound fun??  
• Dance - I was born into a family of dancers.  I started my first dance lessons at 2yrs old.  I danced my way through my childhood and into my teens, which was when my grandmother retired.  Then I became a cheerleader and danced some more.  In my 20's I got my dance fix by going out to clubs with my girlfriends two (sometimes three) nights a week.  At some point, after having my first child, I stopped.  Clubs did not feel appropriate for a new mother and there did not seem to be another venue for me to "get my dancing out".
• Swimming - I grew up on a lake, so we spent a good portion of our summers in the water.  I loved (and still love!) being at the beach.

Gil Elvgren

Now..how to apply these to the Pin up Plan.  My objective with this workout is not to become "skinny", but to create a more defined shape.  I have the bare bones of a 50's silhouette (A bust!  A waist!  Hips!!), but I would like to create a stronger hourglass shape by narrowing my waist, and shaping up my shoulders and bottom half.  Toned, but not muscular.

Hiking will be a great way to tone my lower half.  We are lucky enough to live close to a few mountains, so I have some weekend adventures planned with the kiddos.  I've also purchased some pilates and ballet workout videos and books, along with some fun burlesque workout videos.  I plan to fit in a ballet style workout two times a week and try a new video once a week (an excellent way to build up your "core" muscles and create a defined waist!).  It's a little cold to start swimming in the lake, but there's a pool at the YMCA near my work that will do nicely!  Swimming will help to keep my muscles lean instead of bulky.

What about you?  What did you love to do as a child and how can you work it into your life now?

Hugs and Smooches,
D

The Pin up Plan

Soooo..if you'll all indulge me and remember wayyyy back to January when I posted the ConstantlyAlice Manifesto, I had listed several things I wanted to accomplish in 2012.  One of them was the Signature Style Project, which just wrapped up last month and was a LOT of fun.  The next thing I'm hoping to tackle incorporates two of the items on the manifesto list.  Number one, a 30 day hair and makeup challenge and Number four, modelling for the blog and my Etsy shop.

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Now, I love, love, love anything to do with hair and make-up, so that part is really not much of a challenge for me, but modelling is a horse of a different color.  It requires putting myself out there a little more than I usually do and, as I'm a perfectionist, it will take practice, practice, practice, so I had to come up with a way to really motivate myself.

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Enter the Pin up Plan.

I love vintage pin ups.  Gil Elvgren and Alberto Vargas are particular favorites, as are models like Bettie Page, Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable.  My concept for the blog and the shop photos is to go with a very retro/cheesecake/pin up feel, so it would only make sense to incorporate those ideas into my plan of attack.

The Pin up Plan series will incorporate the following:

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1. Information Gathering - Literature, YouTube videos, and yes, another Pinterest Board (which you can follow here)
2. Getting into shape, Bombshell style - No secrets among friends, I hate working out.  But if I can put a pin up spin on it (like doing burlesque workout videos and pilates) it will be fun!
3. Pin up Hair and Make up - This will encompass the 30 day challenge where I will try a new "look" each day for a month!
4. Pin up Films - A review of movies that have that bombshell feel.
5. Glamour Photography - (No worries, nothing R-Rated ;)  Here I'm just going for a pin up "feel".  Poses, make up, etc.
6. Outfit Posts and a new look for the ConstantlyAlice Etsy shop!

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I just ordered some books on retro make up and glamour photography.  Can't wait to share!!

Hugs and Smooches,
D