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  1. Jes Tidwell
    April 17, 2013 @ 10:08 am

    Hey girl! Ok so I’m singing with an Elvis impersonator! This post cracked me up because I know nothing about Elvis and now I have to learn. Fast!
    His name is Todd Allen Herendeen and he is fantastic! Based out of Panama City Beach Florida an has an Elvis show in a theater down there. My husband and I fly in to do dates with him.
    Check him out! I think you will fall in love with him! šŸ™‚

    Reply

    • Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
      April 17, 2013 @ 10:30 am

      Iā€™m sorry? How did you get my dream gig? When you do not even worship Elvis? NOT FAIR.

      Going to google him right nowā€¦

      Reply

    • Liz
      January 2, 2017 @ 4:24 pm

      Check out the documentary Almost Elvis. It was created by a friend of mine and I’ve met a couple of the Elvis impersonators in it and it’s just good fun. šŸ™‚

      Reply

  2. Susan
    April 17, 2013 @ 10:20 am

    Ok, I have a name for you:
    Ben Portsmouth. He is “The World’s Ultimate Elvis Presley Impersonator”
    Here is a link:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=G8fjHJbF9Es
    Go watch NOW. You can thank me later.

    Reply

    • Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
      April 17, 2013 @ 10:28 am

      You think I did not spend ALL DAY Saturday, watching youtube of the Memphis Ultimate from last year? He is AWESOME! Plus I really like the young guy tooā€¦ Victor Trevino Jr.

      We have vacation scheduled to the beach, the week of August 10th already, or I would SERIOUSLY be headed to Memphis. No lieā€¦ so I guess next year.

      Reply

  3. Martha
    April 17, 2013 @ 10:33 am

    I wouldn’t call myself an Elvis person, even though my 6th grade boyfriend did give me a teddy bear that played “Love Me Tender” and ever since I’ve considered it to be the pinnacle of romance. However, I recognize your enthusiasm from my first (and only SO FAR) Monster Truck Rally. I spent the whole thing sobbing with delight while my amused husband took photos of me. It’s very sad that I’ve now moved from a redneck town where these things happened regularly to a Dignified City where there isn’t one on the calender for the next FIVE YEARS. (It occurs to me that Elvis is way fancier than Monster Trucks, so hopefully the comparison doesn’t offend. )

    Reply

    • Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
      April 17, 2013 @ 10:42 am

      Noā€¦ itā€™s actually a great comparison. Anything that is larger-than-life and makes you sob with delight, qualifies.

      It doesnā€™t matter if itā€™s ironic or notā€¦ I expected to have LOTS of irony at an Elvis impersonation contestā€¦ but whatever I walked in with, evaporated nearly immediatelyā€¦ most of which I attribute to HOW good the guys actually were.

      Have you looked for any wrestling events? The kind held in a stadium and involving mullet-wearing participants? That might tide you over until the Monster Trucks come to town.

      Reply

  4. Garden, Home and Party
    April 17, 2013 @ 11:14 am

    Victoria,
    The venue looks smallish, were there tons of fans in attendance? At least now you can check out the schedule and be involved next year. I admire your moxie, I would have been too fearful to get on stage without costume. I can totally see you rocking a rhinestone laden jump suit and singing Nothin’ but a hound dog. šŸ˜€
    Clearly, Paul is an exceptional husband and very thoughtful!
    Karen

    Reply

    • Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
      April 17, 2013 @ 6:18 pm

      It was some kind of bar/catering hallā€¦ not exactly a high-end establishment. There were probably 200 people there? Not a lot, but they were enthusiastic!

      Next year Iā€™m proposing myself for MCā€¦ no joke.

      Reply

  5. jen
    April 17, 2013 @ 11:18 am

    This is similar to my feeling when Neil Diamond came to town and my husband surprised me with tickets. I was probably a good 35 years younger than most of the concert attendees, but I knew every word to every song and may have uttered once or twice “Damn, he is sexy!”. ha. How awesome is Paul for not only telling you about something like this but going with you?! Awesome husband. Awesome.
    PS – I love that you wore the Elvis Rocks tee with a pale pink cardigan. Two worlds collide. šŸ™‚

    Reply

    • Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
      April 17, 2013 @ 6:29 pm

      Iā€™m jealous you got to see your ideal concert!! Thatā€™s amazingā€¦ your husband must have been so excited to surprise you, knowing how thrilled youā€™d be. I talked to some of the women there, (much older, like you said) one had seen Elvis in person FIVE times. I was totally jealous.

      The t-shirt was so shrunk, the armholes seemed to begin at the neck openingā€¦ not really a good lookā€¦ hence the pink cardigan, which I completely agree is the only thing to wear with it.

      Reply

  6. Lynne
    April 17, 2013 @ 12:12 pm

    My Dad was so in love with Elvis. Which translated to the entire family listening to Elvis for FOREVER and we loved it.

    One cool thing happened : My Dad had tickets to an Elvis concert for us (when Elvis was in his prime of awesomeness). The line ups were huge. My Dad ran into the concert while we all parked the car.

    We sat near the front row ! I sat on my Dad’s shoulders while watching all the ladies lose their minds in excitement. It was epic. Best childhood memory ever. I totally get your Elvis love. xx

    Reply

    • Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
      April 17, 2013 @ 6:34 pm

      Iā€™ve passed out on the floor with envyā€¦ not kidding at all. That must have been AWESOME!!!

      I talked to one woman there, whoā€™d seen Elvis in person five timesā€¦ I was totally jealous. I really cannot imagine what that would have been like, to experience a show where the audience was SO enthralled.

      Reply

  7. Sue
    April 17, 2013 @ 12:25 pm

    I never caught the Elvis fever, but this post makes me want to have it. You are so inspiring and hysterical too of course. My BFF’s cousin is/was an Elvis Impersonator and won a contest on TV and has done concerts. I forget his name, but he lives or lived in Italy. I guess his name is “Elvis”

    Reply

    • Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
      April 17, 2013 @ 6:37 pm

      I donā€™t know why I love Elvis so much, but itā€™s the same way I feel about Don Draperā€¦ some kind of unattainable appeal??

      Itā€™s kind of frightening to imagine what would happen if I was that fixated on someone actually aliveā€¦ I would definitely have been arrested for stalking by now.

      Reply

  8. Jessica@CapeofDreams
    April 17, 2013 @ 12:56 pm

    I cannot wait for the picture of you in the Elvis cape.

    Reply

  9. Mandy
    April 17, 2013 @ 6:47 pm

    Sorry, the only thing I took from this post is that you have a gorgeous flat stomach! And look awesome in shrunk shirts. šŸ™‚
    I too, look forward to the picture of you in a cape!!

    Reply

    • Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
      April 17, 2013 @ 9:29 pm

      Laughingā€¦ it has been awhile since I dressed like thatā€¦ years. And I actually started writing about the appropriateness factor, and how I am afraid I may end up as one of those women who donā€™t know where the line isā€¦ but ended up taking it out, since it was morphing into its own post.

      In summaryā€”I may be the eighty-year-old woman at the grocery store in leopard hot pants.

      Reply

      • Mandy
        April 17, 2013 @ 9:45 pm

        Umm….if I had a stomach like that I’d be showing it off at every opportunity! šŸ˜‰ you go girl!! And laughing out loud re 80yr old woman in leopard pants! Why not??

        Reply

        • Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
          April 18, 2013 @ 9:27 am

          You know the woman Iā€™m referring toā€¦ dyed blonde/blue eyeshadowā€¦ high heels with a walkerā€¦whenever I see one, it makes me happy. That maybe I too will just sayā€”oh, to hell with itā€¦ šŸ™‚

          Reply

      • Emily L
        July 13, 2013 @ 12:21 am

        I gather from some of your posts that you are almost the same age as me (maybe you are a year younger, which is annoying). . . but I will totally rock the leopard pants when I’m (we) are 80 because leopard is a “neutral”. You didn’t get the memo???? (or log in to pinterest ????)

        Reply

  10. Carol
    April 17, 2013 @ 6:52 pm

    You are the best kept secret that I know.

    Reply

    • Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
      April 17, 2013 @ 9:30 pm

      I love you. I love you so, so, so much.

      But? PLEASE do not feel obligated to keep the secret.

      Reply

  11. Nicole
    April 17, 2013 @ 8:31 pm

    I am MADLY in love with Frank Sinatra. I am (almost) convinced that he is my boyfriend, albeit that he is dead, and were he not, he’d be 72 years my senior. This is just slightly younger than my grandfather, and therefore creepy, and very socially unacceptable. Needless to say, he’s hanging on my bedroom wall anyway.

    Reply

    • Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
      April 17, 2013 @ 9:38 pm

      Clearly you are my twin.

      I will not ask you how you feel about Ava Gardener… because I would never say anything so painful to someone who is so much like me.

      Also, you join me in reviling the crap that is Twilightā€¦ and therefore are my people.

      Reply

      • Nicole
        April 18, 2013 @ 2:04 pm

        I pretend you didn’t say Ava Gardner because we have the same middle name. I also have a deep love for Don Draper (though I don’t think I could handle anything more than a scandalous affair), and Downton Abby. I’m a little behind in the series (both series actually) so I haven’t picked my object d’jour yet.

        Reply

        • Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
          April 18, 2013 @ 5:56 pm

          I like to pretend I would be the one to leave Donā€¦ that I would break his heart and ruin him for all other women.

          Reply

          • Nicole
            April 18, 2013 @ 6:25 pm

            Thanks for the follow, by the way!

            Reply

  12. Barbara
    April 17, 2013 @ 9:30 pm

    Seriously? Because until now our tastes have been so similar, but now, alas ,two roads diverged in a yellow wood. I know you love to dress up but Polyester Elvis was just not cool, no matter how you look at it. Sweating overweight jump-suited, caped Elvis just made me sad because he was so sad himself. He couldn’t quite figure the late 60’s out, especially the Beatles and how he could stay relevant. Now young,gospel singing, blues influenced, rock and roll Leather Elvis was a different story. No one ever was hotter or more cutting edge than that! Sorry, but to utter the names of Polyester Elvis and Don Draper in the same breath is tantamount to blasphemy. However, you are beautifully unique, and if polyester jump suits turn you on, enjoy!

    Reply

    • Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
      April 17, 2013 @ 9:41 pm

      Sighā€¦ there WAS a leather Elvis. But he CHANGED before I could get a picture. Paul said: Elvis waits for no oneā€¦

      There was also an 18-year-old Elvis. Who. Was. Adorable. In my photo with him? I look like a lecherous old womanā€¦ I was kind of alarmed when reviewing itā€¦

      I have to say that Iā€™m not actually familiar with the real version of polyester Elvis. I grew up with his moviesā€¦ where he is mostly young and totally adorable, and wooing Ann Margaret.

      But also, I have a STRONG appreciation for any kind of weirdness factorā€¦ earlier on Facebook, my friend commented how there is an Elvis impersonator who performs near her house who is really terrible and sweatyā€¦ and Lara quickly jumped in to sayā€”Victoria would love him.

      Reply

  13. Becky
    April 17, 2013 @ 10:27 pm

    This is fantastic! You better have ordered the eagle cape.

    Reply

  14. Lara Croft
    April 18, 2013 @ 7:25 am

    This blog captures your lunacy and exuberance in all their glory. I’m glad you took a break from house-and-blog obsessions to write it. Sorry I shrunk the shirt. I didn’t realize I had; I just thought I got too fat to wear it. šŸ™‚

    Reply

    • Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
      April 18, 2013 @ 9:57 am

      I need to send you a photo of me in it that was not chosen to NOT offend peopleā€¦ you will see itā€™s in no way in its original form.

      Reply

  15. Michael
    April 18, 2013 @ 7:38 am

    The shirt isn’t shrunk, V. Lara did keep half for more than a memory of the time that you two spent together! I’m only glad she was able to tell me what that psychedelic scrap of cloth was before I used it to do the dishes.
    I never knew that the love of my love could yell out like Wall*E when she too, was concerned over her most precious belongings being in jeopardy!

    Reply

    • Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
      April 18, 2013 @ 9:58 am

      Mmmhmmā€¦ AS I SUSPECTED, she kept part of it.

      p.s.- nice to meet you, officially.
      p.p.s.- Paul would approve of the WallE reference.

      Reply

  16. Stacey
    April 18, 2013 @ 10:42 am

    Thank you… thank you very much

    (for this fun post)! I remember gathering around the tv when I was younger to watch Elvis. My mother turned into a woman I hardly recognized when Elvis was mentioned or came on the screen. To this day I still enjoy watching his old movies.

    Richie and I had a great time visiting Graceland and got some wonderful pictures. Talk about gaudy! In the most wonderful way of course. It was a hoot and something I’m glad we did while in Memphis.

    That security guard looked pretty vicious! Good thing you made it out alive. HA HA! Looks like a total blast. Enjoyed seeing your excitement!

    Reply

    • Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
      April 18, 2013 @ 6:00 pm

      Do you remember the white ceramic monkey in the ā€œJungle Room?ā€ For some reason it sticks in my mind more than anything else at Gracelandā€¦ it was utterly creepy, but also something I would like to put on my coffee table.

      My dad tells a good story about how he remembers where he was when he first heard Heartbreak Hotelā€¦ and how the whole country was crazy for Elvisā€¦ always makes me sad I missed out on that era.

      Reply

  17. Danielle
    April 19, 2013 @ 2:28 am

    This is so great!! I can’t believe you went and got so many amazing photos. The one with the security guard is my favorite! And proof that Paul is a willing participant in all your wild ideas.

    This looks like such a blast. It also explains your passion for disco balls. How have I not put the two together before? Glitter + Elvis = All that is right in the world. Way to rock the mom jeans and the tiny shirt and thankfully not on the same day.

    Reply

    • Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
      April 19, 2013 @ 9:17 am

      Right?? The ONLY thing that was missing was some disco balls!! Maybe next year Iā€™ll bring my own.

      Reply

  18. Alex @ northstory
    April 22, 2013 @ 2:21 pm

    The last picture…priceless!! I am guessing you saw the episode of New Girl from about 2 weeks ago when Elvis had to be a huge theme at Nick’s Dad’s funeral. No? Ok my bad…

    Reply

  19. Patina and Company
    April 22, 2013 @ 5:15 pm

    Loved it! I was totally raised on Elvis by parents by whom little else was tolerated as music. What a sweetie you have there to be so sporting about Elvis, especially after the complicated retrieval of your big Craigslist find so recently!

    And what goes together better than an 80-year-old woman in leopard pants?? I definitely see leopard in my future.

    Reply

  20. Sara
    April 23, 2013 @ 2:22 pm

    This was amazing. =)

    Reply

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