An Oscar Party

Someday I will go to the Oscars. It's on my "bucket list" so I have to. For now the at home Oscar party win pajamas eating kettle corn, red velvet cake and drinking white dessert wine with girlfriends will have to suffice. I do my best to make it a semi-fancy event with my little gold star garland I picked up for 50 cents at an after Christmas sale, my coffee table book on the history of the Academy Award's fashion sitting out for all to read (given to me by my friend Tiz), plastic popcorn containers my Mom gave me one time that hold the pens for the ballots and the cash you're betting with, Oscar statuettes I've collected from my street (yes, I live on the filthy anti-glamourous Hollywood Blvd)  placed here and there, and then my delicious red velvet cake to commerate the red carpet and topped with mini Oscars.

Of course all of this--and even winning the cash prize for guessing 18 of the 24 main awards correctly--doesn't compare to really being there. At least I suspect it doesn't. If I had been there I would have laughed at everything Billy Crystal said because I love him even if he isn't edgy and a little past his prime, I would have worn Michelle Williams Louis V tomato red chiffon number and would have been George Clooney's date since he always seems to date unknown girls at least 20 years his junior and since being someone's date is the only way I would be getting myself a ticket to this Kodak theatre event. Fingers crossed for next year!

est. 1928

My Oscar decorated table at my friend Sarah's home.

The red velvet cake I made for the party.



Michelle Williams in a red vintage inspired Louis Vuitton dress.



Jane Fonda and Gene Hackman

 


Brando and Hope

  

Liz Taylor and Mike Todd

Faye Dunaway



Jack Nicholson and Anjelica Huston



Terry Moore and Lana Turner



Audrey Hepburn




Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly



James Stewert and Ginger Rogers

Hattie McDonald

Julie Andrews with Mary Poppins composer winners

Cary Grant

Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman

Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart and Marilyn Monroe

Bette Davis

Gregory Peck and Sofia Loren

Anne Bancroft and Sidney Poittier

Vintage Tip Tuesday 29

I love an ugly lamp. Of course they're not ugly to me...they're...well, quirky and unexpected. There's nothing like finding some cool oddly charming "giver of light" in your Grandma's attic or at a thrift store or sitting on sitting on a dusty table at a garage sale. Those that like the clean simplicity of IKEA or the classic style of Pottery Barn won't necessarily see the beauty in one of these eclectic gems, but even the modern household can be served by adding an element of surprise. One thing to remember? Be safe by avoiding a fire hazzard and rewire your second hand ugly lamps. It only costs around $10 for a rewiring kit at the hardware store and is really easy to do. The cords are usually so old that they often either don't work or should no longer be used. Other than that they're a fun and unpredictable buy!

My new ugly lamp I got a couple weeks ago at the flea market:)

Inspirational Icon Monday: Louise Brooks

A silent film star once said,"A well dressed woman, even though her purse is painfully empty, can conquer the world." That star was Louise Brooks. The actrees that made the black bob the cut to get. The woman that made being both pretty and naughty fun. Brooks didn't have to say a word to mesmerize all those that watched her. In light of The Artist winning the gold man last night, I thought it only fitting to showcase the silent film queen who inspired the making of this film.

After being raised by parents that left her to her own avail, never disciplined her and blamed her when she was sexually abused by a neighbor, Brooks moved from her home state of Kansas to Los Angeles in 1922 when she joined a dance troupe. Unfortunately,  by 1924 the troupe director fired her when she showed a lack of work ethic. This disappointment fueled her fire and lead to a career boost when she was cast the following year as a featured dancer in the Ziegfield Follies on Broadway.This appearrance caught the eye of a Paramount producer who signed her to a five year contract and completely changed her life. She became a star, but once her contract ended she left the United States for Europe leaving the American film industry desperate to lure her back with "talkies" and bitter when they're temptation tactics fell short.

In Germany, Brooks made her most famous film out of the 17 she did with Pandora's Box. She continued acting overseas until she returned in 1931 to Hollywood only to realize that she cared little for the politics surrounding the industry. Her life had been painful and she had lived through several violently tumultuous affairs, and having a career in an industry which made her feel enslaved was of no interest to her.

Just as Georg Valentin in The Artist had to reinvent himself, Brooks did so too. She became a writer...and a courtesan. She accepted herself as sexually free, had always been comfortable with her nudity, and therefore found life as a call girl a natural way to make money. She may not be remembered for her class or etiquette, but Brooks does hold a legacy for standing alone. She knew she was damaged and with that did the best she could to enjoy life and choose instant happiness (even if it was fleeting) over living up to ideals set for her by others.

Chaneling Miss Brooks