fashion friday - elliera couture

welcome to the first edition of fashion friday! today i'll be highlighting elliera couture.

elliera couture is a local clothing line owned by arielle bergmann (who i happen to know!). all of her clothing is made in the usa on a small scale, making her garments unique and one of a kind. she designs everything from the casual tee to the stand-out-in-a-crowd cocktail dress.

here are a couple of my current faves:

3/4 length jacket

queen collared button up

you can check out her latest looks at: www.smashingdarling.com/store/elliera-couture

who would you like to see featured next week?

what's been going on

so...i know i've been m.i.a. for a while, but there has been lots going on that has prevented me from being on here.

i was in the middle of packing up my house for a move to a wonderful, perfect, beautiful home when i was told the owner isn't moving out. there for a while there was the fear of being homeless at the end of the month, but luckily the landlord here has agreed to extend the lease instead of giving the house to other prospective renters! now i am trying to reorganize this tiny house in order to get all the stuff back in that has been packed and moved out!

i am determined to get rid of ALL unnecessary items in this house so we aren't so crowded. but i am kind of happy to be living in a place for more that 12 months. this new house would have been my 7 home in 6 years, and have i mentioned that i hate moving and hate feeling unstable?!

i was very excited to be moving kitty's vintage into a bigger space, but now i must find a way to make the room i have accessable and usable instead of just piled everywhere like it was. it will look good when i'm done, just don't know how long that will take!

along with new shop updates, i will be reinstating movie monday, wwad wednesday and adding fashion friday where we discuss our favorite designers and whats new in fashion.

again, sorry for the absence and i'll keep you posted on the progress of the room!!

Fam time

Sorry I didn't do a Movie Monday, my Mom and I are still planning on watching On the Town sometime this week, but with a family reunion and the holiday, things have been pretty busy. I will also be adding photos from my parents house and you can see where I get my love on vintage items! I'll even throw in some family photos from the weekend. More to come...

What Would Audrey Do? Wednesday

Romance Central (Part 2)

Keep it light. We believe dating is the most Audrey-esque experience you can have. For starters, look at your life through the prism of Audrey Hepburn and think of all the wonderful adventures you'll have - zipping through Rome on the back of a Vespa, browsing through Tiffany's with that handsome writer, going from being a dowdy Village bookworm to the toast of Paris (well, it could happen). In your Audrey Dating World, keep your options open - you never know what might happen next.

For this reason (like AH), we love dating, and - at least until you have a ring on your finger - advocate dating a bunch of people in your singlehood. In our opinion, dating is the time to be most like Audrey - have fun! Be compelling! Keep your eyes peeled for your own handsome costar.

Audrey met her first serious beau, James Hanson, in the summer of 1950, after she had finished The Lavender Hill Mob, a comedy where she made a minor appearance - one sentence long - with Alec Guinness. She is Chiquita, in an airport lounge, where Guinness calls her over and hands her a wad of bills: "Oh, but how sweet of you," she coos, and gives him a thank-you kiss on the forehead.

Hepburn and Hanson immediately hit it off. Audrey was 22. Jimmy was 28, six-feet-four, and the multimillionaire scion of a Yorkshire trucking industry company. He had served heroically in WWII (at the age of 17), from 1939 to its end, with the Duke of Wellington's regiment in North Africa, Italy and Greece. Back safely from the war, he dressed impeccably, owned his own plane, and frequented the best nightspots of London and New York. He loved beautiful women, in particular, actresses. Most recently, he had been seen about town with Jean Simmons, but that was quickly forgotten once Audrey entered the picture.

As Hanson recalled, "We met at a cocktail party in Mayfair at Les Ambassadeurs, a very popular place, and we were attracted to each other right away. I invited her for lunch next day, and we soon fell in love, became engaged a few months later. She was a one-man woman, and it was a relationship of that kind. We became extremely good friends. Everybody saw in her this wonderful life and brightness and terrific strength of character. She was a very strong young woman who clearly had the determination she was going to need in order to achieve what she did. She had done a couple of small parts in movies, and her career was just about to blossom. There was no doubt about that by anybody who saw her."

Audrey as dating coach. "Discretion is the better part of valor," said Shakespeare's Falstaff. In this regard, take the numero uno Love Lesson from Audrey and keep your personal affairs (largely) to yourself. We're not saying don't have a girly lunch with Connie Wald (one of Audrey's best friends) out by the pool. We're just saying don't go on Oprah Winfrey and jump up and down on the couch the next time you fall in love.

Brooke Astor, herself and Audrey-esque paragon of virtue and coolness, never spoke about that sort of thing. "How many loves have you had?" someone had the temerity to ask her in her later years. And she had the equal temerity not to answer. She would never say, she responded cheerfully, "that's how I count myself to sleep."

Don't reveal your hand. A further corollary of this is: "No daylight on magic" (as Cecil Beaton so famously advised the royal family - a lesson they have since so famously forgotten). As an actress, as a European brought up in a "nice" (albeit fractured) home, as an essentially private person, Audrey knew that there was no reason to let everyone see the workings behind the grace. Huber de Givenchy, one of her closest friends, described her as "shy...if she had worries she would not show them."

In this era of Barbara Walters confessional and People magazine tell-all, discretion is such a rarity that a little mystery goes a long way.

**all information comes from the book: What Would Audrey Do by Pamela Keogh

WWAD Wednesday

Romance Central

"I have more sex appeal on the tip of my nose than many women have in their entire bodies. It doesn't stand out a mile, but it is there." -AH

Audrey's dating life was, like her,...both discreet and a heck of a lot of fun. By twenty-four she had already been engaged to (and ended it with) English businessman James Hanson, was on the fence about marrying uber male Mel Ferrer, was madly, madly in love with Hollywood's resident bad boy William Holden, and was going on the occasional date with Senator John F. Kennedy from Massachusetts. (Mary Gallagher, a secretary in his office, remembers that "the whole office was impressed when she walked in. She was as graceful as a swan and carried a long, slim, red umbrella.")

Still, like so much else, Audrey conducted her personal life with a great deal of elan. Did she ever question that the man in her life was not madly in love with her and did not want to marry her...like, yesterday? Did she sit around on Saturday night, waiting for the phone to ring? Did she ever try on an evening dress and ask her significant other, "Does this make me look fat?" Please.

She's Audrey.

For Audrey, love was very important. As she admitted, "I was born with an enormous love of people, of children. I love them when I was little! I used to embarrass my mother by trying to pick babies out of prams at the market." In a later interview with Vogue, she wondered, "What makes two people happy? It's like fingerprints: Each one is different. Personally, I need a lot of loving, being loved and giving love. Real love. After that, the rest takes care of itself."

But on the other hand, given her childhood, she already knew a great deal of loss and death, and the inherent uncertainty of the human experience. After her father left her mother, she knew one hard reality: "Whatever you love most, you fear you might lose."

This was Audrey's dichotomy - the princess who had experienced such heartbreak, such death and fear and loss, and kept going. The smiling graceful young woman with the old soul. The modest girl who seemed to have no sense of her beauty and her talent, who was on the verge of having the world and all its possibilities laid at her feet.

Although first known for her "style," that shorthand phrase that does little to convey the depth of a person, Audrey was a combination of vulnerability and strength of character. Perhaps this, even more than the ballet flats or cropped black pants she is known for, is the source of our lasting intrigue in her. Like many creative people, Audrey had deep reserves of emotional need that she was not afraid to tap into.

As she herself put it, "It always boils down to the same thing - not only receiving love, but wanting desperately to give it, a need to give it!"

And it is, perhaps, the emotional courage that draws us to her still.

But while we might not win an Oscar our first time out of the gate, or date Bill Holden (or who is his modern equivalent - George Clooney? Jamie Foxx?), there are still many lessons that Audrey can teach us in the romance department.

The Pregame Warm-Up

How did Audrey get ready for a date? As a single, twenty-four-year-old young woman about town, she admitted:

"I like to have a good hour [to dress for a party]. I take a slow bath, make up and dress. Then I go to the party and forget about my appearance. Later in the evening I go to the powder room, look in the mirror, and say, 'My God, this is what I've been looking like all evening.' I like parties if I feel like going. Nightclubs occasionally for dancing. It's fun if there's someone you want to spend the time with, I prefer quiet evenings."

**all information comes from the book: What Would Audrey Do by Pamela Keogh

Movie Monday (Tuesday Edition): Pretty Baby

First of all, I know I've been slacking in the movie watching department, sorry! And I did watch a movie yesterday, but I was so upset about my dog destroying my amazing new vintage peeptoes that I didn't have it in me to blog last night. More on that later...

Yesterday I watched Pretty Baby from 1950. This was a sweet little black and white film that I would definately recommend. However, it struck me how the 2 leading men physically treated Patsy Douglas (Betsy Drake). They were always pulling her around by the arms, I didn't like that.

Patsy Douglas (Betsy Drake), a mimeograph operator at the advertising firm owned by Sam Morley (Dennis Morgan) and Barry Holmes (Zachary Scott), can never get a seat on the crowded subway until one day, she volunteers to hold a baby for an over-burdened mother and discovers that people willingly give up their seats.

Later, Patsy, who has a crush on Morley, is offered a temporary job as his secretary. Patsy is a failure as a secretary, but she is in Morley's office long enough to learn that Cyrus Baxter, owner of Baxter's Baby Foods, the company's main account, has rejected their latest campaign. Morley orders the Baxter display dismantled, and that night, as she leaves, Patsy grabs the baby doll that was part of the display. Wrapping the doll in a blanket, she masquerades as a mother with a baby and thus is able to get a seat on the subway.

The next day, Baxter, who has a violent temper, gets stuck in traffic, and takes out his frustration on his chauffeur, who quits on the spot. Baxter is forced to take the subway and sits next to Patsy, who is carrying the disguised doll. In response to a question from another passenger, Patsy reveals that her "baby" is named Cyrus after the founder of Baxter's Baby Foods. Baxter is thrilled and strikes up a conversation with her, although he does not reveal his identity. When he learns that she works for Morley-Holmes, he is determined to help her out.

Later, Baxter orders Morley and Holmes to make sure that Miss Douglas is happy at work. In the meantime, however, Patsy is fired. Morley and Holmes immediately search for her, then offer her a new job as a copywriter.

Patsy stops by the office one evening to offer her help to Morley, who is working overtime on a new campaign for Baxter. By the end of the evening, Morley has fallen in love with Patsy.

Holmes then suggests that Patsy present the new ideas to Baxter. In so doing, Patsy discovers Baxter's real identity and, realizing that a misunderstanding has been behind her promotion, leaves without showing him the proposal. Patsy tells the truth about the baby to Morley and Holmes, who insist that she keep up the deception until Baxter signs a new contract. She refuses and quits.

Morley encounters Baxter and shows him Holmes's baby picture, claiming it is a photograph of little Cyrus. Baxter soon recognizes that the baby resembles Holmes and, assuming that he is the baby's father, insists that Holmes marry Patsy. Although Holmes agrees to pretend to be engaged to Patsy, she has other ideas, and he then sets out to woo her. Morley becomes jealous, and when the two men argue over her at a nightclub, Patsy decides it is time for her to leave.

Encountering Baxter outside her apartment, Patsy starts to tell him the truth, but when he explains how his life has changed since he met her, she backs down. Instead, she tells Baxter that she is leaving New York for good. Without Patsy, Baxter returns to his contentious behavior.

Later Morley waits for Patsy outside her new job and follows her to the subway. She accepts his proposal, and they leave the subway at the City Hall stop.

What Would Audrey Do Wednesday

Hepburn vs. Hepburn

Although the two Hepburns - Katharine and Audrey - were confused throughout their lives (and still are today), these screen icons could not have been more dissimilar. (When AH signed her first Paramount contract for Roman Holiday, the studio asked her to change her surname. She politely refused.) Kate barreled through life doing exactly as she pleased for ninety-six years. She had zero interest in marriage, Republicans, or wearing sunblock, didn't care for whom she ticked off, and smoked three packs a day for twenty years before giving it up by going cold turkey at the age of forty.

While she trumpeted her originality, Katharine Hepburn is a distinct American archetype. Invariably described as being of New England stock, a Mayflower descendant, and more than a little intimidating (think Queen Elizabeth II, Joan Crawford in Mildred Pierce, or Barbara Bush), these are not women who need our help. They're blue-blood tough guys: reserved, unironic, and often married to much handsomer men they terrorize into submission with their intelligence, cojones, fierce backhand, and Mummy's charitable lead trust on their side.

While Audrey was known for her style - Those trousers! Those turtlenecks! Those cheekbones and graceful stride! - these gals are not. Well, they might possess style of a sort (i.e., the Church Lady, or Talbots circa 1973), but this is not the first thing that comes to mind when their names come up. Given to A-line skirts, triple-strand pearls, and sensible shoes, they are emotionally reserved, opinionated, arch - and you can bet they'll let you know exactly how they feel on any given topic, be it the presidential race, what color to paint the sunroom, the best way to fire the help, or how to raise your children.

With her modesty, grace, less satorially tomboyish fashion sense, and - dare we say it? - inherent European sophistication, Audrey is the anti-Kate. Because while people might be in awe of the indomitable Miss Kate, they truly love Audrey.

**all information comes from the book: What Would Audrey Do by Pamela Keogh

Jadite: My Newest Obsession

Jadite was first coined by the Jeannette Glass company and refers to a color of glass, not a company or pattern. It is a milky green, opalescent dinner, restaurant and kitchenware manufactured by several companies .

cabinwindows

Jadite was manufactured by many companies from the 1930's to 1972, each of which produced a slight variant either lighter or darker of jadite's pretty seafoam -green color.

meresmarketplace

Jadite was heavy, durable, inexpensive and, sometimes free! It was often packaged as a giveaway in food and cleaning products. Restaurants served meals on jadite dishes, since they cost pennies to buy and were quite durable.

cheshirecatantiques

Because Jadite is functional, good looking, and easy to find and still fairly cheap to buy, it is an ideal collectible.

vintageatchirp

What makes jadite especially fun to collect is the hundreds of different items available. There is everything from basic tableware and kitchenware to unusual, even quirky, things like cigarette boxes, footed bulb bowls, jucie-saver pie plates, door knobs and water dispensers to name a few.

SomeOtherPrarie

By far the largest and most well-known producer of jadite was the Anchor Hocking Glass Co. was founded by Isaac J. Collins, in 1905, near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to produce pressed-glass dinnerware.

TheBlissfulBungalow

After Hockings merged with the Anchor Cap Co in 1937, the new company, the Anchor Hocking Glass Corporation, started to manufacturer glass ovenware that could endure high oven temperatures. Their wildly successful line of ovenproof glass, called Fire-King, debuted in 1942 and was made for 30 years. Offered in a variety colors, Fire-King named their opaque green color Jade - ite which would become the line's most popular color.

thepetitemarket

Take a peek at this darling treasury I put together of amazing vintage jadite items on Etsy!

Date Your Jadite

1942 - 45 FIRE-KING in block letters

1942 - 45 OVEN FIRE-KING GLASS

mid 1940's OVEN FIRE-KING WARE

Mid to late 1940's OVEN Fire-King WARE MADE IN U.S.A. ("Fire-King" is written in script lettering)

1951-1960 ANCHOR HOCKING OVEN Fire-King WARE MADE IN U.S.A. ("Fire-King" is written in script lettering)

1960 - late 1960's ANCHOR HOCKING OVEN Fire-King DINNERWARE MADE IN U.S.A. ("Fire-King" is written in script lettering)

late 1960's- early 1970's ANCHOR HOCKING OVEN Fire-King OVEN-PROOF MADE IN U.S.A. ("Fire-King" is written in script lettering)

Mid To Late 1970's ANCHOR HOCKING OVEN Fire-King Suburbia OVEN-PROOF MADE IN U.S.A. ("Fire-King" is written in script lettering)


**ALL PICTURES SHOWN ARE OF ITEMS FOR SALE ON ETSY

What Would Audrey Do Wednesday

Would Audrey...

Sign autographs? Yes. Within reason. When she shot Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn for PBS in 1990, executive producer Janis Blackschlager remembers her stopping briefly to sign autographs in front of the Plaza Athenee when she stayed there. "There were always people waiting out front, with thirty-year-old pictures," she recalled. "And Audrey got a kick out of seeing them again."

Be extremely low-key? You bet. A friend (granted, a rather clueless friend) was recently seated next to an older gentleman with beautiful blue eyes at a dinner party. "And what do you do?" she asked politely. "Oh, I sell salad dressing," he replied.

A few moments later she realized: Paul Newman.

Although it was practically impossible for her to go unrecognized as Mr. Newman sometimes could, Audrey was the same way.

Care what people said about her on the Internet? No. AH would never have Googled herself. For starters, she would probably be a little freaked out at her extreme popularity (2,110,000 pages in English alone, and counting - and that's not even including Japan or China).

Would the blogs have affected her? Would she have read something like TMZ, gawker, or (god forbid) Perez Hilton on the Internet? No.

Throw her weight around? (such as it was) No. She didn't have to. Because of her inherent grace (or star quality, or upbringing), people tended to listen to Audrey when she spoke. If anything, she was the anti-diva.

There is only one known instance of Audrey even mildly pulling rank, ever, and that was on the set of Two for the Road. Audrey and Albert Finney and Stanley Donen, the director, were ready to roll, and production was being held up for some reason. What was the delay? Audrey wondered. Jacqueline Bisset (in one of her first acting jobs) was having problems with her makeup and was not quite ready.

"Yes, but I'm ready," Audrey said quietly.

And...action.

Answer her own telephone? Absolutely. Social chronicler Dominick Dunne was with her in her hotel suite in the 1980s in New York City and he remembers her picking up her own calls, "Hel-lo" in her melodic voice. Her friends still miss that voice.

**all information comes from the book: What Would Audrey Do by Pamela Keogh

What Would Audrey Do Wednesday

On the Red Carpet (or Elsewhere)

Kevin Mazur is one of the preeminent photographers today - a celeb favorite (and all-around nice guy), he has shot Bruce Springsteen, Sting, U2, Dylan, JLo, and Marc Anthony, among others. A regular contributor to the pages of Rolling Stone and Us Weekly, he is often the only outsider allowed backstage and on the red carpet at major celebrity events.

Although Audrey never needed any advice about looking great for the camera, here are Kevin's tips for the rest of us.

1. Have fun! If you have fun with the camera and enjoy yourself, it shows!

2. Position yourself sideways to the camera. Don't stand straight on, that makes you look flat and heavy. Twist your hips and shoulders.

3. Try a bunch of different poses - someone like Audrey was always great on the red carpet because she really knew how to pose. She gave photographers a lot to work with - she could look serious, smile, look sexy, all within about five minutes.

4. Before a big event (say, a wedding), study magazines like Us or People and see how your favorite stars pose, and what might work for you. Then try them yourself.

5. You want to raise your chin a little, in case you have a few extra pounds; you don't want any "wattle" under the neck. But don't tilt your head too high, it will look odd. Practice in front of a mirror if you must.

6. Finally, stars are comfortable in front of the camera because it's part of their job...Emulate them - and remember, the camera is you friend. Be like Audrey: Use your eyes and flirt with it a little.

7. Again, Kevin reiterated that the main thing is to have fun with it. Enjoy yourself - that's the main thing. If you do, that will come across in the pictures.

**all information comes from the book: What Would Audrey Do by Pamela Keogh

Artist's Market

Today I spent the day selling the handmade pedestals (for sale in the shop) at the Flying Monkey's Artist's Market. It was my first time to sell there and my first time to attend. I like the artsy crowd, they are a lot more accepting of you, just as you are, than most people.

This weekend was also the Cigar Box Guitar Festival. Having never heard of this, I assumed it was a brand, but no, they were actual instruments made from wooden and cardboard cigar boxes. They were quite extraordinary! There was a small "museum" of cigar box guitars and some dated to the turn of the century, it was pretty cool. I could just see a hobo walking down the street with this nap-sack and one of these instruments.

What Would Audrey Do Wednesday

Dealing With The Press (part 2):

Keep them at arm's distance. If you are a world-famous actress, physical separation is terrific for keeping the press hounds at bay. During her off hours, living in a small village in Switzerland, rather than Bel-Air, and being generally inaccessible was Audrey's way of dealing with the picayune attention that came with having one of the most recognizable faces in the world.

Just say no. The first time AH was supposed to be interviewed by Barbara Walters in 1971, she turned her down because she had not heard of her and did not want to answer personal questions. In the years that followed, Barbara became a bit more well known, and AH was interviewed by her in 1989.

Hold your ground. No matter what the reporter asks, always hold your ground and answer the question that you want to answer. In a rare filmed interview following a 1963 press conference announcing the making of My Fair Lady on the Warner lot, the reporter repeatedly tries to corner Audrey and put words in her mouth. She waits, thinks, sometimes asks him to clarify his question, occasionally gives him a dazzling smile, and answers exactly what she wants. It is quite a performance.

When dealing with the press, the main thing is: Don't be intimidated; hold your ground, and try to have as clear a sense as possible of what you want to say before you go on - that way, you will make sure that you get your point across.

Ask for final edit. If you are on a news program, ask if you can have final edit. Unless you are Bill Clinton, it is very unlikely you will ever get this, but what the heck - it can't hurt to ask. Conversely, find out if the show is live, or live to tape. Although (possibly) more nerve-racking, this is potentially better for you, since the producers cannot edit your comments to make you look silly. Given the kinder media era she grew up in, Audrey never had to worry about any of this.

Don't live in the press. There are some people (you know who you are) who live to be in the media. They could be Madonna, they could be the owner of the local car dealership who never met a reporter he did not like. Remember, if you live by the sword, you will die by the sword, so the best thing to do is either stay out of the press as much as possible or use it to your advantage only when you want to, as AH did.

**all information comes from the book: What Would Audrey Do by Pamela Keogh

Movie Monday (Tuesday Edition): Coco Avant Chanel

The long weekend threw me off, day-wise, so I will do Movie Monday today! This weeks movie is not an old movie, but it is set in the 1920s, and is about Coco Chanel, so I deem it worthy!

This was my first movie with subtitles, I almost stopped watching it, but I'm glad I stuck it out. Audrey Tautou plays Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel. She is so stunning.

At a very young age, Gabrielle Chanel and her sister Adrienne are dropped off at an orphanage by their father with the promise that he will return for them. Several years after leaving the orphanage to which her father never returned for her, Gabrielle finds herself working in a provincial bar. She's both a seamstress for the performers and a singer, earning the nickname Coco from the song she sings nightly with her sister.

She refuses to follow the popular fashion of corsets and pettycoats. She takes men's clothing and transforms them into something that will fit her tiny frame. She liked clothes to be practical, wearing riding pants while on a horse instead of sitting side saddle for instance.

A liaison with Baron Balsan gives her an entree into French society and a chance to develop her gift for designing increasingly popular hats. When she falls in love with English businessman Arthur Capel further opportunities open up, though life becomes ever more complicated.

I had no idea of how she grew up, where her fashion inspiration came from or that Coco was just a nickname! This movie offered a great look into the lives of one of the world's most important designers. I do wish however, that the movie had focused more on her hat shop and how she got into designing clothes, no so much on the relationships with the men.

Have you seen the movie? What did you think?

What Would Audrey Do Wednesday

Dealing With The Press (part 1)

Instinctively - like so much else she did - Audrey was genius with the care and feeling of the press. And, like it or not, dealing with the media is often a part of our modern lives. You might decide to run for president, you might win American Idol, you might be involved in a coup d'etat with the PTA. In any event, there is a very good chance that you, like Audrey, could find yourself at the receiving end of an interview. Herewith, a few things to tilt the odds in your favor.

Charm the beast. Audrey was so successful with the press because she was always, most notably, herself. Whether being interviewed by Hedda Hopper early in her career, or a People magazine reporter in the late 1980s, she was always light, funny, focused, and charming.

When dealing with the press, charm is you ally. Be lighthearted, be charismatic. Pretend it's a first date. Build rapport with the reporter - seduce the heck out of him/her (metaphorically speaking, of course) - you're a movie star, after all! When in doubt, use the George Clooney rather than Russell Crowe model. While truculence looks great on the screen or while shooting a Calvin Klein print ad, it was a tone that AH never adopted, and gets tiresome in a one-on-one interview. Remember: You're the one who wanted to be a star, so don't bail out now.

Whether you choose the patented Tom Cruise "Hey, isn't life wonderful?" high energy/laugh a lot through the entire interview and reveal nothing technique, or the enigmatic "I am an artist" Pacino mode, make sure you have a game plan going in.

Also, it helps to know that unless you are being interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, Anderson Cooper, or Diane Sawyer, most reporters are really lazy and don't do their homework. (They never did any in school, why start now?) And entertainment "reporters" are probably the worst. Use their inherent slackerdom (very non-Audrey, we might add) to your advantage. With some effort, you can almost chart what the questions might be, so have a few responses ready.

And if you really get stuck for an answer, smile winningly and then say, "Boy, that's a great question..." And leave it at that.

Ditch the PR person. You didn't get where you are by following the rules. With the reporter standing by, tell your corporate PR flunky that you "can handle this" and show them the door. This will make you look like a maverick and will create a false sense of intimacy between you and the reporter. A false sense of intimacy that you will, of course, exploit fully to your advantage.

**all information comes from the book: What Would Audrey Do by Pamela Keogh

Movie Monday: She Went to the Races

Today I watched "She Went to the Races" from 1945 starring James Craig, Frances Gifford and Ava Gardner.

Ava Gardner was the only actor I'd heard of, but I hadn't seen any of her movies. This was kind of a funny movie in that Dr. Ann Wotters (Frances Gifford) and 3 others tried to scientifically figure out which horse would win races depending on weather, wind, dirt vs. mud, time of day... this all played well to my engineering side. It reminded me of projects in college!

There was the classic struggle for love between Hilda (Ava Gardner), a beautiful socialite and Ann, the brilliant scientist. Both were vying for the attention of Steven (James Craig), who was a horse owner and racer.

This movie didn't keep my attention like some do, but all in all, it was pretty good. The costumes looked amazing, I just wish it was in color so I could have seen what they really looked like! But the shapes and the gloves and hats were so feminine and pretty.

Have you seen the movie? What did you think of it?

What Would Audrey Do Wednesday

How To Be A Movie Star in Your Own Life (Part 4)

Don't be afraid to disappear. From the way she naturally conducted her life, Audrey understood the inherent appeal of not making yourself too available...to the press, your fans, that guy who wants a date on Saturday night. She also realized that you need to take time out for yourself. In the middle of an arduous day of shooting, Audrey would skip the commissary and have a quiet lunch in her dressing room - even if it did cause one (male) columnist to accuse her of being stuck-up. She felt that she needed to conserve her energy and not fritter it away socializing.

When she was single, after a long week on the lot, Audrey would occasionally hole herself up in her apartment on weekends, reading, resting, and listening to her beloved jazz records, and just gearing up for the week to come. So don't be afraid to disappear for a while. In other words, leave them wanting more.

Don't trade on your personal tragedies. Audrey certainly had some heartbreak in her life - life during WWII; her father leaving her mother when she was six years old - but she did not dwell on it. And she very pointedly did not dwell on it in the press to score points, raise her Q Score (frankly, she didn't have to), jump on Oprah's couch, or promote whatever movie she was in at the time.

Audrey kept her private life and her public life separate. Something we would all do well to keep in mind these days.

Be enigmatic. A natural sense of discretion will give you the reputation of being enigmatic. This is very good for a movie star, and you, to emulate. It also makes people wonder and, who knows, just might even raise your stock.

Live the part. When Audrey was starting out, she had very little money. By the time she was a world-famous movie star in the late 1950s, she was buying Famous, her Yorkie, diamond collars at Van Cleef & Arpels. Clearly, she understood the role of the starlet and could look - and live - the part. Buy quality, not quantity.

**all information comes from the book: What Would Audrey Do by Pamela Keogh

Movie Monday

I'm starting a new weekly series: Movie Monday!

I've watched several old movies in the last few days, but today I watched East of Eden from 1955.





This was my first James Dean film, believe it or not! He's very handsome and the modern day Channing Tatum reminds me of him. The movie was based on the novel by John Steinbeck, which I haven't read, so I didn't know what to expect.





Cal Trask (James Dean) sees himself as the black sheep of the family and is always competing with his twin brother Aron, who seems to be perfect in the eyes of their father. Cal desperately wants the love and affection from his father that Aron receives. The year is 1917 and we see the tumultuous times leading up to America's entry into World War I. Cal discovers that his mother is alive - the boys were told she had died - and lives only a few miles away in Monterey, CA. This helps him realize that he is just like his mother, which is why his father treated him differently from his brother, who took after their father.





His father loses most of his fortune trying to ship refrigerated lettuce to New York, so Cal decides to speculate on a crop of beans to pay his father back for the money he'd lost on the lettuce. He makes a small fortune, but he soon realizes that he can't buy his father's loves either. After a disasterous birthday party for their father, Aron, Cal and their father's lives all take very different turns.



I enjoyed this movie, much more than the one I watched yesterday (A Mouse on the Moon)! I loved the leading lady's name, Abra, I thought it was very unique and quite pretty. She was played by Julie Harris. I'd compare her looks to a modern Cynthia Nixon.



Have you seen the movie? What did you think of it?