The meteorologists are proclaiming a heatwave for the weekend. Phew! I like it though; hot and sultry, reminds me of Elizabeth Tailor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Sultry, steamy, very sexy, hot, hot, hot. Its warm here at Chateau Rhia but not unbearable, I have a fan you see, a lovely stand-up floor fan that cools us down, oh and lots of open windows, as many windows as I have radiators. Yes my lovelies, we will not get breathless through the heat, maybe through passion though? :)
Talking of chateaux, I am being whisked off again this weekend, to gay Paris this time, to celebrate Bastille Day,(and no I am not a socialist, in fact not a political animal – I just like French food and wine :) just for the day though – ahh Paris, we have not embraced each other for a while, I am looking forward to it. Mister knows his way around Paris and so it will be a fabulous time. Lucky Chick. Back on Monday. Keep cool, see you soon x
I went to see the Grace Kelly exhibition at the V&A the other day. Its a collection of the lady’s clothes, hats, jewellery and even sunglasses from the 1940′s until her untimely death in 1982. I love the 40′s/50′s exhibits, I would definitely wear them now, not too keen on the 1970′s kaftans though unless I am padding around the pad :)
Actually I used to wear 1940′s fashion – pencil skirts, little veiled hats, seamed silk stockings, stilettos, that sort of thing when I was 15 – amazes me now actually that I had the gall to do that, you know, when you are not trying to grab attention to yourself.
What a stunning beauty the lady was though, a classical beauty. My inspirations in the past have been sex goddesses if you like, Marilyn Monroe definitely, coupled with elegance though. Not in your face sexuality, slutty stuff – I know lots of fellas like a good slutty look occasionally. hehe I got a lot of comments about my last pics – the one with the naughty secretary look and how it was a surprise – I had a bit of devilment in me that day :)
I guess what I am saying is that behind closed doors, well thats all frisky fun and fine, not in public though, not for me. Its for that reason that I am not too keen on the obvious ‘sexy’ look of some of the wanna-be celebs of today. (Yes I am turning into my mother) A couple of belts to cover your cold bits on a night out? Eeek!!, brrrrrr, Not for me, but I do admire their guts to do it, and good luck to them.
I have never really thought about ‘my style’ before. I dont really follow fashion, having my kind of figure pretty much excludes you from a lot of so-called fashion and as Oscar Wilde so very succinctly put it “Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months”.
I have tended to stick to what I think suits me. I have classical pieces that I have kept for 15 years. Good clothes dont wear out if you look after them. What someone like Kate Moss wears would look totally ridiculous on me. I veer towards classical and elegant but hopefully with a hint at the curves beneath. I am loving the dress above! I hardly ever wear jeans (a few times a year if it is very cold?), trousers rarely. I find them deeply uncomfortable. I prefer my dresses and skirts. Never short (unless it is inside my place and you have requested it;) I cant think of anything worse than striding through London with a skirt up around my – well you know what. I dont like the unwanted attention you see.
So back to Ms Grace. I have obviously been aware of her, may have seen a few of her films but I think I will take a closer look. I ordered ‘High Society’, one of the movie’s she starred in, I think just before she got married; it arrived today. Yes I like her style, I must try and watch it over the weekend.
Here’s the link for the exhibition if you have a mind to go and see it.
I want to know what it is for you. Tell me what is sexy food for you. Is it food you drip over your lover? Like spam fritters? (oh I am so joking, I am in a mischievous mood tonight!) Is it food that just puts you in ‘the mood’? Aphrodisiacs? Is it food that resemble genital parts? (like figs or bananas?) Or is it food that at that moment, that is what you absolutely fancy, crave even?
Ahhh. Now this is interesting. I once had a discussion with a lover. He said to me. ‘Why on earth would I want a hamburger when I have a steak at home’ (moi) Very lovely sentiment but I didnt buy into that totally, my argument was ‘Sometimes we just crave a hamburger and nothing else will do’ hehehe
Food, as you probably know is very important in my life. But I am becoming increasingly convinced that moderation is the key. Yes. I crave, drool over fish and chips if I havent had them for 6 months. If I had to eat them every week, no I wouldnt like it. Oh variety is the spice of life they say, and I have the opportunity to experience that and so do you – we all do in this country – in food, in wine, in travel , life experiences, anything we choose really. Of course there are things we may have experienced once or twice that we may never want to revisit and we know what they are dont we? ; mushy peas, puffer skirts and stag nights and thinking we can sing Whitney Houston songs on a Karaoke night. Yes, we can all walk that path of shame. No one is exempt from that path my friend :)
Ive just watched 9 1/2 weeks again. Phew! or should i say Phoar! Ok for you foodies :) out there here it is, a teeny snippet. Bon Appetit!
I just managed to watch this dvd. I know, I know, I have been wanting to watch it for over a year now! Anyway, I did it and it was good. Thanks Mr N for the gift! x It was more of a love story than I thought it would be, ahhhh. Some great lines in the film too and of course stunning location – Venice. Try and watch it if you can. Its also called The Honest Courtesan for some reason.
Mr M read my post about men’s underpants and bought me a rather fetching pair of Dolce & Gabanna boxers. Hehehehe Very nice they look too, and ever so comfy, maybe I should wear men’s pants all the time ;). Thanks M!
How naughty am I? Only just back from my hols and I am already getting itchy feet. I fancy one of those spa breaks in Thailand or somewhere lush like that. Just a chill out, pamperings, great food and fabulous sunsets. You cant blame me really. Its not as though we have had a great summer (again), I think I blinked when we had those good few days. I get all excited, think this is it and peak too soon. I should appreciate the moment better. I know its a well worn cliche but summers really were better and longer when I was a kid. No I didnt live in the Bahamas (but I may one day :) Ho hum, Im off to check out some holiday sites.
Now you know I dont do quickies, but I couldnt resist…the joke I mean :)
While making love, he says:
- Darling, let’s do 68!
- 68??? What’s that?
- You do it to me and I’ll owe you one.
Hope you are having a good one if you are on holiday xxx
Do you like it? This heat wave? I love it! Perfect temperature for me is around 24c, but I can accept 30c :) I have a lovely fan here (an electric one , you sauce pot!) - not keen on air con and besides we only need that for one day a year. Brrrrrrr
Here’s my gal…
London Tour
I have my London Tour dates ready now. 21st, 24th and 25th September. I shan’t be visiting London again this year so please book early or you will have to come to Plymouth :) Oh and you will really love the hotel I have booked, very special. Please take a look here for more details and I hope to see you there xx
There’s a new courtesan movie about to be released that I definitely have to see, here’s the synopsis…
Summary
Set in the luxurious demi-monde of pre First World War Paris, Chéri is the story of the love affair between the beautiful retired courtesan Léa (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Chéri (Rupert Friend) the son of her old colleague and rival, Madame Peloux (Kathy Bates).
Léa has educated the spoilt and callow boy in the ways of love, but after six years Madame Peloux has secretly arranged a marriage between Chéri and Edmée (Felicity Jones), daughter of another rich courtesan.
As the inevitable moment of parting approaches, Léa and Chéri try to come to terms with their imminent separation, but the roots of their life of ease and pleasure reach deeper than even they imagine and they begin to understand, too late, how much they mean to one another.
Release Dates
Germany | February 10, 2009 (Berlin Film Festival) France, Belgium and Switzerland (French) | April 8, 2009 Italy | April 30, 2009 UK | May 8, 2009 USA | June 26, 2009 Australia | July 23, 2009 Switzerland (German) | August 27, 2009 Spain | November 6, 2009
Filming Locations
Biarritz (France), Paris (France), Cologne (Germany) and London (UK)
Well, I am off to London on tour next Thursday. Oh I am looking forward to it! Lots and lots to do while I am there and I am going to be such a busy little bee that I have had to cancel lunch with the ‘ladies’. Now, I find out about this exhibition that will only be on for a short while and I really want to see it!
It’s of the Travilla collection – William Travilla – who preferred to be called simply Travilla – became famous for his outfits that helped Monroe achieve global stardom and it includes this photograph which has never been seen before. Marilyn in stockings and suspenders.
The costumes he designed for Marilyn included the white dress worn by the world’s best known blonde in The Seven Year Itch and the pink satin dress she wore in Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend.
Now Travilla’s collection is being shown on board the HMS President 1918, a floating conference and exhibition centre on the Victoria Embankment, before it is returned to America.
As I mentioned It includes the photograph of the designer dressing Monroe, which she signed: “Hey Billy, Thank you for all the many wonderful things you made me. Love, Marilyn X X.”
Travilla dressed Monroe in eight of her films. He helped dress some 270 actors and actresses in total, including Paul Newman, Errol Flynn, Joan Crawford, Lauren Bacall, Sidney Poitier and Judy Garland.
He was also a key hand in setting the sartorial tone of the series, Dallas. He died in 1990, aged 70, after a career spanning half a century.
Astute readers will of course remember my reference to this film a little while ago but to refresh your memory, here is the post.
I said I had ordered it and it duly arrived. So I find a teeny spot in my diary to settle down and watch it with a box of Hotel Chocolat’s finest, but unfortunately it is not compatible with my dvd player (I totally missed the fact that this copy was made for region 1, USA – doh!). I hate to waste things so if you are in the US, I will happily send it to you, gratis – just promise to watch and enjoy :) If not, it goes in the charity bag. I now need to buy another one for region 2, UK.
Oh and a little about the film courtesy of Amazon…
Amazon.co.
Although it was unfortunately ignored during its brief theatrical release, this sumptuously seductive production is that rarest of cinematic breeds, the (barely) respectable guilty pleasure. Combining historical fact with hysterical anachronisms of language and mannerism, it’s been tailored for maximum contemporary appeal but maintains a lush, romantic feel for its factual 16th-century tale of Venetian love, lust, and political repression. Catherine McCormack (Mel Gibson’s ill-fated bride in Braveheart) delivers a star-making performance as the “dangerous beauty” who becomes a skillful courtesan to pursue her forbidden love for a dashing Venetian senator (Rufus Sewell). It’s all rather silly in a high-toned fashion, and the film turns dour when the church intervenes with a Scarlet Letter-like papal inquest. But the movie’s joyously ribald vitality is utterly irresistible, and the casting of McCormack with Jaqueline Bisset (as her mother and courtesan mentor) is a stroke of pure genius. Merchant-Ivory would’ve made a smarter film from this material, but it probably wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining. –Jeff Shannon
Synopsis
Set in 16th Century Venice this period drama tells the story of Veronica Franco, a beautiful but penniless woman in love with the handsome and wealthy Marco Venier. Veronica’s mother educates her in the ways of a courtesan, who has the power to become educated in all things that men find interesting.
Ohh it’s always sad when someone dies and when it is an icon, it is almost personal. You get so used to them being in the news or in the movies (and therefore a part of your life) that it feels like you knew them, think Princess Diana. I just heard that Paul Newman has died aged 83. Now, that’s not bad innings (although a much acclaimed gypsy fortune teller told me I will live to 92!!) I didn’t feel like I knew Mr Newman in the same sense as Princess Di, but my dad used to love his movies. I must have seen them all by proxy over and over again. So today my thoughts are with the Newman family and for Mr Newman who seems to have had a happy and fulfilled life and been at the forefront of celebrity philanthropists - thank you for the movies (and the dressings!) Sir. Here is what I took from some obituaries on the net…
Stunningly handsome, Newman maintained his superstar status while keeping his distance from its corrupting influences through nearly 100 Broadway, television and movie roles. As an actor and director, he evolved into Hollywood’s elder statesman, admired off screen for his quiet generosity, unconventional business sense, race car daring, political activism and enduring marriage to actress Joanne Woodward.
Annoyed by the public’s fascination with his resemblance to a Roman statue and his Windex-blue eyes, Newman often chose offbeat character roles. In the 1960s, he helped define the American anti-hero and became identified with the charming misfits, cads and con men in film classics such as “The Hustler,” “Hud,” “Cool Hand Luke” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”
“It’s a great loss, in so many ways,” Martin Scorsese, who directed Newman in “The Color of Money,” said in a statement Saturday. “The history of movies without Paul Newman? It’s unthinkable. . . . His powerful eloquence, his consummate sense of craft, so consummate that you didn’t see any sense of effort up there on the screen, set a new standard.”
Robert Redford, Newman’s “Sundance” co-star, said in a statement, “There is a point where feelings go beyond words. I have lost a real friend. My life — and this country — is better for his being in it.”
Newman’s poker-game look in “The Sting” — cunning, watchful, removed, amused, confident, alert — summed up his power as a person and actor, said Stewart Stern, a screenwriter and longtime friend.
“You never see the whole deck. There’s always some card somewhere he may or may not play,” Stern said. “Maybe he doesn’t even have it.”
Newman maintained his success came less from natural talent than from hard work, luck and the tenacity of a terrier.
“Acting,” he once said, “is really nothing but exploring certain facets of your own personality trying to become someone else.” In early films, he said, he tried to make himself fit the character but later aimed “to make the character come to me.”
The actor was proudest, friends say, of his later Oscar-nominated roles in “Absence of Malice,” “The Verdict” and “Nobody’s Fool,” in which he dug deep into the complex emotions of ordinary men struggling for dignity, justice or a sense of connection. In 2003, he was nominated for an Oscar as best supporting actor for his last feature film appearance, as a conflicted mob boss in “Road to Perdition.” Two years later, at 80, he won an Emmy for playing a meddlesome father in “Empire Falls.”
“He’s a majestic figure in the world of acting,” said director Arthur Penn, who worked with him in his early career. “He did everything and did it well.”
Part of a generation of edgy, naturalistic New York actors who changed Hollywood in the ’50s and ’60s, Newman was often compared with fellow Method actors Marlon Brando and James Dean. Film critic David Ansen once observed that if the trim actor lacked the others’ physical or psychic presence, he was more approachable, even when he played a heel.
“Newman,” Ansen wrote, “is our great middleweight movie star.”
Nominated eight times for Academy Awards in the best-actor category, Newman won only once, for “The Color of Money” (1986), in which he reprised the role of “Fast” Eddie Felson that he originated in 1961′s “The Hustler.” He also took home honorary Oscars in 1985 for career achievement and in 1993 for his humanitarian efforts. In later years, he shunned awards shows, though Oscar, Emmy and Tony nominations continued. He claimed he no longer owned a tuxedo.
In real life, Newman was “the quintessence of class, courtly without being old-fashioned,” said Victor Navasky, former editor of the Nation, a liberal magazine in which Newman invested and for which he wrote occasional columns. Private and complex, Newman was also a mischievous beer-loving prankster and an idealist who took to the streets to protest the war in Vietnam.
He was thrilled, friends said, when he heard that he had made President Nixon’s enemies list.
Married since 1958 to Woodward, his second wife, Newman cultivated a distinctly un-Hollywood lifestyle, shuttling between a homey New York apartment and a renovated farmhouse in woodsy Westport, from which he pursued passions that included cooking and auto racing.
Highly competitive, Newman was drawn to the track, he told reporters, because in racing, unlike acting, the definition of “good” is not a murky matter of opinion. Although he began to race at 47, he was respected by his sport’s peers, and his team placed second in the prestigious Le Mans endurance contest in 1979. At 70, he became the oldest driver to place in a professionally sanctioned auto race when his team took third in the 24-hour race at Daytona, Fla. Still racing into his 80s, Newman escaped uninjured from a car fire in 2005 and entered another race a month later.
Since the 1980s, Newman had devoted more time to Newman’s Own, a food products company he founded as a lark that grew into one of the nation’s largest charitable organizations. The company, which produces all-natural salad dressings, popcorn, sauces and lemonade, has turned over more than $250 million in after-tax profits to hundreds of groups, including his own Hole in the Wall Gang camps (named after the outlaw gang in “Butch Cassidy”).
This here blog thing started as a way to express my saucy self. But do you know what? There's more to me than the saucy bits! So herewith you will find all sorts of thoughts, ideas, funny things (lots of them), deep and meaningfuls, occasionally - a mixture of everything really, just like life. I hope you like it here. I like it here. It's cosier if you are here too so stay a while.
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The meteorologists are proclaiming a heatwave for the weekend. Phew! I like it though; hot and sultry, reminds me of Elizabeth Tailor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Sultry, steamy, very sexy, hot, hot, hot. Its warm here at Chateau Rhia but not unbearable, I have a fan you see, a lovely stand-up floor fan that cools us down, oh and lots of open windows, as many windows as I have radiators. Yes my lovelies, we will not get breathless through the heat, maybe through passion though? :)
I just managed to watch this dvd. I know, I know, I have been wanting to watch it for over a year now! Anyway, I did it and it was good. Thanks Mr N for the gift! x It was more of a love story than I thought it would be, ahhhh. Some great lines in the film too and of course stunning location – Venice. Try and watch it if you can. Its also called The Honest Courtesan for some reason.
Mr M read my post about men’s underpants and bought me a rather fetching pair of Dolce & Gabanna boxers. Hehehehe Very nice they look too, and ever so comfy, maybe I should wear men’s pants all the time ;). Thanks M!
Set in the luxurious demi-monde of pre First World War Paris, Chéri is the story of the love affair between the beautiful retired courtesan Léa (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Chéri (Rupert Friend) the son of her old colleague and rival, Madame Peloux (Kathy Bates).
