Girls, How I Mourn The Loss Of Real Laura Ashley Stores!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

                                                                               

                                                                               

                                           For a time, for me, Laura Ashley was the first name in fashion, for a while.  Second only to Sir Cecil Beaton, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             While still a struggling young artist, I would hang out at Laura Ashley shops, not so much to meet guys, but to admire the colors and patterns of things I was then too poor to buy.  I remember fondling a comforter--now, remember, this was the 80's--that cost then the unaffordable price of $300..  Imagine, today, how much that comforter would now cost.

                                                Laura Ashley still has an online presence, thank God, which is where I found these vintage outfits I would just love to wear.  I don't know if they could accommodate my size and shape online.  I would favor myself taking them to a custom dressmaker, showing the outfit, taking measurements, and then voila!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Wouldn't any of us look spectacular in any one of these????????????

                                                 Yes, hons, class is still around.  One just has to hunt high and wide for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                  Come back, Laura Asheley store franchise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                 

                                             

Darlings, Set Your Calendars For Sunday, April 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                             Yes, girls, Sunday April 5th is not only Easter--important in itself--but is also the day I air here the annual screening of "The Song Of Bernadette."

                               Oh, my God--Jennifer Jones, Anne Revere, Gladys Cooper, Ermadean Walters, Mary Anderson, that arti direction and cinematography, not to mention Alfred Newman's score.  It is almost too much for the heart to bear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                 Nevertheless, hearts will be moved again on Easter this year when once again we all sit down to watch the 1943 film masterpiece.  I know "Casablanca" won Best Picture, and romantics love it--I do, too--but to compare it to a movie like 'Bernadette' and for it to win over it was one of the Academy's most egregious mistakes.  And they have made their share of them!  More and more, it seems as the years go on, and they are slowly becoming useless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      Even if you are not religious, tune in for an exemplary example of film craftsmanship!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       If not, there is always Judy and Fred in 1948's "Easter Parade!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                      God forbid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Girls, Join Us Tonight At 8PM, As "Svengoolie" Kicks Off February With 1964's "The Gorgon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                I have to be honest, and say I have never seen this film, so I am looking forward to it.  Of course, it being a Hammer film, Baby Gojira is hoping for bosoms.  I think Barbara Shelley will provide them.

                                Of course, I have always loved the Gorgon myth, and Medusa has been one of my favorite characters.  I have to wonder what would Sally Hershberger have done with her??????????

                                  From what I have read of the film this sounds a lot like "Cult Of The Cobra."  And with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee giving it their best, it will not be a waste of time.

                                  But can the film live up to its poster?  We shall see!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  Who will turn out to be the reptilian monster?  Or monstress?   Only time will tell.

                                   But this is a reminder, girls, that we will need to get our hair done for Spring!

                                   See you at 8PM, darlings.  Kerwyn will be with us, too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Nancy Guthrie Case!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                           My girls on here know I have been dying to write about this.  Not since Gabby Petito has a crime case so captured the nation.  It is a human tragedy for all the Guthries, most especially Savannah, and of course I have a few theories.

                               But I cannot say too much because I have been advised to wait and see how this all plays out.  My first comment is take a GOOD look at this picture and THINK.

                                 Second the cops are lying about persons of interest and prime suspects.  They have them, and I am pretty sure I know who.  If it plays out the way I think it will, remember you heard it here first.

                                     I do think Nancy is alive, being held captive somewhere, and getting her daily meds.  Considering how things have been operating, her demise would be a big surprise, let alone an unimaginable tragedy, not only for the Guthries, but for all of us who mourn for them.

                                         Having lost my mother to terminal illness decades ago, I have an idea what Savannah and her siblings are going through.  Losing a loved one to illness is bad enough, but abduction, where one is virtually powerless, is worse.

                                                I will keep you updated on situations as they unfold.

                                                But remember, I called it on Gabby Petito!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do I Need To Study Color Theory?????????????????

                                          Could it help me get ahead with ANNA??????  

                                          I always thought I had a pretty good grasp of colors--I know what I like, what works on me, and others, and what does not. This chart is almost self-explanatory, and my colors are pretty much on the top half of the color wheel.  The second I would reserve for those who might benefit from those colors, and things like violet and blue violet are few and far between.

                                          Still, I think color is essential in fashion.  Who wants to look at some dull paisley????????????

                                            Treat your body, girls, like the ornament it ought to be.   Take a tip from Carrie Preston as "Elspeth."  Now, THERE is someone who knows how to dress.

                                              As for me, I am sticking with my color schemes, but if the opportunity arises for a class, I will certainly grab it.

                                                  Remember the album "Color Me Barbra?????????"

                                                   Color your lives, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Darlings, Here Is An Idea For Minimalist Decorating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                           Most on here know what this is.  It is the photo of Janet Leigh, lifeless on the floor after the shower scene in "Psycho."  

                             Now, imagine having this enlarged to fill your inner living room wall, so that when company walks into the living room, this would be the first thing they would see.  Wouldn't that be fabulous??????????  I am telling you, girls, I would love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                          For the other wall, which one would have to turn and see, the perfect companion to the above would be a wall sized photo of the eye scene in "Un Chien Andalou."

                          Girls, I am telling you, this would spell out style and be the talk of the visit.  Of course, being a living room, a few furniture pieces must be on hand.  But only a few, so as not to upstage these images.

                              It could even serve as a gentle reminder to get your eyes checked.

                             Don't you just LOVE it????????????????????????????

Girls, Remember When It Was Possible To Dine Elegantly, But Inexpensively, In NYC????????????????????

 

                                                                                 

                                                                               

Oh, girls, for the elegance of bygone days!  Remember The Bird Cage at Lord And Taylor?  I almost got to dine there once, but unfortunately there was not a seat available.  It was a low-cost way for patrons to feel more sophisticated than they might actually be.

The same could be said of Schrafftt's.  Now, I am talking about the one in Manhattan.  Legend still maintains that the branch on the West Coast is where Lana Turner was discovered.  I never got to visit either Schrafftts, so I could not get discovered.  Besides, I did not have the chest to fill out the sweaters Lana wore.  Oh, well.

But Rumplemayeer's--oh, how I loved that place.  Each Easter, in those pre-DVD days, before I started annually watching "The Song Of Bernadette," I would go here, sometimes accompanied by a now deceased friend of mine.  Just look at that pink!  Is it any wonder I could not resist this place?  The decor was simply fabulous, darlings; I wanted to design my apartment like the interior of Rumplemayer's, and I still would.  How I miss visiting the place; just the sight of it was elegant.  And the ice cream desserts were scrumptious.  My favorite was the Peach Melba Sundae.  Going here, I felt as though I was Sally Ann Howes as Truly Scrumptious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alas, these days and modes of elegance are gone!  And it looks like forever, or at least the rest of our lifetimes--which might be the same thing.  Crassness has replaced classiness, and it is a shame.

Remember the ending of 1968's "Planet Of The Apes," when it was discovered the apes were earthlings who had mutated into apes????????????????

I fear this is how it actually started.

Don't let this happen.  Get a mink stole, your best hat, even with a veil, and walk into your diner dressed in 40's or 50's glamour.

Show them you will not stand for anything less!!!!!!!!!!!!!