louise on the left (coast)

Bjork:  More To Life Than This. Charlie Chaplin:  Moving through space. Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo. Required Daily Affirmation Unexpected family: Chimp and White Tiger cubs Woody Allen in "Manhattan."   Scene: Tracy's face. These are just a few moments, both fictional and real, to hang on to while ringing out this year. No doubt 2011 has been a particularly trying one.  It's easy to become cynical or numb at times like this, but we shouldn't linger there for long. The truth is no matter what year it is there will always be moments which are genuinely good or funny or simply breathtaking and nothing can change those moments, no matter how bad a year it is. More reminders to come. Just as soon as I think of them.

I have to say, Bell, Book and Candle remains one of my personal holiday must sees. I think I've posted about this before, but it bears repeating given that right now it's the holidays and most theaters are filled with the usual, as I see it, over-priced fare which are about as meaningful as a drive-thru fast food meal. Bell, Book and Candle remains just as magical and timelessly charming today as it was the year it opened. True, Jimmy Stewart is about 15 years past his prime for being cast as Novak's love interest, but he's still just as adorable as always in his graying sort-of way. However, Kim Novak casts an eternal spell on us all when she graces the screen as a witch who has fallen in love with a mere mortal while hailing from her own wacky witchy family with it's wacky witch rules. (Something we can all relate to. The witch part, I mean.) Add to this story the combined comedic talents of Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs, Hermione Gingold, Elsa Lanche

Thanks to Dangerous Minds , we have this clip entitled " PARIS FASHIONS OF 1926: DREAMY HAND-TINTED FILM FOOTAGE." It's a charming look back at modeling and fashion from back in the roaring (okay, snoozing) '20s.  However, after viewing what sprang immediately to my mind was: Hand-tinted celluloid still succeeds in capturing a timeless, otherworldly charm for black and white film. It must've been a lot easier to book work when casting requirements read: "Seeking models.  Any models.  Looking for girls bigger than a bread box;  Smaller than a horse.  Thick ankles a plus.  Slouching encouraged.   Try not to smell .  Just show up." Clearly, just oneVictoria Secret Wonder Bra could have helped sales, enormously.

To everything there is an equal and opposite reaction. Sometimes this completely messes you up. Sometimes it makes art. Sometimes it does both, but rarely at the same time.

Model Juliet Larsen backstage with designer, Yigal Azrouel. Beautiful model and actress, Juliet Larsen, walks the runway wearing eye-catching design from Azrouel's Spring 2012 collection. Above Juliet Larsen*, stands alongside top designer Yigal Azrouel at the 2nd Annual Autumn Party fashion show featuring his spring 2012 line.   The star-studded affair, a benefit for the Children’s Institute, was also Azrouel’s Los Angeles debut.  Fans and celebrities alike attended his London Hotel show, including Rumer Willis, Nicole Richie, Estella Warren,   Lauren Conrad , Rumer Willis, Jennifer Tilly, Lydia Hearst, Amanda Righetti and Amy Smart. * Why, yes, she  is  my daughter.  How could you tell?

If you've been following my blog over time you will see that I've hit something of a wall with my divergent blog themes:  No doubt I am in full-on blogging identity crisis. I promise you there's a good reason this which I will certainly explain in the future. Until then, let me state that my entire blogging narrative, it's entire trajectory until now has simply been to write about what I find interesting, or important at that particular moment in time.  Well, lately my world has been suddenly flipped back into a world I'd thought I'd left behind a long time ago:  The world of fashion. Also, in tribute to all things Gorey I am headed up to Los Angeles today to catch the VERY LAST weeked of the Tim Burton exhibit at LACMA .  (YES, IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET -- THIS IS IT!) And so given that my world lately has been all about style and fashion and that I always have loved Edward Gorey reblogging this great post seemed like a great choice. Enjoy

Freelance artist  Justin Majeczky  shot this  beautiful time-lapse of the milky way  as seen in the night sky over Lake Tahoe.

Usually, I do this the other way around. I complain another annoying tv commercial has ruined my favorite song, however this time Honda smoked my sense of musical superiority with Heypenny's "Parade. "

You thought this was Steve, right?  "Steve Burns" from Blue's Clues? Ha.  Well, it's not.  It never was.  Meet the real Steve. Steve is all grown up.  I mean,   all grown up and, boy, is he deep. Check out The Moth presents Steve Burns: Fameishness   which oddly depresses me although  I can't quite figure out why, yet. Is it... A.)  Because he's not really talking to the that kid (Me?  My kids?) inside the camera anymore? B.)  Because he really is that bald? C.)  Because he let animators pressure him into allowing Snookie do a lap dance on the Big Red Chair? D.)  He makes fun of the mail dance?  (Do NOT dis the "Mail's Here" dance.) E.)   The real Steve is gloomier than  Holden Caulfield  in Catcher in the Rye? F.)   All of the above. Yeah.  It's "F."  Duh. Isn't it bad enough our own kids have to grow up?  or do we also have to witness Steve go bald and wear glasses, too?    Ho