Another Great Exhibit

And yet another reason I must get to Europe ASAP! The Court Pomp and Royal Ceremony exhibit at Versailles. It sounds amazing.

I'm also playing around with the images on the blog, adding as many Versailles-ish things as possible! It's definitely a WIP. Let me know what you think.

Henry VIII Anniversary

I wish I could take a trip to England this year! There's so many amazing events planned for the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII's accession to the throne. Now, I don't much like King Henry (though I do like several of his wives!), but there is no denying this period was fascinating. Some highlights of the anniversary include:

An exhibit at Windsor Castle

"Henry VIII Remembered" at the National Portrait Gallery

An exhibit and related events (including films) about Henry VII and VIII in Richmond at the Museum of Richmond

"Henry VIII: Romance and Intrigue" at Sudeley Castle (the last home of his last wife, Katherine Parr)

Exhibits and events at Hever Castle (family home of wife two, Anne Boleyn! This one looks like a big, fun Renaissance Faire)

"Dressed to Kill" at the Tower

Living History Weekend and Tudor Water Pageant, June 20-21 (I really, really wish I could see this!)

And much more. (Closer to home, I think the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC is having an exhibit in the fall...)

Anyone planning to attend any of these???

Monday, Monday

Mondays really are terribly dismal, aren't they? And they go by so sloooow. Maybe I'll start making them a bit more fun around here by featuring a Monday hottie. This week (since I spent my weekend watching North and South for the 437th time), Richard Armitage.

Suggestions for future Mondays welcome!

New Website Up!

My alter-ego, Laurel McKee, has her new website up and running! Check it out for info on the upcoming "Daughters of Erin" trilogy from Grand Central Publishing, including an excerpt and historical background on Georgian Ireland...

Also, Amanda McCabe has updates on her site (especially an excerpt from the novella Charlotte and the Wicked Lord, from the Diamonds of Welbourne Manor anthology, out in May from Harlequin Historicals!)

What I'm Reading Today

New Shakespeare Portrait

I've been reading articles about the "newly discovered" Shakespeare portrait (which hung quietly in an Irish house for 400 years). (See one such article here)

It does sound more plausible that the totally unbelievable Jane Austen "Chandos portrait" that went to auction not long ago (and failed to say, because everyone could see how thin that story was!). Plus Shakespeare was kind of a cutie, if this portrait is to be believed, with great fashion sense! What do you think?

What I'm Reading Today

18th Century Shoes

Marie Antoinette movie shoes!
Martha Washington's wedding shoes

18th Century Style

I've been doing lots of research lately on 18th century fashion, which of course involves lots of online searching and looking at pics of paintings and extant clothing (it's hard, but I'm willing to suffer for my work, LOL!) One great feature is the search engine on the Metropolitan Museum website (just type in the years you're looking for, i.e. 1700-1800 or whatever, and click on Costume Institute. It's also a great way to find portraits of the era). I think this is my very favorite era of fashion.

Here are a few of the stunningly beautiful things I've found there:











I'll be posting more images here in the next week or so, so stay tuned!

V-Day

Over at Risky Regencies, talking about Valentine's Day and the language of flowers! Hope you're having a great day, with lots of chocolate...

What I'm Reading Today

What I'm Reading Today

For research on my work-in-progress (it's all-Ireland-all-the-time here lately--luckily it's almost St. Patrick's Day!)

Because I find Potter fascinating. Wish I could live on a farm and raise sheep, too...

For fun! I love cozy mysteries and I love yoga, what could be better?

What are you reading today???

Updates!

Okay, I know it has been a long (long, long) time since any updates were made here! I'm going to start making some (sporadically, anyway) in order to keep up with books out, vacations taken, fun things like that.

For now: High Seas Stowaway is still available, as is its companion ebook Shipwrecked and Seduced

The anthology Diamond of Welbourne Manor (with my story Charlotte and the Wicked Lord, along with tales by Diane Gaston and Deb Marlowe) will be out in May '09, look for lots of fun blog touring and giveaways!

And my first Grand Central Publishing title, book one in the "Daughters of Ireland" trilogy (set in Ireland and England around the time of the 1798 uprising) will be out in February 2010, just in time for the big V-Day! My author name on these books will be--Laurel McKee. It's fun having 2 of me...

Thanks to the urging of Keira (and my own quest to find ways to waste time online) I'm now on Twitter! Follow me at Amanda7551

And, as always, I'm at Risky Regencies every Saturday

Summer Stuff

I know this blog has been on hiatus for a shockingly long time, but I've been busy writing books and watching Dancing With the Stars (yay, Apolo!). Quick reminder that the new book (see cover!) is out in August, and you can catch me every Saturday at Risky Regencies (we also have lots of fun contests and such there, so don't miss it).

On Blog Vacation

The day job and the new book are taking up way more time than I planned! Plus the holidays, eeek. So I am putting this blog on hiatus until after the New Year. But I am still at Risky Regencies every Saturday, be sure and visit me there. We have lots of interviews and contests lined up!

Happy Holidays!

Turkey Day

Hello Kitty says Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the day, and don't get run over at the mall tomorrow morning. :)

St. Cecilia Day

Nov. 22 is the feast day of St. Cecilia. She, along with Teresa of Avila, is one of my favorite saints. Not because of her typically gory backstory (though those can be fun!), but because she's the patron saint of composers, musicians, musical instrument makers, poets, singers, and, oddly, the archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska. She also inspired two wonderful pieces of music, Purcell's Hail! Bright Cecilia (1692) and Handel's An Ode for St. Cecilia (1739). For more info on her you can go here.

I hope everyone has a wonderful, safe, and music-filled Thanksgiving!

RR Saturday

I'm over at Risky Regencies today, talking about Twelfth Night traditions. It's the last day to win a copy of Mistletoe Kisses, the Harlequin Christmas anthology, so be sure and pay us a visit!

DWTS final

So, what did everyone think about the Dancing With the Stars final??? I voted for Mario, but I did like Emmitt, too, so I am not terribly sad. But Karina certainly did not look happy. I was waiting for her to pull Cheryl's hair out while screaming, "Beatch!!! You have a trophy, this one is MINE!" But alas, nothing so uncivilized happened--at least not in front of the cameras....

Now there will be no DWTS and no PR, at least not until next year. I have to get back into the groove of line edits, galleys, deadlines, and publicity. Plus the holidays. I'm sure you'll be hearing plenty of whining from me in the next few weeks (good whining, though!). In the meantime, I may sign up for a samba class.

Veteran's Day and RR

In honor of Veteran's Day, I thought I would post a photo of my grandfather, who served in the South Pacific in WWII. He never talked about that time very much, but then he didn't talk much at all. But he did teach me to use power tools, much to my grandmother's chagrin, and told me made-up fairytales about magical snakes who wore tennis shoes. I miss you, Granddad!

Be sure and check over at Risky Regencies for my post today. We're starting a new contest this week, and I announce my book news! Harlequin Mills and Boon/Historicals has bought 3 of my books. The first one will be out in summer '07 (A Kiss of Poison, set in Renaissance Venice!)!!!

Halloween redux

Here are a couple pics from this year's Halloween fest! There's Abigail in her pink tutu--she was so cute and sparkly. :) And me with my dad as pirate and Rasta mon.

Blog Slack Strikes Again!

Wow, I really have not updated here in a while! But I promise to be better. Halloween pics will be up later this week, plus I hope to have some Official Writing News very soon (want to wiat until it all settled before I start shouting from the rooftops!)

In the meantime, I missed posting about Guy Fawkes Day last Sunday! To plan for next years celebration (bonfires in the backyard!) here are a couple good websites:
Guy Fawkes 1
Guy Fawkes 2

And my reaction after seeing the fabulous performances on Dancing With the Stars last night is that they should keep all 3 in the finals, like they did with the last 4 in Project Runway. They are so close there is just no choosing between them at this point. And what was with the complete waste of Il Divo in last week's results show??? I tuned in just to see them (I usually just watch the last five minutes) and they only did one measly song? Shenanigans!

Who are you voting for? Joey, Emmitt, or Mario?

5 Things

I have been SUCH a blog slacker lately! My only excuse is autumn sloth, and trying to research a new project, plus reading 2 (count 'em, 2!) Marie Antoinette books at once (Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette and Queen of Fashion). Megan tapped me for a 5 Things I Know For Sure challenge days ago, and I just read about it last night! Anyway, here goes--and since I'm running around trying to get my costume ready for a Halloween party tonight, it will have a Halloween theme:

1) Milky Way Midnight is the very best candy bar to get in your Trick or Treat bag (Twix and Kit Kats a close second)

2) The Shining is the scariest movie EVER

3) My favorite costume my mother ever made me was a Dorothy from Wizard of Oz, complete with ruby slippers. Or it might be my pirate costume this year, though since I am a makeup applying dunce I doubt I can get the "Johnny Depp eyeliner thing" going. And I'm going to start working on getting a Marie Antoinette costume for next year...

4) The new Marie Antoinette movie, while flawed in many ways, has the best soundtrack ever! And the best shots of pastry in the history of film

5) Speaking of pastry--say what you will about a Napoleon, an Opera, or a kiwi/strawberry tart, a classic eclair is (almost) always the way to go

Lame enough for you, Megan? Next time I will be serious, I promise, with profound musings on Orlando's dimple and how Laura should have won PR. :)

Monday Musings

If you need a little funny to brighten up your Monday (as I always do--Starbucks Green Tea Frappucinos help, too) check out the Andy Dick parody of thos Audrey Hepburn Gap ads on YouTube.

And I heard Chanel is putting Black Satin back into production and shipping on Monday (today!). I am so going to the mall after work. :)

RR Saturday

Am over at Risky Regencies today, talking about Casanova and neologisms (and also time wastage and Go Fug Yourself and PR and DTWTS). Back soon to regularly scheduled posts here, once I get this new proposal into editor-ready shape!

Rainy Mondays

So, today is Columbus Day (as I discovered when I tried to go to the post office this morning!). If you don't feel like celebrating, or if, like me, you do NOT have the day off, check out this site.

In the meantime, I'm just slogging through my Monday, looking forward to Dancing With the Stars (could you believe Vivica left last week, while Jerry stayed!!! Admittedly, she was a little too "I'm such a diva" for me, but she was by far the better dancer) and the first part of the Project Runway finale. Onward!

Hello Kitty Friday

Thanks to Bill for today's HK installment--the exploding Hello Kitty toy. That's just wrong.

And don't forget the Huge Pride and Prejudice contest at Risky Regencies! Ending Sunday. :)

Contest

We're having a fabulous contest over at Risky Regencies! We're giving away TWO copies of the A&E 10th anniversary Pride and Prejudice DVD/book set. Too bad I'm not eligible to enter--I think my copy is getting worn out from being watched 10,000 times. :) The contest runs through Sunday.

Hello Kitty Friday

In honor of Banned Books Week (see my post at Risky Regencies tomorrow for more on the topic!) here are some of Hello Kitty's favorite books. Not that any of them have been banned, as far as I know, except maybe by some of the irrational anti-Kittyers in the world. :)

And what did we think of the Project Runway Shocker Wednesday??? All four contestants will go to Fashion Week! I like the twist--I think they'll all do very interesting collections. I actually liked Jeffry's dress this week (for the first time!), despite the judges' usual carping, even though I wouldn't have minded never seeing those tattoos again. But Uli was sure a wench to steal Michael's model from him like that. She'll probably do a complete collection of hippy beach dresses and come in last. Go Michael and Laura!!!

Autumn

So, Saturday was officially the First Day of Autumn. This is my absolute favorite time of year! I love the cooler weather, the colors, the clothes, the better movies in the theaters (theoretically, anyway). I love the feeling of Getting Serious after a lazy summer, personified by the displays of fresh school suplies (I stocked up on various colored pens for editing and the Hello Kitty notebooks I like to do my rough drafts in!). This weekend I indulged two of my favorite Fall pasttimes--Halloween and the state fair. Once a year, I give in to my insane love of fried foods and weird people-watching and make an excursion to the fair, and this year I was not disappointed. I found a booth that featured chocolate fountains (dark, milk, and white!) used for dipping fruits, marshamallows, cream puffs, and (!) cheesecake. I had a skewer of chocolate-dipped strawberries which was absolutely wonderful, and a great compliment to the corndogs and Indian tacos. My jeans didn't fit the next day, but oh well--the fair is only once a year (TG!). For Halloween I began collecting accessories for my planned costume, the nature of which to be revealed in a later post. :)

What's your favorite time of year???

Hello Kitty Friday (and random thoughts)

Sorry I haven't updated this week--have been recovering from the retreat last weekend (Betty has a pretty good account of things on her blog. Scorpions, skunks, etc). No new Project Runway this week, but that's good since I had to recover from the travesty that was the judging last week! Not the winner--I loved Laura's dress, and would definitely wear it (not something I say often about PR designs). But Jeffry's design was MUCH worse that Kayne's. It looked like something a 13-year-old would buy at Charlotte Russe or some such, while Kayne's was lovely from the front. It just suffered from some unfortunate accesorizing in the back. I think he was trying to start a dreamcatcher or something. But then, Kayne was too nice, and it seems they always have to have a designated a**hole in the top three and J. is it this time. Such is life.

Today's Hello Kitty item--The Hello Kitty Tarot. Happy weekend!

Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Tomorrow (the 19th) is that greatest of holidays (after Halloween)--Talk Like a Pirate Day! To help you get in the spirit, here are a few useful links (argh!)

The British site
The Aussie site
The Official site
The Pastafarian site
Links and products
A translator
The I'm a pirate song

Hello Kitty Thursday

I know it's supposed to be HK FRIDAY, but I'm off tomorrow for a weekend writing retreat and won't be back until Sunday. So here is today's pick:

The HK chess set
The HK laptop

And...What's Your Inner Goddess Color?
Mine is Blue! "belongs to the planet of Venus, the giver of love, devotion, and harmony"

Happy weekend!

TV Heaven

I'm not usually much of a TV person--don't have the time or the inclination (aside from the Food Network). And I'm REALLY not a reality TV person. But my two newest obsessions in life are both on this week! All-new edition of Dancing With the Stars starts tonight, woo-hoo! D-listers in sparkly costumes with snarky judges again! I can't wait. And speaking of snarky judges, new episode of Project Runway tomorrow. Now it's down to 5. Let's recap:

Last week, on the Couture Extravaganza on the Seine or French Women Really Are Skinnier, Vincent was Out. Finally, TG. Does anyone else find him to be more than a little scary? I will never know how he lasted longed than Alison. And really--GLUING a gown together??? Jeffery won, drat it, though I guess I can see why. I personally did not like that puke-yellow plaid concoction, but it was probably the most couture-ish of the bunch in its weird over-the-topness. I liked Ulli's gown the best. Yes, it was another floor-length, braided halter neck gown, but the cut and color were beautiful.

What happened with Michael??? That gown was a mess, and totally not like him. Hope he's not cracking up on us, I'm betting on him to win. And Kayne--bless his heart. He tries so very hard, and he's great at the pageant/prom thing (loved his Marilyn in the "fashion icon" challenge), but now he seems to be out of his depth. His dress was NOT as bad as the judges said, though. I liked the laced-up corset top. Laura--okay, she does annoy me greatly, but I do like her clothes so much. They're crisp, professional, and wearable. Loved that lavender coat from the "ransack your apartment" challenge and the tweed suit from the dog show. Also thought her pageant gown was the best (sorry, Kayne). But this black gown--what was this??? Not so much Belle de Jour, but Insane Cockatoo. At least there was no Angela and her fleurettes, or whatever they were.

Can't wait to see what happens tomorrow!

RR Saturday

I'm over at Risky Regencies today, talking about a great new book I've read! Check it out. :)

In memory

I don't usually like to get too "personal" here--for one thing my personal life is WAY boring, and for another a space I set up to brag about my books and obsess on cocktails and Project Runway just doesn't seem the spot for venting about my family's annoyingness or the pitiful state of the dating world these days. :) But yesterday marked the second anniversary of the passing of one of my best friends. I've been thinking about her a lot this week, of course, and wanted to share some of my best memories.

Anne and I met when we were thirteen, and I was in the midst of all the horrors of adolescence. Now, someone who knows you through your teenage years and still wants to be your friend is someone worth hanging onto! We knew each other through high school, college, jobs, boyfriends (mine), weddings (hers), moves, parties, craft projects, and even illness and loss. Anne had a brave and kind heart, and was true to herself and others in a way that we humans seldom are. She was messy, and bossy, and opinionated (not always in ways we could agree on!), and there was never a time she couldn't make me laugh. She loved Star Wars, Italy, red nail polish, Eagles songs, music, and football. She also loved the poetry of Yeats, and this was her favorite:

The Lake Isle of Innisfree
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honeybee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings:
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore:
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavement gray,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.

Misc.

New Project Runway episode coming up, yay!!! I am so excited now that it's getting into the final stretch, especially since Angela FINALLY got offed. Sweet saints, but if I had to look at one more rosette... She should have been sent home after that Parisian art camp hoochie mama getup she made for the dog challenge, but whatever. And Kayne really needs to get hold of himself when it comes to fabric choices. I hope Jeffrey goes home tonight. Fingers crossed.

OK, I know I'm obsessed. I can't help it. :) But I have been doing a few things other than watching the endless repeats of PR. I've had a very good run of terrific reading lately, including the The Brambles by Eliza Minot (practically perfect, until that unnecessary and gimicky plot twist at the end), the very funny and smart The Bronte Project by Jennifer Vandever (just wish it had been longer!), and the weird and amazing The Keep by Jennifer Egan. It's been a while since I've read so many wonderful books in a row. Now I'm reading Nicole Galland's Revenge of the Rose. Have you read anything good lately???

Hello Kitty Friday

Today's HK product--the Hello Kitty bong (I kid you not)

Be sure and check in with me at Risky Regencies--I've been cleaning out my TBR boxes and will be having a fun giveaway :)

Tuesday bloggings

Sorry I missed the Monday post (after I said I'd post Mondays and Wednesdays!), but was having computer problems last night, so finally I gave up and spent the evening watching History Detectives. So, for today, go check out one of my very favorite sites, Go Fug Yourself for Emmy gown coverage far better than any I could provide (Looks I liked--Heidi Klum, and Sandra Oh's dress but not so much the copious necklaces. Looks I hated--Debra Messing--she looked liked a cake. And Ellen Pompeo).

That's it for now. :)

Hello Kitty Friday

Today's Hello Kitty goodies:

The HK tombstone

And Hello Kitty Darth Vader

(I'm not entirely sure what these two things have to do with each other, beyond the fact that they are both very, very strange...)

At RR today

I'm over at Risky Regencies today, talking about perfume again. And here's a bad scan from Vogue of that Black Satin polish, which I still haven't found a bottle of...

Happy Anniversary!

Happy 35th wedding anniversary, Mom and Dad! (Or actually happy belated anniversary, since it was yesterday...)

Hello Kitty Friday

Today's Hello Kitty products are:

The Hello Kitty Vibrator (there's just all kinds fo wrong going on here, but it's strangely fascinating)

And The Hello Kitty Breath Tester (if only Mel Gibson has had one...)

Fashion icons

I finally got around to watching last week's Project Runway episode, the one where they had to design an outfit for whatever their assigned "fashion icon" was (you know, people like Audrey, Jackie--and Farrah??? How did she get in there???) This is the only reality show I watch, and it's cheesily addictive. I liked the Audrey dress, and the pink ruffly hot-pants thing that won, but would Jackie really have worn a rope for a belt?

Anyway, it made me start thinking--who are the great fashion icons today? Audrey is probably mine--I have a closet full of capri pants, black turtlenecks, ballet flats, and full-skirted cocktail dresses. But is there anyone more modern for us middle-of-the-roaders (and not-eighteen-anymorers) to emulate? Siena Miller is in all the magazines, but she always looks like a mess to me (who dresses like a disco ball at the Costume Institute gala? It's sad when Posh Spice outdresses you...) Ditto Chloe Sevigny and Kate Moss. Maybe I've just been reading too many fashion mags this summer.

Speaking of reading fashion mags, I must have a bottle of that Chanel Black Satin nail polish as soon as I can find one. And one of those Russian-looking coats with the big fake fur collars. And a winter-white purse with lots of pockets. I'm going to skip leggings and skinny jeans, though. And ankle boots. One '80s was enough for my whole life. :)

Cara's Wedding Dress (Not Hello Kitty)

Here is the pic Cara sent me of her wedding day! I think it looks like a beautiful wedding, and a great dress. :)

Perfume and Memory

"If only there could be an invention that bottled a memory like scent, and it never faded and it never got stale. And then, whenever one wanted it, the bottle could be uncorked, and it would be like living the memory all over again" --Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier

Today, I got a package of perfume samples from CB I Hate Perfume. I already have a scent by them, a white ginger that makes me think of Hawaii every time I smell it. Heavenly. These new scents are Tea/Rose Absolute and Russian Caravan Tea. I'll let you now how they work out, but so far they seem promising.

It's hard for me to find a perfume that works. So many that I love in the bottle turn somehow putrid on my skin. I can't wear anything too heavy or musky or Oriental-y. My favorite is Evelyn, a rose scent from Crabtree & Evelyn. Rose is tricky--so often it tips over into musty and old lady-ish. But Evelyn makes me think of summer. Fantasy summer, not the seventh circle of hell we're currently living in. Plus it still smells like rose on my skin. I also like a lavender scent my aunt sent me from a lavender farm in Provence, and the Healing Garden's Green Tea bath gel. And there's a violet body powder they sell in the gift shops in Colonial Williamsburg I also like.

Like in the quote above, scent really does unlock the most poignant memories in a way no other sense can. My father's mother always wore Oscar by Oscar de la Renta--too much of it usually, because when she would hug me the sticky-sweet smell would stay in my hair for hours! But she also always used Baby Magic lotion on my arms and shoulders when I'd been out in the sun too long, and sometimes I open a bottle of that at Target just to feel like a kid who played outside all day in my Nana's backyard again. My mother's mother wears Beautiful by Estee Lauder. My aunt, who used to have all the great vintage gowns until she mysteriously got rid of most of them, used to wear Givenchy's L'Interdit, and I used to put it on when I played dress-up at her house. She said it was made for Audrey Hepburn, so I always felt very glamorous when I smelled it! My own mother isn't much for perfume, but she used to sometimes wear Youth Dew body powder when she dressed up, so I bought a little bottle of the new "redone" Youth Dew just to remember those times. My friend Kay uses a vanilla-sugar lotion from Bath and Body Works that smells totally yummy, so whenver I go into a bakery I think of her. :)

What is your favorite perfume, or favorite scent memory? How did you find it?

Hello Kitty Friday

And today's Hello Kitty tidbit is--the HK Wedding Dress!

I've been trying to figure out who exactly might wear this dress. I might have, if I got married when I was, oh, say, six years old. That was the year I was totally enamored with Princess Diana's gown, and drove my mom crazy tying her freshly laundered bedsheets around my waist to be my long train. I also insisted on wearing my ballet recital tiara to school.

Maybe it would be for a bride getting married at Harmonyland, the HK amusement park. Hmmm.

Funniest Movies

Last night, I was talking to my friend Rinda about favorite funny movies of all time. I always hesitate to tell people "You must see this movie! It's hilarious!" because humor, more than almost anything else in life, is so subjective. Something I think is fall-down -laugh-aloud you might think is the dumbest thing you've ever seen. This isn't helped by the fact that maybe I have an odd sense of humor. I'm not much for slapstick usually, or potty humor (though, honestly, who doesn't think that scene from Blazing Saddles is funny???). I've discovered that what I really love is something that seems very silly and goofy, but has something smart and even biting underneath. Or something just plain silly. So, here are some of my favorites:

This is Spinal Tap (just like I always cry at the end of Breakfast at Tiffanys, even though I've seen that movie 50,305 times--hey, it's raining, and "Moon River" is playing, and Audrey Hepburn can't find the cat!--so I always laugh at the "Stonehenge" scene in this movie)

In the same "mockumentary" vein, Waiting for Guffman and Best In Show ("We both love soup...")

Office Space (hasn't everyone had a boss like that? "Ummm--yeaaahh..." And Jennifer Aniston flipping off the entire TGIFridays)

The Christmas Story (IMO, the primo Christmas movie. My family and I watch it every year, and can quote the whole movie. I even bought my dad a miniature version of the lamp last year. It's REALLY ugly)

O brother, where art thou? (--"I am the only daddy you got! I'm the damn paterfamilas" --"But you ain't bona fide!" I've often wished I could just say to that to a bad date and have that be the end of it.)

Zoolander (at least the first half hour or so, and then the "walk off". The spectacle of Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson as male models is priceless, until the movie devolves into that assasination plot that is too silly even for me)

And I have an enormous love for '30s screwball comedies. I've often wished life could be like that all the time, fabulous clothes, great repartee, "hilarious consequences," and Cary Grant. Some favorites--Bringing Up Baby, The Awful Truth ("I wouldn't go on living with you if you were dipped in platinum!"), My Man Godfrey, Ninotchka

And my very favorite funny movie EVER is Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It's the epitome of the "silly but smart" idea (warning--these quotes are from memory, geek that I am, and may not be totally accurate):

King Arthur--"The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shining samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. That is why I am your king.
Dennis the peasant--"Listen, strange women lyin' in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony...you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you"

Or the classic French soldiers! "You don't frighten us, English pig dogs! Go and boil your bottoms, you sons of a silly person. I blow my nose at you, so-called Arthur king, you and all your silly English k-nig-hts. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.
Sir Galahad--"Is there someone else up there we can talk to?"
Frenchman--"No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time."

I could go on all day, but I won't. Aren't you glad? :) What are some of your own favorite funny movies? I need to add to my list...

Prom Night

I'm reading a very amusing book by Adena Halpern, Target Underwear and a Vera Wang Gown. It's basically a chronicle of some of the most important clothes she's known in her life. Not exactly Tolstoy, but entertaining. :) One of the funniest chapters concerns her prom dress. She desperately wanted a strapless black dress with a tulle skirt, which somehow could not be found anywhere (and this was the '80s!) She even turned down an adorable blue and white polka dot Victor Costa her mother bought because she "Had a Dream." In the end, she made her own dress, which proved to be, er, less than a good idea.

It all made me start thinking about Clothes I Have Known in my own life, including my prom dresses. Junior year I had a knee-length pale pink satin dress with puffy pink sleeves (a size 4--why, oh why, did I not fully appreciate it when I had it???). Senior year, I had a harder time finding something I liked. Finally, I came across this black taffeta and velvet ballgown, though I can't remember where it was. The salesgirl told me she had seen it on a character on "Days of Our Lives." Wow--a soap opera prom dress! I sort of wish it still fit. Might be nice at a conference. I also had very narrow-toed, pinchy black satin shoes and a '40s style hairdo with red roses.

The other pic is my parents--junior prom 1967. I love my mom's Jane Austen-style dress and bouffant hair.

What was your prom dress like? And, if you were going to the prom now, what sort of gown would you choose?

Hello Kitty Friday

Which Hello Kitty Are You?

I'm the Hello Kitty Star Fairy!

Atlanta 2

And a couple more pics from the conference! This dress is the one I wore at the NAL party Friday night--it looks here as if my shoes are about two sizes too big for my fet, but I swear they seemed to fit at the time.

Atlanta 1

Here is one pic from the RWA conference, taken at the Beau Monde soiree on Wednesday night. I'm with Deb Bess (a Royal Ascot finalist!), and my sister Risky Regenciers Megan Frampton and Diane Perkins. I even attempted a Regency dance that evening, one called the "Physical Snob" (just love that name!), and didn't knock anyone down, though it was a close thing once or twice.

Back from Atlanta!

I'm now back from RWA! It was wonderful--got to catch up with friends, meet with editors, win the Booksellers Best Award, drink champagne, and all in 4 days. :) Plus my friend Diane Perkins/Gaston won the RITA, just to top things off!

Am still digging out from under emails and laundry, but hopefully tomorrow I will have a longer post and some pics. I also decided one good thing re: this blog, after listening to various advice--since I'm a slacker about updating here, I need to get organized. So Monday and Wednesday will be my "new post" days from now on, with Friday being a "Hello Kitty and Other Goofy Things" day (plus I'm always over at Risky Regencies on Saturday). I'm going to do my best to stick to this new schedule. :)