Movie Pick: The Graduate

I've heard of The Graduate, but have never seen it until recently... and loved it. Anne Bancroft was wonderful as Mrs. Robinson (what came first, the song or the movie? anyone?) and I can't imagine anyone else playing Dustin Hoffman's character. The 60s vibe was cool and I even got into the Simon and Garfunkel music. I loved all the raw emotions, from Ben being scared and insecure with Mrs. Robinson, to being rude with Elaine and then being psycho at his parents when he goes to marry her (and she doesn't even like him yet). And the last and greatest of these raw emotions was the end (SPOILER ALERT, duh don't even look at the pictures..) when they run away together mere seconds after Elaine gets married and they have to physically fight off everyone in the church!! Whoa! A crazy but happy ending.

"I love you!"

Fighting for love and winning!

*All images screenshots via The Graduate DVD.

Movie Pick: Sabrina

The only real Sabrina movie (sorry, Harrison Ford) is a classic as far as I'm concerned. It was the first movie that Audrey Hepburn wore Givenchy clothes in (as you may know, Hubert de Givenchy thought he would be designing for Katharine Hepburn because he had never heard of Audrey before). Hepburn got to choose her wardrobe for Sabrina, and Givenchy became her go-to designer for the rest of her career.

Many people said that Humphrey Bogart, who replaced Cary Grant at the last minute, was a poor choice for playing Linus, but I think he was perfect. And after reading the movie's trivia on imdb.com, I was shocked to see that he hated Audrey and thought she couldn't act, saying about her "it's OK, if you don't mind to make 20 takes"... oohh...burn!

Other off-screen antics included Audrey and William Holden (David) falling in and out of love in real life.

Splurge vs. Steal

Everyone loves a bargain, so when you find an inexpensive version of a designer piece, you always feel like you've found some buried treasure. I was looking at Steve Madden today and found a few of their items that match some other designer ones out there.

(and an Urban Outfitters one too... whoa, an exact match!)

Movie Pick: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

an old southern plantaion

-"Maggie, get my crutches."

-"Lean on me!"

a birthday party for big daddy

*All images from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof DVD

Movie Pick: Bell, Book and Candle

She put a spell on him to love her... what could go wrong?

local witches' haunt- the Zodiac Club

casting a spell

"I think I'm allergic to your cat!"

undoing the spell

*All images via the Bell, Book and Candle DVD.

Luxurious Lingere

Spring cleaning not only means cleaning and organizing your home, but also refers to your wardrobe. Get rid of those granny panties and worn out unmentionables. Don't save your good lingere for a special day... use nice things all the time! It's also time to add to your collection and these pieces are a great thing to keep in mind: 

3.1 PHILLIP LIM Cheeky Silk-blend Bralette & Briefs $95 each

3.1 PHILLIP LIM Mesh-trimmed Silk-blend Bralette & Briefs $75 each

STELLA MCCARTNEY Lauren Whistling Bra $210, Briefs $90 

4 nights of cooking

I love food, but not so much cooking food. So in an attempt to hone a new skill and be more well-rounded (pun intended, I'm a dork), I'm teaching myself to cook with the help of various books and blogs. I did four meals/dishes in 4 nights and these were my results.

..........................  Night 1  ..........................

melting butter

carmelizing shallots (recipe)

chicken au champagne ( from French Women Don't Get Fat)

carmelized shallots, chicken au champagne, green beans and roasted veggies

butter cookies, chocolate mousse and strawberries

.......................... Night 2 ..........................

salmon and champagne with a mixture of red quinoa, swiss chard, golden raisins

(recipe via Cake Batter & Bowl)

chocolate chip cookies

.......................... Night 3 ..........................

acorn squash stuffed with quinoa, leeks, turkey sausage, goat cheese, dried cranberries

(recipe via Cake Batter & Bowl)

.......................... Night 4 ..........................

roasted peppers and goat cheese on a baguette

Not bad considering I'm more of a baker than a cook. Some were kinda funky tasting, but I blame that on the strange ingredients...

Barn Homes

While perusing the new Elle Decor magazine, I was immediately drawn to the article about Ralph Lauren executive, Michel Botbol and his weekend home on Long Island. He converted an old barn into a luxurious, rustic retreat. So jealous!! My aunt has an old barn on her property and ever since I was little, I've dreamed of what it would be like to renovate an old barn and use it as kind of an adult's playhouse (aka weekend/vacation home).

This is the house in the Elle Decor article (May 2010):

Here are some other barn homes from East Coast Barn Builders that I found through Google:

Charming Ladies

This month's Harper's Bazaar featured the girls of Jersey Shore getting schooled in the art of manners and charm by Tinsley Mortimer and Lizzie Post (great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post). I know, I know... enough already with my fascination of all things New Jersey, but I had to even out the last post about the guys with a post about the girls. (It's the libra in me.)

Movie Pick: The Seven Year Itch

It's getting closer to summer time and you know what that means on the island of Manhattan... the wives and children go away to the country for the summer and the men stick it out to work in the hot city...

The family isn't even out of the train station yet...

"My secretary wants me..."

Yummy vegetarian food.

A new neighbor

Stairs that lead to nowhere

Luxurious air conditioning

Champagne and potato chips

A model for Dazzledent Toothpaste

"Let's go see an air conditioned movie."

The famous floating skirt scene

*All images screenshots from The Seven Year Itch DVD