New Year's Eve Resolution 2012:

Don't question good things that happen to me.

Just enjoy!

Life is a series of fleeting moments. 

Enjoy each as if it were your last.

Time to release the demons. Exorcise them from my memory. Remove any last trace of them from my heart. Silence them until they are faint whispers locked up tight in a box.

Now I claim victory....

 I did indeed win!

Watching Henry & June, the first time in years. Made in 1990 it is more about Henry Miller and Anais Nin than it is about Henry and his wife June. Fred Ward's depiction of Henry Miller is spot on. The way he speaks and his appearance are so frighteningly Miller. 

I suddenly have the desire to skip back in time to Paris in the 1930's.

Keeping positive!!!!

Oh so true, Henry...

"Once you have given up the ghost, everything follows with dead certainty, even in the midst of chaos."

~Henry Miller

Avoid people who are going to dull your shine.

My next tattoo

"Harmony, serenity, bliss

do not come from struggle

but from surrender."

~ Henry Miller

Peace

"Peace starts with you. Inner peace, peace in your mind, heart and soul can only be achieved and maintained by you."

Henry Miller "Stand Still Like the Hummingbird".

"When you are convinced that all the exits are blocked, either you take to believing in miracles or you stand still like the hummingbird. The miracle is that the honey is always there right under your nose, only you were too busy searching elsewhere to realize it."

Curious

If madness is genius does that make sanity stupidity?

Hard lesson

You can't save someone who doesn't want the save themselves.

Happiness from within.

Beauty cannot bring true happiness, nor can money, a new lover or material things. True happiness is achieved when you are comfortable with your mind, heart and soul.

There comes a time when we must let go of expectations and welcome the unexpected surprises fate has in store for us.

Gardenias

My favorite flower (actually tied with lavender) because of it's elegant beauty and intoxicating fragrance. 

Frame of mind

Lose a lover, regain your sanity!

10 years later

I can't let today go by without briefly commenting on this sad anniversary. All Americans are united by the pain of September 11th 2001. Tragedy, loss, pain and devastation. Today I think of those who died so horribly, loved ones left behind, the soldiers in harms way and our country. 

God Bless America!

Roses, beautiful roses....

It has been a while since I wrote about a perfume, this one seems worthy of a post. 

Rose the One by D&G is not your average "rose" fragrance. It is soft and powdery. Inviting and delicately feminine. Not what I am used to as far a rose scent which I usually find to be very overwhelming and grandmotherly.  This scent is youthful and romantic. Definitely one to save for when you are in love, or want to feel like you are.

Introspection

Some days it seems like I just can't get out of my own way.

Musing on Romance.



Romance is like lipstick. The right one can enhance your beauty. The wrong one can make you look ridiculous.

Really good advice from Ben!

"Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen.
 Keep in the sunlight."

-Benjamin Franklin

Musings

Tired of resting my heart on a bed of nails instead of a bed of roses.

Anticipation and waiting....

"Anything worth having is worth waiting for."

Summertime!!!

Summer seems to be sneaking up early this year. The air is warm and the sun is out. Time to move a little slower and take in all the beauty of this season. 

And I dream...

 Lose yourself in your dreams, fantasies and imagination. 

Happiness!

“Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on

 someone without getting a few drops on yourself.” 

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

On a Night Like This. Kylie Minogue concert May 3, 2011

The day finally came to see Kylie Minogue's Aphrodite concert and I must say it was worth the wait. My friends Philip, John and Frank accompanied me to the show at the Hammerstein Ballroom in N.Y.C. which is a nice intimate setting. The show was more SPECTACULAR  than concert. Aerialists, insane backdrops, a great band and talented dancers were all part of the show. Ancient Greece was a big theme. Kylie is an outstanding performer and she gives all her heart and soul on the stage. She looks beautiful and sings like an angel. To top off the concert experience none other than Miss Joan Collins was in the audience with us! All in all I would say it was a magical evening that I won't ever forget.

Beautiful.

My favorite silver screen idol.

Iconic, ground breaking and passionate. Rudolph Valentino changed the silver screen heart-throb from the All-American cowboy to the dark, dangerous, Latin Lover. The man you are shamelessly attracted to because of his confidence and masculine 

sex-appeal. 

Would you dare say "No" and would you want to?

"Women are not in love with me but with the picture of me on the screen. I am merely the canvas on which women paint their dreams. "
-Rudolph Valentino - 

Certainly not dumb

"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure don't deserve me at my best."

~Marilyn Monroe

Observation

Just like beauty comes from within, 

so does ugly.

Let go!

Sometimes in life you just have to let go of the handlebars.

Playing around with makeup!

My new favorite lippie! At least for spring and summer 2011 is MAC's Pink Lemonade. The color is a beautiful corally-pink which leans more pink. I wanted to see how it photographs and I really am blown away by how lovely it looks. I am wearing a multitude of various products on my eyes. Stila eyeshadow from one of the E! Live from the red carpet palettes. I am rocking Deborah Lippmann's extremely fabulous nail polish in Waking Up In Vegas.

Champagne.

"There comes a time in every woman's life when the only thing that helps is a glass of champagne."

~Bette Davis

BVLGARI, Jasmin Noir

 I refer to myself as a perfume snob because I am so picky about what I choose to put on my skin. Jasmin Noir is a keeper. It is described as a woody oriental but the Gardenia petals and Jasmine really add enough floral to it for it to be appreciated by those who don't normally like woody or oriental scents.

 I would describe it as sexy, hypnotic and mysterious.

A lovely evening fragrance.

Elizabeth

Yesterday the world lost an amazing woman. At the age of 79 Ms. Taylor passed away. In my opinion Elizabeth is a woman to be admired. While others may  criticize her life choices, I don't. This is a woman I aspire to be like. She led her life HER way. Living passionately and following her heart without apology, she always seemed to hold her head high. What is life if you don't have amazing experiences and stories to tell? At the end of all this we are the sum total of the adventures we have. Love, loss, compassion, desire, humor, glamour and advocacy are just a few words that come to mind when thinking of  the great Elizabeth Taylor.

Now she is a true legend.

Beauty and magic!

They say these kind of magazines are bad for your self-esteem, perhaps for some not me. I enjoy reading about products and hair styles that may be magical. Something as simple as a new lipstick may have the power to transform my appearance or at the very least make me feel pretty for a little while. It IS magic ladies and gentlemen. 

Smoke and mirrors. An illusion.

Other books I am reading....

Naturally Thin by Bethenny Frankel and 

Boobs, Boys and High Heels by Dianne Brill. 

Bethenny keeps me motivated to stay on track with my diet and Dianne keeps me motivated to strive for sexy.  

Unfortunately, Ms. Brill's book is out of print. I was lucky enough to find a copy on Amazon.com. I read somewhere she is writing another book. 

I wait patiently for the day it comes out.

 I just love her!

Marcel is still here.

In case there was any doubt, I still have him.  

Most days he intimidates me. 

Other days I just don't have it in me to deal with him. 

You would think he was alive and well.  

 Okay, in his case at least alive!

Memory.

"We cling to memory in order to preserve an identity which, if we realized it, can never be lost. When we discover this truth, which is the act of remembrance, we forget everything else".

~Henry Miller

My latest obsession...

The kitten. Wide-eyed, innocent sex-appeal is what Ann-Margret possessed. She embodied fun, flirtatious, femininity. Nothing threatening. Everything inviting.

Random thoughts on aging.

Being old is one thing. Looking old is unnecesary.

I read this somewhere and it hit me like a ton of bricks.

"Choose friends, lovers, and associates consciously.
Actively seek out the company of people who inspire
and challenge, and willingly shed those who hold you back."

Playing dress up!

"Play!!! Have fun!!!!! Be you."

Props. Part of my arsenal!

"Every woman needs props. I myself have many."

Words from Anais.

"Only the united beat of sex and heart can create ecstasy."

Random thoughts on being yourself.

"Never apologize for who you are. When you start doing that you lose sight of what makes you special."

Dr. Erno Laszlo and tips for good skin. Flirt!

"Flirt - discreetly, but flirt. Flirting is a marvelous beauty treatment for a woman. It stimulates the mysterious glands that make the essential harmony between her outlook on life and her appearance. Flirting makes her heart beat faster, stimulating her blood stream and thereby clearing her skin of blemishes, brightening her eyes and adding a gloss to her hair."

Like a butterfly!

 It feels so good!

Indulge me for a moment..

I am wishing it was a midsummer's night and I am sitting under a canopy of stars enjoying a pleasant breeze with the scent of  honeysuckle in the air.

Random thoughts on ghosts.

Ghosts. Not necessarily the type who have passed on to the hereafter but those who are still among the living. They, or rather their memory can creep up on us when we least expect it. A photo, a song, a movie, perhaps a smell can drag up picture images of the past. They make us laugh. They make us cry. They can fill us with regret or longing for a past far out of reach. If we are lucky we can learn from them.  Remember happiness, joy, and love but be mindful of sorrow and pain. Most important, take the lessons ghosts have to teach us and use them in the future.

Passion

Life without passion is not life, it is mere existence.

Be passionate about something. FEEL........

Love

"Illusion: something that deceives by producing a false or misleading impression of reality."

As defined in the dictionary.

Such is love!

Kylie

I am so excited to see her Aphrodite Live show in May! I have been a fan of her for years. Her music is upbeat and fun to dance to. It is my "happy place" music. Kylie is also someone I imagine I would like. She is a breast cancer survivor and always tries to put across a positive impression. I read a recent interview with her and she said something I can so relate to.

 "Smiling confuses people ~ which is why I do it so much. I also think it works wonders. When you are having a bad day or bad things happen to you, I think its's true that you should keep smiling. It cheers you up. If in doubt, smile."

More random thoughts.

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder but glamour is in the one who possesses it.

Glamour, glamour, glamour....

"One of my most favorite movies of all time is Gilda starring the beautiful Rita Hayworth and the amazing Glenn Ford. This movie is Film Noir at it's finest.  The story is captivating mainly because of the love/hate tension between the main characters, Gilda and Johnny. The writing is genius. Some of the best lines in cinema history can be found in this movie. A personal favorite is "Boys have the darndest way of growing up, almost when you're not looking."  

Every time I watch I am spellbound by the use of light and shadows, so dramatic and sharp. The costumes are incredible, the songs memorable, but it is really the chemistry between Rita and Glenn that make this a favorite of mine. LOVE IT!!!!!!!!

From the master himself...

"Happiness is the secret to all beauty. There is no beauty without happiness"

~ Christian Dior

My thoughts exactly!

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous"

- Coco Chanel