Striking faces! This is amazing!

______

I've been a movie buff since I was very, very little...

Just stumbled on this:

All my dearest guys are there!!! And MORE! Just loved this and cannot get enough of this...
Where can you see William Holden morph into Marlon Brando? And Brad Pitt into a gorge Russell Crowe?

Well, I do have some faves on the girl side too (although they don't compare in hotness with these guys above ;-)

Just awesome!!!

I ♥♥♥♥ Dolce & Gabbana...

For soooo many reasons...
First they are Italians (LOL, just joking). No, what I really love is their taste, their tailoring and their nod to the past.
My favorite collection EVER was the "Napoleon & Josephine" inspired collection for Fall 2006.

Wish I could dress like that every day!

Take a peek:

Swooning... I LOVE the Napoleonic times and that Empire way of dressing... Finally someone translated that to the present... (OK, this was in 2006, but still!).

and the ADS, OMG!

Wow, just wow

Gary Cooper, what else can I say?

Chris Rea

I am a big fan of Chris Rea. Love his raspy voice, brilliant songs. "Josephine" has to be one of my favorite songs EVER.

Heard that he composed that one for one of his daughters. The other one "Julia", also has a song named after her, but seriously, does NOT compare to "Josephine". If I was Julia, I would be pretty pissed...
So many others are such classics... On the Beach (I close my eyes and feel like I am in one), Fool if you think it's over...

But anyway, just wanted to express my love for all things Chris Rea.

Cheers!

Favorite things : this photo of Countess Uta

Oh my God! Just saw this picture on another blog today and had an epiphany!
I simply LOVE this statue of Countess Uta (1245-1250 AD) statue in Naumburg Cathedral, Germany.

My grandfather gave me a collection of art history books when I was very little and this was definitively a favorite.  Look at her! So pretty, so vulnerable, and look at her crown! Just a beauty.Good memories come from just seeing this!  Look at the detail below: 

Must be her husband... Ekkerhard

My favorites: Tom Jobim

 

 LOVE his music. 

I am really grateful that I was able to see him in a marvelous show in Sao Paulo. 

Not only he was brilliant, but also a good looking guy, don't you think ;-)

I literally swoon with these two. Frank, I will make a post just for you, ok? Thank you youtube! Watched this clip like a million times!!!

AMAZING!!! 

 

Missing Mad Man

Good God.

I am still suffering from a Mad Men withdrawal. The third season of this awesome series had its finale last November, and I still miss that hour that made my Sunday night a little bit more palatable (weekends fly so fast in my opinion...).

The thing is, this series is not only my favorite because it is a period piece (one of my favorite movie/TV genres) and has great fashion, decor, etc, but also the story and the actors are fabulous. I would not change a single thing. Hmmm maybe I would change just one thing: have MORE episodes - make the seasons longer... Another important fact is that way back when I went to college for advertising and marketing. My plan was o work in an advertising agency, but... that never really happened.

I have to admit that I've jumped into this bandwagon relatively late. I've missed season 1 and 2.
One of the reasons was that it was on AMC... I really don't watch much of it. Then, I've heard so many good things about it... Too late to catch up on season 3? Not really if you have 2 things: Netflix and DVR.

Is that simple. One of my pet peeves is to watch a movie or series or pretty much anything that has already started and I don't have a clue of what is happening.

So, I've managed to watch the whole first two seasons on Netflix - addictive in a manner that I literally watched like hours without being able to stop. And then clogging my DVR with the new season and catching up as fast as I could. And having the ability to dodge any sort of watercooler comments at work and reviews online. Jeez, it is so difficult not to run into spoilers everywhere.

The casting:

Jon Hamm is insane amazing. I have a love/hate relationship with his character. He represents everything I would despise on a husband or any man in fact. But that is part of the attraction.
Also the fact that he incorporates a great Cary Grant vibe doesn't hurt.













I totally supported Betty leaving Don. I would do the same TODAY, but she had guts, because leaving your husband, with 3 kids in the sixties, that was hard!
We take everything for granted (I mean women) today, not really realizing that women had basically no rights until like the 1970's!!!

And what about Joan? LOVE her.

What a bombshell. I wish this look came back now - the curves I mean. I would just wish the emaciated eastern European model look would just go away.

Well, I could go on and on about each character... but will stop for now...

Just counting the days when season 4 starts! Tried to find the new season's start date, but wasn't very lucky... Le sigh///

Costume Parisien - Journal des Dames et des Modes

 

A few of my favorite things in life are antiques and fashion. I've loved both of them since a very young age. Merging those passions together, I became a fan and amateur collector of antique fashion plates. 

It was very difficult to find those when I was living in Brazil and before the advent of the internet... Nowadays, you can literally find ANYTHING, anytime. One website I go a lot is of course: Ebay! 

I am happy to say that I own some pages of this awesome prototype of a fashion magazine: Costume Parisien - Journal des Dames et des Modes. 

 The best story is when I bought my first pair (no, not on Ebay), but by the banks of the Seine in Paris. Such a special feeling. They (a couple from the 1810's) are framed in my bedroom. So awesome. 

After those, I ended up buying some more from Ebay. Just love touching a paper that is almost 200 years old and hand-painted. Special for me for sure. Here's some info about the magazine...

About the Journal des Dames et des Modes ...

Le Journal des dames et des modes , aka Journal des dames, Costumes parisiens, Journal des modes Journal de la Mésangère or Gazette des salons is an illustrated French Fashion magazine published between 1797 and 1836, showing the changing fashions of the late French Revolution, the Consulate, the Empire and the early Bourbon restoration.This journal was published in Paris, so during the revolution it was dated by the new system during those years.

The Beatles!

My favorite band EVER!

Their music never ages. Became a fan very early in life - my dad is a huge fan too.

I am very proud to say that I went to TWO Paul McCartney shows! One in Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the other in Madison Square Garden.

Awesome!!!

 

  

 

My favorite cookie!

When you are an expatriate creature, like myself, and visits your country of origin every year, you will most likely come back laden with many goodies in your luggage. My philosophy is simple: nothing can replace the awesomeness of products that you were raised with and absolutely love.
Brazilian Nestle Bono is such a product - and I am talking about the chocolate one (the other flavors really don't attract me.
The taste, the packaging and THE NAME! It was named Bono before U2 even existed! Short and catchy or what?
Need to go to Brazil soon to get me some of those.
Funny fact = I love eating those in the MORNING, to my husband's consternation and amused looks. Pure Bliss.

My Favorite Things - first post of many

 I will start posting my favorite things now. Just wanted to start with... "My Favorite Things" from "The Sound of Music". Major pun intended!

I went to see this movie in Brazil with my dear late grandfather, who had a Buddha-worthy patience with kids - especially me!

Been a fan ever since. Saw this movie like a million times and still think that they don't make movies like this anymore!

Managed to snag the original vinyl way back when from above said grandpa. Good memories!

 

Oh, and did I say that my first MAJOR movie star crush was Christopher Plummer?

Still love him. Such a good actor.

Hope he wins an Oscar this year - will be rooting for him! 

(Plummer is nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Award for his performance in THE LAST STATION).