We're It!

It was bound to happen again, sooner or later; we've been sprinkled with fairy dust by that paragon of WASP breeding and taste, Reggie Darling! We must say, it's quite an honor to be considered for the Stylish Blogger Award by the redoubtable Reggie Darling. Also, we must admit to having a moment of complete and utter stupidity when, a few weeks ago, Frl. Irene Palfy of All That Glitters is Not Old commented on one of our posts that she had "nominated" us for this same award. At the time, we thought, How nice just to be nominated! We wonder when the winner will be announced! We didn't realize that we had been one of her chosen winners, and we deeply apologize for inadvertently not accepting our award the first time around. We hope that some gracious person accepted on our behalf!


Of course, as with all of these memes, a bit of work is involved for the recipient. Here are the rules:

1. Thank and link back to the person(s) who awarded you.

2. Share seven things about yourself.

3. Award ten other bloggers.

4. Contact those bloggers and tell them about the award.

We've taken care of #1; now on to that loathesome second rule! In no order of importance, here are seven facts about us. Gather 'round, darlings:

• The only food we absolutely refuse to eat is brains. (And, by food, we mean food that one could reasonably find on a New York City menu -- not tarantulas or yak penis or insects.) We're in love with escargot; we adore tripe; we're sweet on sweetbreads; kidneys are keen; liver in all of its preparations is lovely -- but we draw the line at brains.
• We don't perspire discreetly; we sweat. We are therefore forever indebted to Certain Dri® Anti-Perspirant and Brooks Brothers' cotton handkerchiefs, available by the baker's dozen.
• We've been mugged twice: the combined booty for the culprits tallies up to a Louis Vuitton clutch; a Cartier pen; two Cartier watches; a Cartier cigarette lighter; an alligator cigarette case; alligator gloves; cash.
• We travel much lighter these days.
• We once had a fabulous collection of vintage glass cocktail shakers from the 1930's, which was smashed to smithereens in a move.
• We harbor a secret desire to sing.
• We had no idea, until recently, that a person's chin could be used erotically.
  

Now, we have a (more or less) annual tradition of highlighting some of our favorite blogs and bloggers. Since we have shone the spotlight on nearly all of our favorites at one point or another, any list of 10 other Stylish Blogs would be repetitive. Therefore, we are cheating a bit and only nominating one site, which has only been up and running for a few months: MattAdore, a Tumblr by our very good friend, the fabulous MC! We're not entirely familiar with the Tumblr format, so we're not even sure if MC will be able to "accept" his award in this traditional fashion; but, regardless, we want to draw your attention to his amazing site. Far from being a random collection, MattAdore is a sly, witty, ever-evolving collage of carefully chosen images which all have a connecting theme: sometimes subtle, sometimes wicked, always clever. We absolutely love it, and adore MC!

Our other favorite MattAdore.

We're thrilled to have SSUWAT recognized in such a way, and we hope that we continue to amuse and entertain you, in a stylish manner! As always, thank you for continuing to visit us; and Reggie Darling, thank you for the honor.

A Life in Pictures

"Share three classic movie moments that have, in some shape or form, made you buy things, do things, think things that perhaps you shouldn't have."

That's the challenge set before us by FelixInHollywood. As a rule, we're not particularly fond of memes, but this one intrigued us. Whether we should have bought, done, or thought these things is debatable, but here we go:

• The last item we bought after viewing a movie was a pair of deep, golden yellow Sermoneta kid gloves piped in a light, doe brown and lined in cashmere. We were so inspired by Anton Walbrook in The Red Shoes (1948), who wears the most impeccable suits, stylish eyewear, and gorgeous gloves of any man in any film we've ever seen. There's a throwaway moment where Walbrook is at a train station, wearing a simple, flawlessly-cut black suit, with his yellow kid gloves peeking out of his suit pocket. We were enthralled.
  
  
  
• Oh, how many times have we done one of these scenes - often with our sparring partner completely unaware of the fact that we were actually channeling Helen Lawson, Margo Channing, or Faye-as-Joan?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• When we first came to New York, we thought that life would be like How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) - we'd have a soundstage-sized apartment, scads of beautiful clothes, and handsome millionaires (or at least Rory Calhoun) throwing themselves at our feet.
  
  

It's funny, though, how many things (both specific and abstract) have been influenced by films that we love: the way we think, how we conduct ourselves, our view of life in general. We particularly identify with miraculous transformation stories: Bette Davis blossoming from spinsterish "Aunt Charlotte" to confident "Miss Charlotte Vale" in Now, Voyager (1942) is a touchstone in our lives.


Having undergone our own metamorphosis from drab to divoon, we were convinced that Charlotte Vale's triumphant tale was really our own. Everything seemed to mirror our own real life situation. Ugly eyeglasses, unruly brows, and ungainly appearance? Check, check, and check.


Bonita Granville, as Charlotte's bitchily bullying niece, could have been any number of classmates who made going to school an endurance test. "We always ragged Aunt Charlotte...it was only a game!"


And if our own mother wasn't quite the monstrous gorgon so brilliantly essayed by Gladys Cooper, she had the same steely, domineering edge as Mrs. Vale, and we shared the same complex, maddening relationship as Charlotte and her mother ("My mother, my mother, my mother!")


Some other films we've strongly identified with over the years:

In Possessed (1931), Joan Crawford plays Marian, a factory worker who climbs her way up the social ladder by climbing on top of Clark Gable. In one of the film's earliest, best, and best-known scenes, a passenger train filled with beautiful, elegantly-gowned and -tuxedoed swells passes through town, bound for glamorous New York City, while Marian watches, literally from the wrong side of the tracks.


Twenty years later, Crawford was playing nearly the same role, only with even more guts and less sentiment, in The Damned Don't Cry (1950). As smalltown drudge Ethel Whitehead-turned-faux society dame Lorna Hansen Forbes, Crawford knows what she wants and how she's going to get it - and she's none too fussy about the body count.


As we delved deeper into affaires de coeur, we suddenly began imagining our day-to-day routine as produced by Ross Hunter, wardrobed by Jean Louis, with jewels by David Webb, furs by Alexandre, and a swoony title song. We lived out the drama and romance of Back Street (1961) on more than several occasions, although we have never had a showdown with a Vera Miles-esque scorned wife - for better or worse, depending on how you look at it.


Finally, one of the defining, seminal moments in our warped childhood was the first time that we saw Mahogany, the 1975 feature film which elevated Diana Ross to the status of uber-gay icon, while simultaneously nearly ruining her mainstream film career (The Wiz put the final nail in the coffin).


We positively gasped, gaped and gawked at the insane fashion show that Miss Ross put on for 90 glamorous minutes, all designed (yes, she really took credit for it!) by her own hand, and heavily inspired by kabuki, Erté, Ross's own Motown finishing school-run-amok idea of elegance, and a little Boom! (1968) thrown in for good measure.

"DIVA 2" by Erté

ELIZABETH TAYLOR (with Richard Burton and Noel Coward) DRESSED BY VALENTINO IN BOOM! (1968)

Needless to say, in spite of an inspired use of neon tubes, Miss Ross's designs for Mahogany didn't exactly start any new trends - but they did make quite an impression. We were suddenly aware of the power of expressing oneself visually, of making a statement with apparel and adornment - and that epiphany came to us through the medium of film.

DESIGNS BY DIANA ROSS FOR MAHOGANY (1975)

Our love for Mahogany (which is no cinematic classic, we understand) also neatly sums up just why we love these strong, temperamental, brave, glamorous women of the screen: it's the triumph of the underdog, really - from Bette Davis to Joan Crawford; Roz Russell to Barbara Stanwyck; Judy Garland to Diana Ross; none of these superstar divas were classic beauties or demure shrinking violets. They didn't make it to the top on their looks and by playing cute; they made themselves beautiful and glamorous by sheer force of personality, talent and guts, and through constant reinvention. It's a lesson we continue to be inspired by.

We hereby tag these other sassy inspirations:

normadesmond of Mitten Drinnen
Ask The Cool Cookie of Doing Hard Time in Shaker Heights
Poseidon3 of Poseidon's Underworld

Have fun!

Tagged...Again

When we return next week, we'll respond to the meme so thoughtfully bestowed upon us by FelixInHollywood. Hope you're having a good, clean, wholesome weekend, darlings!

Have You Heard?

We've been tagged! And, for once, not by Peenee! As much as we detest memes, how can we be churlish when presented with the "Kreativ Blogger Award"? Even if it does, we must say, have the absolute ugliest logo ever kreated, we're still humbled by the honor. Here we go:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.

Thank you, Moira Finnie! Check out her blog, Skeins of Thought.

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.

OK, we warned you:


Ugh.

3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.

See above.

4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.

• We studied piano for years, but if you put us before a keyboard today, we'd be absolutely dumbfounded.
  
  
  
• We have our ribbons and awards for horseback riding tucked away in a drawer.
  
  
  
• Our 5'7" frame used to carry 190 lbs. - half of which was hair.
  
  
  
• We used to have really, really bad taste.
  
  
  
• We have since compensated for this sad historical fact.
  
  
  
  
• We've traveled to Italy close to 30 times, and have yet to learn the language. Although, "Nightclub Cica-Cica Boom" transcends all barriers.
  
  
  
• Our last meaningful relationship was nearly a dozen years ago. Sigh.
  
  

5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers and post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.

• Jason of night is half gone...
• Jill of Stella's Roar
• FelixInHollywood of his eponymous site
• ayem8y of Mean Dirty (Butt) Pirate
• Fashion Serial Killer from her self-titled blog
• SparkleNeely from 97 Things to Do Before I Turn 97
• Peenee from Mr. Peenee (because payback's a bitch, and so are we)

6. Someone forgot to include a sixth rule.

7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

We're lazy; we're betting they'll figure it out on their own. It's such an honor just to be nominated!

It

That hateful, hateful Peenee has tagged us so often, we fear that we have his handprints permanently seared into our buttocks. However, call us nothing if not good sports, so here we go again. This charming little exercise? List seven of your personality traits, as evidenced on your blog and then pass the award on to seven other blogs with notable personality. Ready? Here we go.

1) I am judgemental. I'm trying to curb it, I swear that I am. But I have definite ideas of what is right and wrong, and involuntarily raise an eyebrow when someone breaches my code of conduct.

2) I'm a dreamer. (Aren't we all?) This blog reflects the way I think life should be: fun, gay, glamorous, and at least 40 years prior to the present.

3) I'm a randy son-of-a-gun. Beneath the poised and polished exterior... well, that's all we'll say for now. A gentleman in the parlor, a...

4) I'm mildly obsessive-compulsive. Why do 1 or 2 posts a day, or every other day, when you can do 10 daily??? I'm cutting back, in case you haven't noticed.

5) I'm a loner. (I hate that word!) Which is most definitely not to say anti-social or unfriendly, neither of which applies to me. But I like my "alone" time, and prefer one-on-one conversations to large groups or parties. I also enjoy just being an observer. This can sometimes be read as (actual descriptions from others here) "glacial," "stand-offish," and, my favorite, "a real bee-yatch."

6) I'm funny. Truly. I won't pit myself against Oscar Wilde or Dorothy Parker or Clare Boothe Luce, but I'm no slouch in the raconteur department, and am dependably good, entertaining company.

7) I'm dichotomic. (See #5 and #6.) A ball of contradictions. A mass of fire and music and whatnot!

Now I have to pass this meme along to seven other hapless bloggers. Mea culpa, ladies and gentlemen. Don't blame me, don't blame it on the bossa nova, blame it on that hateful, hateful Peenee.

Askthecoolcookie of Doing Hard Time in Shaker Heights
David Toms of Savoir Faire
SkinnyGlassesGirl of (natch) Skinny Glasses Girl
Soyons-Suave of (bien sur) Soyons-Suave
Jill of Stella's Roar
ilduce of Suffering Fools Badly!
Xico de Cadoro of Xico de Cadoro's Place (if he's not too busy licking Brazilian boy butt to answer)





Thanks to WICKED KNICKERS for the photo.

The Damning, Unforgivable Social Fault...

...is apparently halitosis, and not, as previously had been suspected, passing along tagged memes. I'm still peeved at Peenee for tagging this little blog, but good sport that I am (and with full knowledge that payback is always a bitch), I'll play along.

10 Honest Things About TJB

1) One reason I dislike lists such as these is because, in my delusions of grandeur, I prefer to use the royal "we" when blogging. Bow down, bitches.

2) Unlike Peenee, my least favorite parts of my body are my feet.

3) I've been to Italy close to 20 times, and have yet to learn the language. (Apart from body language, of course.)

4) I can't/don't cook, but I read cookbooks voraciously, cover-to-cover, like novels.

5) I've been single for over 10 years, with only brief (2-3 month) intervals of exclusive dating since.

6) I prefer being single.

7) Except when I wish I could occasionally rent-a-husband for an hour or two.

8) I'm super-fastidious about my appearance, yet an awful housekeeper.

9) I'm an excellent mimic.

10) My greatest regret is not saying a proper good-bye to my mother at her hospital bed the night before she died.

Wham Bam, Thank You Peenee...

...for tagging me. You can check out his gratitude check-list here; and Miss Janey's original here. And, as Peenee was kind enough to mention, you can also view a pantless Mr. Janey and his drums. (Miss Janey, I hope your bandwidth server doesn't implode from all the hits your husband's bits and kit will undoubtedly git.) Peenee's handsome hubby is featured on his list, too; we do not have a handsome or pantless husband to be grateful for; but we shan't dwell on the negative.

What are we grateful for here at Stirred, Straight Up, with a Twist? Cliched though it may be, we are unwaveringly grateful for Friends and Family.





We are grateful for, and endlessly amazed by, the fact that we have made nearly 20 trips to Italy, France, and England in our (relatively) short lifetime. The sights, sounds, smells, and tastes will never die in our memory, even if this Big Bad Recession temporarily halts our future travels.



We are exceedingly grateful for Beauty, in all its many forms.



And, of course, we are grateful that you take some time out of your busy day to read this little bit of irreverence on the 'net. Your wit and humor have been inspiring and keep us on our toes; and your support in more serious matters has touched us. We do it all for you, darlings!

Tagged!

Thanks to Muscato, I've now been "tagged" -- I guess it's the blogging equivilant of a chain letter. I feel so 21st century! Anyway, I've been called upon to pick up the nearest book; turn to page 123; go to the fifth sentence on the page; and then post the following three sentences on my blog.

"But nothing better has ever been invented for the smart little dinner dress, without sleeves and somewhat decolette, that is perfect to wear when the men are in dark business suits rather than black tie. A chic black dress of this type is an indispensable part of every woman's wardrobe, and it is ideal for all those business dinners when your husband wishes to proudly introduce to his boss, colleagues, or customers, a wife whose good taste is as remarkable as her elegance.

"When entertaining in your own home, no matter how wealthy or important your guests may be, it is never nice to attempt to dazzle them..."
Incidentally, the above excerpt is from the indispensable A Guide to Elegance by Madame Genevieve Antoine Dariaux, under the heading of "Occasions" (it's organized A-Z fashion). And yes, this book is almost always within arm's reach!

Now, I'm supposed tag 5 other unsuspecting victims, but I can't bring myself to be that cavalier. So, picking one average blogger from our audience at random...OK, Donna Lethal, you're it.