Have an "Ideal" Weekend!

I came across this strange/adorable image over at Glorious Nonsense and just had to re-post it for you. Apparently those weird hybrid photoshop images of the "ideal" celebrity parts melded together is nothing new {you know, Angelina's lips, Beyonce's booty, and Jennifer's hair smooshed into one freakish hybrid celebrity}. Click the image for a larger view...

Speaking of "ideal," do you ever imagine what your ideal weekend would look like? Or, maybe all of your weekends are ideal {if so, lucky you!}. I am compiling a list of all the things my ideal weekend would entail, and I am going to try and make this happen...soon! My perfect weekend would include:

• An orgasmically delicious meal from a fabulous restaurant.
• A surprise bunch of pink peonies from my boyfriend.
• Spending time with friends and my sisters {this must include lots of laughing and good wine}.
• Shopping fortune: this entails finding an unexpected good deal on something I have been wanting {a fancy coffee maker, an art book, or a velvet dress would be good!}
• Giving someone I love an unexpected gift and seeing them smile.
• A lazy afternoon nap.
• Dancing!

What about you? What would your ideal weekend include? You should work on making it happen, too!

Winter's Muse: Geraldine Chaplin

Today's guest post comes courtesy of the brilliant and funny lady behind Loose Leaf Tigers -- a blog dedicated to girl crushes, great art, and gasp-worthy fashion finds...

Bonjour! It is such an honor for me to be guest posting here at Nothing Elegant; one of the most stylish, eclectic and intelligent blogs i have come across. I visit here almost every day, and so should you!

With winter fast approaching, i thought i'd take this opportunity to celebrate two fabulous actresses (Julie Christie and Geraldine Chaplin) from one of the most wintery films ever made: Dr. Zhivago (1965). Let's begin with the elegant and fascinating Geraldine Chaplin, eldest child of Charlie and Oona.


Geraldine made a brief appearance in one of her father's films when she was eight years old, but her dreams were of the ballet rather than acting and it was while dancing in Paris that she was discovered by David Lean, who chose her for the role of Tonya in Doctor Zhivago.


Throughout the 1970s, Geraldine appeared in several of Robert Altman's films, as well as nine movies directed by Carlos Saura, with whom she has a son named Shane. While filming Welcome to L.A. in 1976, Geraldine was required to do a nude scene. Although she was perfectly comfortable doing the scene herself, director Alan Rudolph feared the loss of financing if the producers fell into disfavor with her world famous father, by embarrassing him prior to his death.


As such, the scene became one of the first experiments with digital compositing, positioning Chaplin's head on the body of a former Penthouse pet (!). Geraldine performed the scene in a nude body-stocking and it took almost an entire month, using antiquated production equipment, to digitally merge Chaplin's head with the body double.

Some of my favourite of Geraldine's performances can be found in Altman's Nashville (1975) and Pedro Almadovar's Talk to Her (2002), one of many foreign films in which Chaplin, who speaks fluent Spanish as well as French, has starred. In 1982, Geraldine played her real life grandmother Hannah in Chaplin, starring Robert Downey Jr., a role for which she received a best supporting actress Golden Globe.

In 2006, she married Chilean cinematographer Patricio Castilla, with whom she has a daughter, Oona. Geraldine now calls Miami, Florida home, where she has a house on the beach. The humble actress has been quoted as saying: "I thought it'd be easy to get into the movies as Charles Chaplin's daughter. And I suppose it was. Except I wasn't much good as an actress - really terrible at the beginning."

If you'd care to read the companion piece to this entry, please come visit Loose Leaf Tigers and celebrate the life and career of Dr. Zhivago's other star, the incomparable Julie Christie...

::Thank you so much to Tara and her wonderful readers for having me! xo

Calling Cards.

Do you use calling cards to promote your blog...or yourself? I have this nagging feeling that I should get calling cards, but I'm not even sure where to begin. Of course, the first place that came to mind was Etsy, and I do love this very simple, bold version by Modern Motive {I would get red type}. If you use cards, who do you give them to? When? Why? Wow, I'm just full of questions today, but self-promotion is rather new to me.

Any advice, my clever readers?

::By the way, I have a fantastic guest post from Heidi at Loose Leaf Tigers lined up for tomorrow...stay tuned!

Wet Plate Collodian Photographs

{photos by Robert Szabo}

If you've travelled anywhere in the midwest or southern United States, you have inevitably come across one of those wonderfully kitschy old-time photo booths. On a summer vacation many years ago, my sisters and I had our photos taken dressed as Southern Belles. There is just something so fun about imagining yourself as you might have been in another time, don't you think? I like to imagine I would have been a woman who lived on the fringe of society: A hooker with a heart of gold? A rogue girl-pirate who stole from the rich and gave to the poor?

Robert Szabo is a contemporary photographer that takes the idea of the old-time photo booth to the next level. He is one of the few photographers in the world who produces wet-plate collodian prints using much the same process as was used during the 1800's. There is just something so uncannily authentic about his work, partly due to his eye for historical detail and nuance. Let's face it, the vintage iPhone camera apps and the Bakamatsu Koshashin Antique Photo Generator are awesome toys, but there is just no comparison. I will officially be removing one of my items from the "101 Things to do before I Die" list and replacing it with: having my photograph taken as a dead Victorian corpse by Robert Szabo...or maybe a circus performer...or an eccentric countess. I'll need to narrow it down.

::Also, check out the amazing photos Anna over at Wildflowers:Pretty had taken by Robert!

Design Finds: Vintage Tally Cards

If you love vintage collectibles, but lack space and endless funds of money {like moi}, collecting paper ephemera can be an excellent option -- it's often reasonably priced and perfectly suited for framing and hanging. Over the years, I have collected vintage paint-by-numbers, postcards, and advertisements, to name a few.

I recently discovered the beauty of vintage tally cards -- these were popularly used for keeping score during Bridge parties and other social card games. Some of the designs are strikingly beautiful, particularly the ones from the early 20th century. I'm just imagining the interesting ways these could be put to decorating use: gift tags, Christmas tree ornaments, hung as wall displays, or simply framed...they would also be great for invitations, place cards, and party favors.

Etsy sellers Carmen and Ginger have an amazing selection; the art deco designs are particularly lust-worthy!