dressing up box

Swan Lake
corset by Glamtastix

Ruffle Felt Shawl by Vart

French 18 Century Dress by Odiletutu

Cage hoop by Skeletons in the Cupboard

Tutu by HHFashions

Valentine ...where we first met

This is sooo cute I had to share it with you. You simply send Butler & Hill the post code for where you first met the love of your life (or proposed and other significant locations... you can use your own imagination) and they will post the puzzle of the area with a heart as the centrepiece, with the phrase "I Love You". Very romantic and original Valentine gift and I just love jigsaw puzzles.

Prices start from £29.99. 

The Artist (and Uggie)

I guess if you rarely watch old films, and are unaware of how the industry evolved from silent films to the talkies, then The Artist is a real eye-opener.

I'm mad about early films so I knew I would enjoy this one - by French Director Michel Hazanavicius and being tipped for an Oscar this week - in the same way I liked Amelie (2001).

The Artist is a fun tribute to Hollywood history, and Rudolph Valentino and Mary Pickford in particular. Jean Dujardin is fabulous as George Valentin the world-famous silent movie star whose career crashes as the talkies evolve and Bérénice Bejo gives an accomplished performance as Peppy Miller, the determined young starlet who pursues her career quite ruthlessly into the new era of films. It is also great to see John Goodman on form. The actors must have had a ball working on this film, the acting being so different from today's films. Each movement is exaggerated and facial expressions and timing count for so much more.

Having said all of that, I'm not convinced that The Artist is comparable with, say, a Woody Allen and certainly not with, say, an early Hitchcock. It is very refreshing in an age of the Hollywood blockbuster but not let's get carried away and pretend it's entirely original or unique. It is a faithful reworking of an original 1920's film (including the opening credits) but it has, after all, been done before and often better.

As the film opens it did cross my mind that I might find the lack of dialogue a stretch but this wasn't the case. It's easy to remain engaged apart from the last third of the film which would have benefited from a cut,  being just a  soupçon too long at 1.40 hours.

I can't go without joining in the acclaim about Uggie, who is Eddie reincarnated (Frasier) and worth all the praise being heaped upon him and a Golden Collar Award. He is so sweet and 'acts' his little heart out. In fact, I'd go so far to say that without Uggie the film wouldn't be quite so cute.

So en enjoyable evening but don't worry too much if you miss it this time around - or can't afford the extortionate £8.50 ticket in these tough economic times - I'm sure it will be on TV before too long.

On the other hand I wanted so badly for The Artist to be a new treatment of an silent, black and white film. It just like watching, well an old, silent, black and white film.  And hasn't that been done before?

deep blue sea

Legendary diver Carl Spencer

I always thought I would like to deep sea dive and so in Egypt a couple of  years back, I started by trying snorkelling with flippers and googles. Flippers are weird and I felt like Donald Duck but without the natural buoyancy. At 30 metres I definitely felt out of my depth. Enough said. 

So I have nothing but admiration for divers on the telly who seem to glide effortlessly through the secret world under the oceans, as colourful and exotic sea life drift past (or big scary sharks). I sat glued to my screen when the Mary Rose was retrieved from the sea in 1982. I am awed and immensely grateful for the skill of the divers and their courage that allows me to experience this hidden wonderland, even second-hand.

The estate of the late Carl Spencer who worked on dives such as the Bluebird project in 2000 to recover the body of the late Donald Campbell to research used in making the film Titanic. Spencer, together with two other divers were invited to be pallbearers at Campbell's funeral. The team returned to Coniston Waters in 2007 to seeking the missing piece of the famous Bluebird's frame. It was Carl Spencer who ultimately found it. 

Carl Spencer died tragically on a dive on the Britannic wreck in May 2009 at the age of only 39 years.

On Monday 23 January watches and memorabilia from Carl Spencer's estate will be come under the hammer by auctioneers Fellows. For information on the auction contact mary@fellows.co.uk.

Be My Valentine

I simply refuse to believe that there's not a gift for everyone on Etsy. These are some of my favourite Valentine gifts ... big hint xx

Denise 5690

Wexford Jewelers

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