Week in Review - :Links

Sophia Loren from Film Noir Photos

• I love classic stars reading.  Pictures of modern stars reading don't really interest me because often they are reading nothing worth wasting two seconds on.  Even though many of the classic stars reading are staged, the books are often more interesting.  I've even tried to read a few myself, with some surprising finds.  Film Noir Photos features a delightful Sophia Loren reading at home.  Gorgeous!  And congrats on its Blogiversary!

Week in Review

Movies I Watched

• The Hobbit: the Desolution of Smaug (2013) - Pretty good.  Wish there was less C.G.I., but I suppose that is a useless wish in today's movies.
• Alice in Wonderland (1951) - Great.  Gotta love Disney classics!
• Doorway to Hell (1930)
• King of the Underworld (1939)
• Frosty the Snowman (1969)
• Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (1964)
• Santa Clause is Comin' to Town (1970)
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
• A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
• Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974)

*Christmas is Rankin Bass season.  I can't go a day without watching one of those classic specials.

Links of the Week

Letterology is a great site to find inspiration.  I especially find its posts near holidays intriguing.  So far this year there have been some great posts about Snowmen and Some Seasonal Samplings.

Links of the Week

Susan Hayward as "Messalina" in Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954)

Vintage Film Costume Collector has an amazing post with fantastic photographs of Susan Hayward's costume as "Messalina" in the film Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954).  I've never seen the film, but the scenes look fantastic, and Hayward's costume couldn't be better.  So glamorous, yet fits in the film.  Amazing!


Need an amazing hair accessory?  Bobby Pin blog has a great how-to for a Christmas Poinsettia Hair Accessory.  It looks adorable, and I think I'll give it a try.

How to Tie a Perfect Sash Bow [Source: Sew Beautiful Blog]

When I tie a bow, it often seems just a bit off, so I was really excited to see Sew Beautiful's How-to about Sash Bows.  The steps were clear, the pictures were good, so I am excited to give the process a try.  After all, Christmas seems to be the season of bows.


Books are a great gift.  I am giving several as presents.  As everyone knows, I adore books, so I heartily endorse books as presents.  Imagination Soup has a great Christmas gift guide of the best books of the year for kids and teens.

Edith Head and Elizabeth Taylor

The Glamorous Housewife is spreading the glamour love with a great post featuring lessons from costume goddess Edith Head.  Ms. Head certainly knows about glamour.  Her costumes are wonderful.

I love blog Big Old Houses's home tours.  There is another one up featuring a Vanderbilt home in Florida.  Gorgeous!


Jessica over at Chronically Vintage always has amazing posts.  Literally, I could link to every post on her blog.  It is a rarity that I don't find something valuable in her posts.  Two I particularly enjoyed this week was her weekly dose of Saturday Snapshots and Ten Cold Weather Vintage Wardrobe Staples.  The cold weather staples basically is my vintage wardrobe wishlist while the Saturday Snapshots post really made me think.  

Millionaire Marilyn

Marilyn Monroe from How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)

Hurd's Home

Actor Hurd Hatfield and Jean Willes; 1949

Hurd Hatfield (7 December 1917 - 26 December 1986) appeared sporadically in films, but the roles he played were quite memorable such as Pontius Pilate in King of Kings (1961) and Dorian Gray in The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945). 

Links of the Week

A wonderful post from Go Retro! why Rankin/Bass Specials are amazing.  I adore them, and clearly others do too.  I just wish they wouldn't have had Rudolph on TV before Thanksgiving.  There is a rule in my house to have nothing to do with Christmas music, specials, etc. before Thanksgiving is over.  The pessimist part of me thinks they hoped people wouldn't watch so they have an excuse to take it off the air.  It's one of the few times I find myself watching network TV is during December when the specials are on.

Go Retro!  also has some amazing advice from lifestyle superstar Jack LaLanne.  I adore him, and his advice on happiness still has a place in these modern times.  Part of me thinks it much more relevant today then it was when first given.