WASP Wednesday: WASP Film Directors

WASP Wednesday is back in full swing! This week Muffy and I bring your WASP film directors. Yes, we have pinpointed some films WASPs love, but we have never picked out favorite WASP directors!

A lot goes in to making a movie as we all know. From what I understand (I am not a movie buff by ANY means) the director is the backbone of the film. We already know WASPs are all about a little bit of history, education and culture so of course some of the first productions that came were Merchant Ivory Productions. The company was the 1961 collaboration between James Ivory (director) and Ismail Merchant (producer). Ruth Jhabvala was also brought on the team as a script writer.

If you have ever seen a Merchant Ivory film you know they are nothing short of stunning. The films are known for their AMAZING sets- they are just beautiful. James Ivory and Ismail Merchant make certain the homes used are always historical and decorated as if the very best London and New York designers came in for months. They are truly just marvelous. Their subject matter is of the same caliber, historical and intellectual. Like the WASP, Merchant Ivory films are also well traveled. Merchant was born and raised in the US, while Ivory is a native of India and Jhabvala of Germany. They have shot their films all over world- think France, India, Italy, the United States and the United Kingdom- which only adds to the beauty of their scenes. Another MIP factor that is appealing to the WASP is that many of the films are based on novels. The WASP loves to read, read about history, so Merchant Ivory really just hits the nail on the head. Now, of course the subject matter of many Merchant Ivory films is not the happiest, but then again history is not perfect either. The films take you back to another day and age- they are works of art!

The Golden Bowl- Based on the novel by Jame Henry (1904)

While the underlying subject is a bit depressing this film has some of the most beautiful scenery! I still remember going to this with my mother at the theater next to Bergdorf's when it opened in 2001- what fun!

A Room With a View Trailer

This is considered to be MIP first blockbuster. The film won three Academy Awards: Best Art Direction, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design

Since the death of Ismail Merchant in 2005 fewer Merchant Ivory productions have been released. However, it appears the WASP movie set does have one to look forward too: The City of Your Final Destination should hit theaters on April 16th, 2010!

And the Oscar Goes To....

Tonight we hosted our OSCAR party! We have been working on all the details throughout the week and tonight was finally the BIG night...and what a HUGE night it was for us and everyone in the Kodak Theater!

The entrance was ready to greet all our "stars." Lights....Camera....Action!!!

I used popcorn containers wherever possible! Here they are holding our "gold" flatware.

Hollywood fans/clappers. These came in handy when all our favorites WON! I also printed out ballots which all five guests had to fill out as soon as they came in. The winner of this evening's ballot contest won a one month subscription to Netflix!

Mmm, one of our munchies! BFF L was also kind enough to bring another fabulous dip!

The Concession Stand

It was complete with photos of some or our favorite celebrity nominees!

The concession candy was quite the hit!

No Hollywood party is complete without your very own popcorn bar. My flavors of choice were movie theater butter, kettle corn and of course, CARAMEL!

Finally, Red Carpet Cupcakes with homemade butter cream frosting!

We also ordered pizza from our beloved Coal Vines and had a big salad for dinner. I simply had the best time and cannot wait to make this an annual event!

Later Gator!

I love fun, casual clothing as you know! Lilly prints circa 2000- 2002 are my very favorites so you can just imagine my excitement when the Originals collection was created! I have snapped up all my favorites, but am counting down the days until all things gator hit the stores. I CANNOT wait to pair the critter gator polo (currently available) with the gator Roslyn skirts!

Have a fabulous weekend!

A Mavs Kind of Evening!

Last night was a very fun evening! A good friend that I met while living in Panama has recently moved back to Dallas. When R found out her husband, M, was going to be deployed to Afghanistan a few months ago she decided to make the move back to the Big D to be near her sisters (her parents are still working as missionaries overseas) as she is having a baby in May! However, M was given some vacation before he leaves next week and flew in to visit for a few days. When I was talking to R last week I asked what they had planned and she mentioned M REALLY wanted to go to a Mavs game before he left.

I immediately knew I wanted to take them if tickets were available. I am SO thankful to work for such an AMAZING and patriotic company. Tickets did indeed become available so last night we were treated to one of the hottest tickets in the NBA (the Mavs are on a eight game winning streak!). We enjoyed a FABULOUS view, dinner and great time together. It was such a treat to be able to spend time with R and M and I cannot imagine having gone to a game with better people!

M leaves for Afghanistan next week and will be gone for at least six months. He will then be able to come back on a two week leave to meet his son before returning to complete his 12 to 18 month deployment. It was a true honor to attend this fun event with one of our nation's strongest and bravest. I wish you all the best M and rest assured I will be looking after R!

Mascara

Let me start by saying I have never ever been a makeup guru. I have used the basics and that is it. I mean, I rarely even wear eye shadow. I do, however, always wear mascara. I have tried Bobbi Brown, Chanel, YSL and most recently Dior Show. I have not had major issues with any of the above, but I was also never 100% satisfied. A few weeks ago I was in the market for a mascara refill and happened to read Kim's post on her favorite brand. Since I just so happened to be running to Target later that afternoon I decided to give her beloved L'Oreal Telescopic mascara a whirl...

... and I do not think I will EVER look back! Not only is is nice and compact, but most importantly is is easy to apply with it's bristle-less brush- applications have been flawless thus far. it also lasts ALL day and it elongates your lashes and for $7 a tube it cost about a 1/4 or a 1/5 of everything else I have used. I feel like I have been missing out all these years! My eyes finally look a bit more, dare I say, "done up" and I never have to re-apply mascara during the day. Rarely do I even have to re-curl! L'Oreal Telescopic mascara is definitely my new go to mascara (thank you Kim!!)!

WASP Wednesday: Wordless Edition

Well, in the midst of our busy lives (Muffy got a new job and is moving!) a Wordless WASP Wednesday is in order!
Brook Astor in her NYC apartment.

Purse Prize

I am a real sucker for bags of any kind. I love totes and handbags and in the opinions of some of you I am sure I have far too many. However, there is just something about matching a purse to your outfit, it can make all the difference! Handbags are some of the best accessories. They are practical and some are even works of art. I think many of us can agree we swoon over a great handbag, but we really almost fall flat on the floor at the sight of a Judith Leiber!

If you paged through the 2009 Neiman Marcus Christmas book you are sure to remember this AMAZING Maharaja elephant. If I had to pick one Judith Leiber handbag, this.would.be.it. It is stunning and having ridden an Indian elephant it would forever be meaningful!
I love the details on this dainty birdcage! It is so elegant.

Well... pink, green and a flower...this has my name all over it too!

Of course I could not leave out the ever-so-famous cupcake!

I think the asparagus might be my second choice, you know, if the elephant was unavailable...or I already had it. I just ADORE this bag. As with any Judith Leiber the details are just exquisite.

This limited edition shell would work with the majority of my closet so of course I could not leave it out!

Talk about statement pieces. Judith Leiber bags are nothing short of stunning!

Wonderful Weekend

What a fabulous weekend I had! I kicked things off at Winter Jam with two friends on Friday evening. Tenth Avenue North, the Newsboys, Third Day and Tony Nolan were all present along with five other bands. It was a truly fabulous evening that got me even more excited for the Rock and Worship Road Show in April- David Crowder and MercyMe will be there!!

Saturday I got up and prepped for another busy day. I LOVE the La Duni Fashion teas (if you live in Dallas and have not been to one you are missing out!) and was especially looking forward to Saturday's as it was the Lilly show! I got a group of girls from Junior League and work together and we had the best afternoon. It was so much fun to see some of the Summer 2010 collection as well as current styles.

We enjoyed a FABULOUS spread of pastries and also sipped on two different teas. Every guest received a darling cookie from La Duni as well as playing cards, a mirror or card case and a coupon from Lilly.One of the most exciting parts of the afternoon was meeting a blog reader. Janie has emailed me several times and also won my London-India giveaway. She is a long time Lilly lover- isn't her outfit just darling?!
After tea we popped into the Lilly Pulitzer store where I bought mother a skirt and also treated myself. It was then time to rush home and get ready for the Slipper Club gala! Before the event several of us enjoyed a DIVINE dinner at CRAFT. Saturday was certainly a fabulous day spent with dear friends!
This week I am going to try and get all caught up on blogging and work on emails to (I am slowly, but surely catching up on those). Have a wonderful kick off to you week!!

Tour de Target

It is time for another pink and green tour of Target!!

How fun, practical and wallet friendly (they are only $2.50) are these trays?! You could even get some monogram decals to stick on them, package these in cellophane with a fun ribbon and you result would be a FABULOUS gift!

Not pictured, but a bright turquoise is also available!
Look at all those fun items in the $1 bin!!

Target is carrying pink and green Easter baskets again this year!

These would look great with a plant arrangement or could be used for a gift basket as well. Rush on in before they are cleared out!

Ohhhh lala- look at all the fun paper products! I adore the plaid napkins and the pink egg shaped plates (not pictured).

Last, but certainly not least, one darling invites you can print up at home. These would be a great fit for a Derby Party or a Spring luncheon!

BACK!

Phew, after a short blogging vacation I am back! The end of last week and beginning of this week were BEYOND busy, but I am thrilled to report I had an AMAZING birthday. I was showered with gifts (I promise to do a post on these as I obsessed with EVERY.SINGLE.ONE!)and all your beautiful comments. I could not have had a better day, thank you!

I extended my weekend by a day and took Monday off to fly down to Austin. I met M through our blogs over a year ago and we have become fast friends. When I found out she was going to be in Austin I knew I had to fly down and meet her! We had the BEST time and I feel as if we were long lost friends.

We enjoyed lunch at Bess's Bistro, which Sandra Bullock owns (sadly, we did not see her) then walked around downtown Austin before heading out to The Domain. We did some shopping and then headed back to The Four Seasons for a FABULOUS tea!

It was just delicious and the perfect way to end an AMAZING day and weekend!

I feel SO blessed to have met so many AMAZING ladies through this blogging world. I consider SO many of you dear friends and look forward meeting many more of you in years to come!

25!!

Today, I turn 25 years old! I was born at tea time, 3:58pm to be exact. Perhaps that explains my love for a good scone with clotted cream and strong cup of English Breakfast. I am SO thankful today as I look back on all the past 25 years. I am beyond blessed!!! It is amazing how quickly time goes by, yet how much can be packed into a day. I have the BEST family and the most AMAZING friends (both in real life and through the Internet) that make each day better than the last! Thank you to all those who have made this charming life so worth living! Here is to 25 more AMAZING years!!!

25 Facts for 25 Years

1. I have lived in nine states and three countries.

2. I rarely drink tap water. I typically only drink bottled water (bad for my teeth, I know!).

3. I only wash my hair twice a week. I lucked out with EXTRA thick hair. However, on the downside it does take me an hour to dry it.

4. I am a paper addict! I LOVE all types of paper products, but I think Caspari plates and napkins might rank at the very top of my list.

5. I speak English, Spanish and a little French.

6. I am really bothered when people do not RSVP to an event or when they RSVP and do not show up.

7. I never had a TV in my room until I went to college.

8. I met JFK Jr. at the Peabody in Memphis. What a charming man!

9. I LOVE themed parties!

10. I have never been to Mexico (but I have been all over Central America).

11. Getting my mail is always such an exciting part of my day. I am always hopeful there will be loads of fun new magazines!

12. I want to go on a Safari someday.

13. I used to be very in to riding. I was even the champion of the beginner category for the country of Honduras when I was nine.

14. I think horseback riding is (or was) my only athletic talent. I am terrible at all other sports!

15. I LOVE food but am somewhat of a picky eater. I really do not care for fish and never crave meats.

16. I am extremely afraid of roaches. Of all the insects they are the one I just cannot deal with (spiders are a close second).

17. I am not a fan of amusement parks, but I do love the fair.

18. I have never been on a cruise, but want to do a Cunard getaway sometime soon.

19. I love to watch sports on TV and also love attending sporting events.

20. I had LOADS of obsessions when I was little (Lisa Frank, trolls, American Girl, Beanie Babies).

21. I got out of the Beanie Baby phase at the right time. I sold around 60 of mine for $7 to $10 each when we lived in Panama and then donated the rest to a local children's hospital.

22. I love to wrap gifts and arrange flowers! It is a creative outlet for me.

23. I once road my bike in to our pool. I used to ride around the pool when we lived in Honduras as I could not ride on the street and one day came too close to the corner...in I went...back wheels first.

24. I LOVE to stay incredibly BUSY!

25. I do not have a good voice, but I LOVE to sing in the car and at church.

Tory Burch Preview!

I have never really been the type to be super into my birthday, but I still have somehow lucked out with having FABULOUS parties (thanks to a wonderful mother and great friends!). When I was working on coordinating the Tablescapes auction this past Fall I knew I had to bid, bid, bid on the Tory Burch party as it would be the perfect way to celebrate my 25th. As you know, I did bid and won so next it came time to plan. I secured a date. made invites, ordered amazing cookies and got baking. I was looking forward to a MARVELOUS evening with all my dear friends!

I set the cake balls and the favors out for all to see (and eat...I did not want to bring any home!!). The colors all worked so well! Each favor bag was tied with embroidered, elephant ribbon from India and contained a TB cookie and two cake balls.

I must admit that tonight might have topped every past birthday party I have ever had. it was simply amazing! The Tory Burch associates were SO welcoming and FUN and all my friends were SO generous and kind.

I so wish my parents could have been there this evening, but they were there in spirit. Mother even arranged to have flowers sent to match the cookies and favors!

It was a night to remember!!! I have been beyond blessed and am SO thankful to have such AMAZING women surrounding and encouraging me- now, if only you all could have attended!

Part of the group!

My actual birthday is not until Saturday, but I feel as if I am on top of the world. What a special evening with dear friends! Thank you to everyone that came out to help be celebrate the big 2-5!!!

Cake Balls!

Monday evening I put my kitchen to good use and made 90 cake balls! I made both Funfetti and red velvet to serve at my Tory Burch party. I am thrilled with how they turned out and think I am well on my way to finally figuring out how to properly coat the cake balls!