In Memory of Peter Sellers

Peter Sellers died 34 years ago today. Actors and musicians make up my role models but I have never empathized with any of those people more than I have with Peter Sellers.

People are too quick to speak badly about Peter Sellers but forget that he was a very hurt man. While he reportedly did not like the documentary "Will the Real Mr. Sellers Pease Stand Up" I think it's very revealing. Although I can see why he didn't want anyone to see it since he was a very private person and the documentary is so raw.

One of my favorite parts is when he showcases his drumming skills. 

I am astounded by the amount of talent the man had. He was a drummer that was known as "Britain's answer to Gene Krupa", he was extremely interested in photography and was of course one of the greatest actors of all time. 

I wanted to have a little movie marathon to remember Peter Sellers and since it's hard for me to pick just one favorite here is what I have planned in no particular order. 

1) The Party

My absolute favorite scenes are the birdie num num scene and the scene where Hrundi V. Bakshi takes his first drink and proceeds to hop up and down on a bed. 

2) The Magic Christian

This is a wonderful movie to watch on father's day.

3)Being There

I wrote a post a couple of months ago about Being There (http://obf0908.blogspot.com/2014/05/movie-spotlight-being-there.html)

4) His episode of The Muppets

I know this isn't a movie but he was wonderful on The Muppet Show

5)Dr. Strangelove

I did not make this .gif file and take no credit for it.

Now, I'm off to watch and remember the great Peter Sellers. 

Night Time Glamour

Lisa Douglas from "Green Acres" is mostly to blame for my love of glamorous sleep wear. I first saw the show when I was little and I fell in love with Eva Gabor's wardrobe. Those of you that have been reading this blog or awhile know that I love to get dressed up. You should never forget the power your outfit can have on your attitude.

Having fun with your outfits doesn't have to end at night. I have a small collection of vintage nightgowns, not nearly as lovely as Mrs. Douglas but I have some 60s baby doll nighties and peignoirs.

 Isn't this a fun print? The fabric looks so floaty and comfortable. One of my dreams is to have a night gown/pajama collection to rival Lisa Douglas.

This robe exudes glamour. 

This photo came from a 70s issue of Life magazine and the pajamas remind me of something a genie would wear. These would be lovely for the summertime.  

The feathers at the bottom make the night gown. Wouldn't it be lovely to lounge in this in the evening? It exudes the glamour of old Hollywood. 

Photo by JLS Photography

This is one of my favorite nightgowns and peignoirs. It always makes me feel so glamorous, I just wish I had a pair of marabou slippers to match. 

So, how many of you enjoy slipping in to something glamourous in the evening?

The Hunt for Vinyl

This week the music post isn't about a certain band or artist but it's still music related. Lately almost every conversation I have has turned to a discussion about vinyl. Most of the time it's just me complaining that I can't find Bobby Darin records in the record shops or thrift stores and every time I am asked why I don't order them online. The main reason is I'm impatient when it comes to waiting but I really enjoy going to the record shop.

I didn't grow up with records. I grew up looking through my parent's record collection and listening to their curated music collection. I thought the records were neat, the large artful covers, the heft of the record and the ritual of putting it on the turntable and dropping the needle. I grew up with CDs and cassettes. I knew how much fun going to a music store to buy an album was and it's something I miss. It's always interesting to talk to other people about music, I've had a lot of interesting conversations in record stores.

Part of me loves digital media, I love my iPod like it was my child, but I miss that shopping experience of digging through the albums to find what you were looking for and chatting about music with the other customers and clerks. What I don't miss is carrying loads of CDs to play on my walkman whenever I wanted to go somewhere.

Record shops are a rarity now. When I was a child and in my early teenage years there were lots of places to by CDs and slowly they began disappearing. Most of the time new business don't move in and the building is abandoned.

                                                                          Some of my records.

Thankfully it's still possible to have a great record shopping experience. In New Jersey (where I'm from) there are two great places that spring to mind, the Princeton Record Exchange in Princeton, NJ (surprise) and the chain of Tunes stores.

The Princeton Record Exchange (http://www.prex.com/) has a huge selection of top quality records and I owe most of my collection to them. They have the biggest vinyl selection, to my knowledge, in the state of New Jersey. There is a huge dollar section with quality records (not junk) and harder to find albums at reasonable prices.

Tunes ( http://www.tunesonline.net/) is a chain that has 6 locations, including 1 in Maryland. Like the Princeton Record Exchange they have a dollar section and reasonably priced harder to find titles

Of course there are always thrift shops, my local Goodwill is always packed with records, but I find that some thrift shops store records in a way that makes it difficult to look through them.

A small collection of my collection. Some of them have the Princeton Record Exchange sticker on them.

So, how many of you prefer purchasing your records from a record shop instead of ordering online?