Lately, gals I meet often ask me where I get my cute jewelry. Some of it’s from Etsy, which I discovered few yrs ago- one of the COOLEST web sites ever IMO! You can find UNIQUE items for fam, pals,… and (mostly) yourself. There are MANY interesting handmade items: jewelry, bags, decorations, and on and on. Check it out ASAP!
Items from top:
1. NYC subway leverback earrings by HighBoardDesigns (my most recent purchase; PERFECT for NYC-crazed gals like me)
2. Labradorite & garnet sterling earrings by Crow&Iris (simple, yet beautiful; perfect for a night out)
3. Smoky quartz & sterling earrings by Crow&Iris (perfect for everyday/office; goes w/ MANY outfits)
4. Set of 3 John William Waterhouse jumbo glass magnets (gorgeous/useful; GREAT gift for teachers, moms, artistic personalities)
5. Set of 4 Jane Austen – Team Elinor – Sense & Sensibility Glass Magnets (for the JA fan)
One of my friends is a HUGE fan of this show; I watched the finale w/ her when it 1st aired. This summer, I watched a the pilot & 1st few eps of Season 1. This show hooked me from the start- it’s V well-made & has GREAT dialogue! I will cont. w/ the series, for sure. I’m esp. intrigued by Gaius & Starbuck, who seem to be 2 of the MOST interesting characters.
Star Trek: Voyager
It boggles the mind that this ST series (w/ the 1st female capt. & one of the most diverse casts) had LOW ratings until that (bimbo) Jeri Ryan joined in S4! I’m currently in the beginning of S3. Kate Mulgrew is a TERRIFIC actress- no doubt! And she had AMAZING chemistry w/ her 1st officer, Chakotay (Robert Beltran). But this can’t go anywhere b/c she’s his superior officer. (Loneliness is one of the main themes of this series.) The Doctor, Neelix, and Kes are V strong/well-developed characters. The crew of the Voyager has to think on their feet b/c they are hurled across the galaxy where there is no other Starfleet presence.
Weeds
S4 is more exciting/eventful than S3 which seemed to drag at times. There a MANY changes going on and still a LOT of laughs. However, the tone of the show gets darker/more serious as Nancy (Mary Louise Parker) gets deeper and deeper into the drug business. Ambition/greed gets the entire fam in trouble, as well as Nancy’s ragtag crew and nabes. Silas and Shane are growing up, rebelling more, and crying out for more of their mom’s attn. Shootings, fires, and (dangerous) romances can’t keep Nancy down- she manages to survive! Look for some (unexpected) guest stars, too.
When the dir. of this film noir, Lewis Blackstone, complained to Lauren Bacall re: the “lack of interesting men in Hollywood,” she immediately recommended Kirk Douglas (her good friend from NYC theater days). That is how Douglas got his 1st film role- starring opposite Barbara Stanwyck no less! Stanwyck, known as a generous co-star, helped Douglas manuever through his 1st film. He does a TERRIFIC job, as do his fellow 3 leads.
In 1928, strong-willed teen Martha Ivers is desperate to run away from her small factory town (Iverstown, PA) and the domineering/wealthy aunt who’s in custody of her after her parents’ deaths. A street-smart boy from the other side of the tracks (and close friend), Sam Masterson, is also planning to run away to join the circus. Their plan is thwarted first by local cops (under the thumb of the aunt) and then by Martha’s tutor, Mr. O’Neil (trying to ingratiate himself w/ the aunt). Walter, O’Neil’s straight-arrow son, wants to win Martha’s friendship. That stormy night, things occur that will change the course of these characters’ lives forever.
Then we go forward to 1946, when a grown-up Sam (Van Heflin) drives into Iverstown to find “his people” (relatives). While daydreaming, his car got dinged up, so he has to stop at a garage. He meets a beautiful young woman Antonia “Toni” Marachek (Lizabeth Scott) sitting on the steps of his former house, now a boarding house. She’s not sure if she should take the late bus to her parents’ house in the next town. They commiserate re: the mistakes they’ve made in life, etc.
Sam, a drifter/gambler, is chagrined to discover that “scared little boy” Walter (Douglas) is now a DA w/ political ambition. Walter is also married to Martha, who has expanded her aunt’s factory, created many jobs, and become a powerful woman in her OWN right. Toni gets in trouble w/ the law, so Sam goes to Walter’s office seeking help. Martha comes in while the men are talking; she is VERY happy/excited to see her old friend (and first crush) all grown-up. She wants to speand some time w/ Sam. Walter is wary of Sam, fearing that he knows the truth of what happened all those years ago.
This is a well-paced film that contains clever dialogue, intriguing characters, and plot twists. The quick-witted/confidant Sam is a catalyst for change in the lives of the other characters, but he’s not always 100% sure of the right thing to do. Martha and Walter’s relationship is complicated and (IMO) HIGHLY dysfunctional. It’s fun to watch though!
Knightleyemma 