Wednesday, May 5, 2010

If I Wore a Venetian Mask Everyday, I'm Sure My Life Would Change

Bonjorno! And Welcome to Me.
Please note my Badly Spelled, or is it, Spelt? Greeting. In fact, I know so little Italian that I'm not entirely sure if I have spelled it incorrectly.
Anyway, I'm speaking Italian because I've just been watching a programme on Venice presented by English author Peter Ackroyd CBE, who seems to be Completely Unperturbed by the fact that he has a V. Noticeable Lisp. Throughout the show, he made an Absolute Point of saying as many words as he could with the letter 'R' in them, as that was his bete noire.
Now there's another Foreign Word that I'm not sure if I've spelled/spelt correctly, or in fact whether I've used it correctly.
Twenty million tourists visited Venice last year & I wasn't one of them.
And a good thing too. What an Absolute Nightmare.
I would have much preferred to visit it back in the eighteenth century, when sometimes the Mask-Wearing Carnivale went on for six whole months. Everyone, including judges, had to get up every morning & put on a mask, & if you didn't, you could be jailed, or fined or Severely Punished.
Apparently, all kinds of Louche Behaviour occurred in those back alleys because no one knew who you were.
Personally, I'd love to get up every morning & put on a different Venetian Mask.
I'm sure the day would go Quite Differently from the way it goes right now.

But of course I wasn't planning to talk about Venice.
I wanted to talk about the v. lovely & interesting comments that people posted about the blog name. Thank you v. much. I was soo thrilled.
So, in honour of Della Street Dreaming, I thought I'd post another of my Homage Paintings to The Show. Its a little painting featuring Paul Drake, played by William Hopper, totally hen-pecked son of Hollywood Gossip Columnist Hedda Hopper. Poor Bill was so sick of being nagged by Mum that he sadly died I think pretty much after the series was cancelled.
I've made that last bit up. Not the bit about him dying. But the bit about him dying because he was fed up with Mum. But let's just say that I've always thought it was true.
In the painting, Paul is apprehending a Greedy & Vindictive School Prefect who was stealing cakes out of girl's lockers.



Back to Me.
Here I am today at an unadorned whiteboard. I'm wearing one of my newly-made necklaces from my New Collection which doesn't yet have a name. If you can think of one, I'd love to steal it.
But I have given the necklace a Name. Its called 'The Suburban Buddha'. If you click on the image to enlarge it you will perhaps see why. A v. lovely wooden Buddha has been stuck on to a shell & an old screw-on earring like the ones that my Poor Old Grandmother used to wear has been stuck on to it. If that makes sense.
Perhaps you may care to know that I'm wearing a genuine Calvin Klein jacket that has a Nasty Unsightly Stain on the sleeve which is why they are slightly rolled up. The dress is by Australian Fashion Royalty, Scanlon & Theodore. Of course I got them at 'BednobsEtc'.

Lastly, I have No Real Desire to own a pair of Jimmy Choos. But I do love this ad featuring I think, Quincy Jones.
Please enlarge it if you can be bothered as I want you to inspect my newly-thrifted Sadly Toy Chanel Scarf. On monday afternoon, I was plodding home from school , grimly determined NOT to detour into 'BednobsEtc'. I had a V.V. Elderly Lady to visit in hospital who I've mentioned a few posts ago & who I'm not going to walk you through now.
But my legs couldn't help walking into the shop even though my Mind was sternly telling them not to.
The legs must be Deeply Intuitive because what did I behold as soon as I walked into the shop - TWO Chanel Scarves, both for ten bucks. The cheery assistant said that she thought they were real. At first I was only going to buy ONE, the navy one, which is my new favourite colour. I was trying to be generous to others. But then the Other Side of my personality emerged, & I greedily grabbed both. And I haven't felt even the teeniest bit guilty.
Yet.
Oh, they're not real sadly. Why I got them home, I inspected them forensically.



7 comments:

Trixie Drew said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Trixie Drew said...

Fabulous outfit! As for the toy Chanel scarves, I say, What is "real" in this post, post-modern world?

ReaderRita said...

Lovely scarf, real or not.
And holy cats! I did not know that William Hopper was Hedda Hopper's son- that's very interesting. I always thought him a very a dashing sort. I started out watching Perry Mason when I was very young, at my grandmother's house. I had to be very quiet when it was on, so it was easier to just watch it than to sit quietly. Sorry to hear that he died soon after their cancellation. He wasn't that old, I think. I remember seeing him in 20 Million Miles To Earth, and The Bad Seed, as i got older. (There was another big movie he was in as well, but I don't remember what it was offhand. Drat.) Each time, I would say: "It's Paul Drake."
And I quite like "The Suburban Buddha", both in name and composition. (and whose name brings to mind yet another movie...alas, no Paul Drake this time...)

ReaderRita said...

It wasn't one big name movie that I saw him in, it was two- Rebel Without a Cause, and The High and the Mighty. I was curious, so I looked it up.
(does that make me a cheater?)

Della Street Dreaming said...

Certainly not a cheater, ReaderRita! Its totally de rigeur these days to google everything! Glad you liked the stuff about Poor Old Paul Drake!

Gianni said...

Buongiorno!!
We are going to Venice next month & I thought it would be fun to wear a mask. I was told in no uncertain terms that you can only wear a mask during Carnival. Though I am sure in the 18th century they were worn quite frequently. Of course we are not in the 18th century.
Janavi

Darla said...

Had to go bigger on the picture with the necklace so I could see every detail. Love the little waterfall of rhinestones falling down below his feet.

Darla