Daily Outfit

Sweater: vintage

Skirt: vintage

Belt: thrifted

Stockings: WKD

Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell

This is my last outfit post with my blue door.

This past month has been rather hectic for me and so I haven't been around much and this blog has been on autopilot, but I'm back now.

At the end of February, our landlord told us that she was going to sell the house we've (I still live at home, because Vancouver is the most expensive city in Canada) been living in for the past ten years and would we please move out in thirty days. So, instead of using my new degree to look for a non retail job, or at least figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life, I've had to pack up everything when I wasn't working. I tried to work on my blog in between packing boxes, but my cat objected to my packing his room and preferred that I be in a state of sleep deprivation, so I'm left with half finished drafts and scribbles of paper with ideas for posts and four Cinema Tuesdays posts in a row.

We finally moved on Friday to an old house in a one of the few neighbourhoods that I've never explored. I was shocked to discover this weekend that after not being connected to the internet for three days, the minority government in Ottawa had finally fallen over the new budget and a national election had been declared. I will explain this to any American readers who ask.

I now live in a hundred year old attic, which is lovely, only the slanted walls prevent me from setting up any tall Ikea bookcases with my eighteen boxes of books. But I do have room to set up my 1940's sewing machine in my room instead of in the narrow hallway like it was in my old place. I also don't have enough closet space for my clothes (of which I have not bought any in two and a half months), so I will be accepting any offers on some of my clothes in addition to listing some pieces on Etsy, when I have the chance. Does anyone have any recommendations on which clothes racks are the best and most inexpensive?

In order to pay for a trip to Ikea, I will be having a month long sale in my shop of 25% off all wall art and clothes starting tomorrow.

Any suggestions on what kind of posts you would like to read next?

I love Victor Borge! He's just so brilliant! You may have seen him on your local PBS station during the pledge drives. This is his Phonetic Punctuation piece, which is wonderfully hilarious:

Cinema Tuesdays {Bluebeard's Eighth Wife}

From 1938, here is a little known Lubitsch Screwball starring Claudette Colbert, Gary Cooper and Edward Everett Horton and co-written by Billy Wilder!

The Scene: The French Riviera.

This is Michael, an American multi-millionaire. He only wants to buy the top to a pair of pyjamas. You can tell that he's never had to work in retail and he's used to getting his own way.

After causing a stink with the management, in waltzes Nicole, who only wants to buy pyjama bottoms. She gives Michael a tip to cure his insomnia (slowly spell Czechoslovakia backwards while stretching in bed) and they make a deal.

So, why does a nice girl like Nicole want to by the bottoms to a pair of men's pyjama's?

Michael then moves to a different suite in the hotel and is shocked to find a broken down Marquis in his bed. The Marquis tries to offer Michael a business deal, but when Michael points out that it's a con, the Marquis offers to sell him Louis XIV's bathtub in exchange for enough money to pay his past due hotel bill. Michael refuses until he sees the Marquis' pyjama bottoms and learns that he's Nicole's father.

Young David Niven (when he was still playing second fiddle roles) plays Albert, another broke aristocrat.

"Nicole, who is that strange man over there?"

"I don't know. I've only met him once, but I do know that he sleeps only in the tops of his pyjamas"

Michael thinks that buying the bathtub has also bought a date with Nicole. So, she sends him off with a flea in his ear.

"I wish someone would tell you what I really think of you."

Isn't this a great dress. Miss Colbert wears a lot of these frilly Thirties dresses here.

Eventually they do go out.

Two weeks later, when they are announcing their engagement, Michael casually mentions that he has been married seven times before and that each of his wives receive $50,000 a year for the rest of their lives. Nicole agrees to marry him if she gets twice that, since she is taking a big risk in becoming the eighth wife.

Nicole has a plan as to how to get a divorce and tame Michael.

The newlyweds eventually return to Paris and live in separate wings in their flat.

Michael tries to make Nicole into a wife he can control and just listen to how the soundtrack illustrates what Michael is thinking:

Of course, Michael doesn't realize that he is Katherina and Nicole has been playing Petruchio since they got hitched.

Eventually, Michael gets Nicole to stay home one night for a quiet supper to work on their marriage.

It goes well, until Nicole realizes how much wine Michael has plied her with. Fortunately, she thinks of a way out.

When Michael starts receiving anonymous letter, he hires a detective to follow his wife and discovers that there is no other man.

Nicole then blackmails the detective into revealing Michael's plan to catch her is the act the Invisible Man and comes up with a counter plan.

Nicole does get her divorce and her husband back.

Her plan involves this fab outfit,

Albert in his shirt tails,

And Michael in a straight jacket.

Bluebeard's Eighth Wife is only available on Region 1 as part of the Universal Vault Collection (which is expensive). Or you could always download it in a couple of hours.

Cinema Tuesdays {Phffft!}

From 1954 it's the second movie that Jack Lemmon and Judy Holliday made together, after this one.

In 1946, Charlie and Robert spend the entire war (or at least since the Americans finally joined) working for the Navy behind a desk in New York.

Charlie then introduces Robert to Nina, a young radio writer doing research on the Navy. He offers to help her do her taxes, but not on the government's time of course.

So they go back to her room and Robert explains his interesting theory about receipts.

At the end of the summer, Robert has received his discharge and has gotten a job at a law firm and Nina has been given her own soap opera to write.

Robert then suggests that maybe they should file a joint income tax return.

Fast Forward eight years and Robert is a partner in his firm and Nina is now writing the very successful TV show: Serena Noble, Doctor's Wife.

However their marriage is stuck in a rut, so Nina suggests that maybe they should get divorced.

And Robert says that he has come to the same conclusion.

Isn't this a great bathroom.

"Well Mrs. Tracey, that sure was a beautiful divorce"

"He'll probably never get over me"

So, Robert moves in with Charlie, who's still a bachelor.

And Nina's mother picks her up from the airport and takes her for a liquid lunch.

Nina is then asked out by the lead actor from her TV show.

But he only wanted to offer her suggestion about what to do with his character.

All Robert wants to do is to finish his book, but Charlie sends him on a date with this girl named Janice that he knows.

This is Kim Novak's first movie and she does this impression/parody of Marilyn for the entire movie.

Robert can't believe how dumb Janice is or that she invites herself up to his place before they've eaten.

Robert then gets depressed and sends Janice on her way.

Isn't this a great dress! Reminds me of Grace Kelly's in Rear Window.

Nina is also depressed and so she decides to learn French, but she isn't good at it.

Robert, being middle aged, buys a red sports car.

Whereas Nina buys a new wardrobe.

They had planned to take dance lessons while they were married, so now they both head down to Arthur Murray.

Nice sleeves.

Robert also grows a moustache and blonde young enough to be his daughter.

I love her jewellery here.

Look who is about to run into each other.

Maybe if they had gone dancing once in a while, they wouldn't have gotten divorced.

I love her black dress in this scene. Wait till you see it in action, it's perfect.

The next day Robert has his secretary call Nina.

Isn't this just the perfect outfit for that at home days?

Robert goes over that night to go over Nina's taxes, but it doesn't go well. I always wear a little black dress when going over my taxes, don't you?

Mother then suggests that Nina should try a little rebound to get over Robert.

Robert has the same thought and trades in his moustache for a velvet robe and calls Janice over to see his tiger skin rug.

Janice then mentions that Charlie has gone to play pony express with Nina that night.

Good Ol' Charlie.

So, how do Nina and Robert get back together?