Top Hat

If you need some glamourous inspiration, I highly recommend Top Hat (1935), starring Fred and Ginger! 

It is Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers' most famous musical comedy, and the stunning sets and costumes are at the same incredible level as their dancing!

The lighting and contrasts are so elegant.

An American in Paris

 An American in Paris is a fun musical full of exuberant song and dance set to an exclusively Gershwin score. It stars the dynamic dancer, singer, actor, and choreographer Gene Kelly alongside impressively flexible Leslie Caron, who has a contagious ear-to-ear smile.

 The 17 minute ballet at the end of the film is the real stunner, as it brings to life the art of Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir, Utrillo, Rousseau, and Dufy in rhythm and vivacious sets and costumes.

 This storefront is so delightfully masculine, as was Gene Kelly's style of dance.

Notice all the vibrant stripes used against the simple leaf shapes.

 Gene Kelly even transforms into Toulouse-Lautrec's Chocolat in a hilariously wiggly dance!

 It is a riot of colour.

Magnifique!

Découpaged Musical Stool

Here's the twin to my Franglais Stool--my Musical Stool!

 I découpaged it with sheet music I saved from the trash at a book sale I volunteered at.

The Lonely Goatherd

When Spoonflower announced their Goats challenge, the first thing I thought of was "The Lonely Goatherd" from The Sound of Music. Then, when I looked at the palette for the contest I was pleasantly surprised to see that it is pretty much the exact colours of the boy puppet in the musical. Hence, my design The Lonely Goatherd is in Spoonflower's challenge of the week!

The Sound of Music: 50 Years Later

The Sound of Music was released March 2nd, 1965, 50 years ago today! It is one of my favourite movies; it is so inspiring. What could top a passionate nun/nanny singing her guts out? Ha! And yes, of course, that's edelweiss below those mountains! I'm reading this LIFE magazine issue dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the film, the behind-the-scenes, and the true story of it all.

Funny Face

Starring Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire,  Funny Face is a hilariously predictable movie from 1957 about an introspective librarian who is made into chic sensation a by a fashion magazine. The movie is glamorously filmed, the songs and dances are impressive and catchy, and the actors are believable and amusing. It's just one of those pleasant films. Here's a taste of the charm:

Kay Thompson is fabulous as the witty fashion magazine editor.

"Think pink!"

"Bonjour, Paris!"

Funny Face was Audrey Hepburn's dream come true; she got to dance with Fred Astaire.

But the glamour doesn't always go as planned...