No-Neck Monsters

Wednesday, March 29, 2011

I did a 180 from yesterday -- today my inspiration was Dame Elizabeth. Seriously, can you see the similarity between us?

shirt -- Attention (thrifted)

pants -- Old Navy

shoes -- Dansko (outlet)

I was shocked to hear that Elizabeth Taylor had died. She was somebody who seemed like she would live forever -- she seemed larger than life. And it's not like I was this big huge fan of hers -- I can only remember seeing one of her movies, and that's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. 

"Yep, they're no-neck monsters, all no-neck people are monsters."
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

I don't know what it is about this line or the phrase "no-neck monsters," but it's one of my all-time favorite lines. I just love it. It makes me crack up every time I hear it or think of it. Maybe it's just that whenever I hear it -- I think of when my own kids had their moments of being no-neck monsters, and it's just such a great descriptor. Say no more.

Anyway, I really, really did try to emulate Dame Elizabeth. First and foremost, I wore her perfume -- Passion -- to get me in the mood. It was the first perfume I ever bought! And then, I always think of her as wearing something that was off the shoulders (her White Shoulders perfume was named that for a reason).

I picked a v-neck (not to be confused with a no-neck) that also had a v in the back. I was actually kind of surprised that I wore it! My clothes are usually much more conservative (aka boring).

 
It wasn't an off-the-shoulder top, but it looks really different if I pull it down on my shoulders a bit. (I think I should have skipped the necklace though and gone with bare shoulders.)

I also added some bling -- a necklace, a bracelet, and a big huge ring -- after all, Liz was known for her jewels. My belt was chains of rhinestones. And lastly, my shirt had sequins and beads sewn all over it -- front and back. She was also known for her violet eyes, so I wore purple -- bright purple.

Some fun facts about Elizabeth Taylor

1. She had a lemonade stand before she made movies.
2. She loved to cut hair. 
3. She had seen every episode of Law and Order. Her children and Mariska Hargitay played together when they were children. 
4. She converted to Judaism in 1959.
5. She appeared in The Flintstones in 1994, because some of the proceeds would benefit AIDS research.
6. She appeared in an ABC-TV special in 1997 that marked her 65th birthday and raised money for AIDS research. The following day, her doctor removed a 2-inch tumor from her brain.
7. She was the first American actress to earn $1 million dollars for a role in a movie. That movie was Cleopatra.  
8. She did not like to be called Liz. 
9. She was a fan of General Hospital, and it was her request that led to her cameo appearance. 
10. She was born with an extra set of eyelashes, which was a genetic mutation known as distichiasis,

and I love her quotes ...

1. I have the emotions of a child in the body of a woman. 
2. I think I'm finally growing up - and about time.
3. I am a very committed wife. And I should be committed too - for being married so many times.
   
4. It's not the having, it's the getting.
5. Big girls need big diamonds.
6. I fell off my pink cloud with a thud.
7. I adore wearing gems, but not because they are mine. You can't possess radiance, you can only admire it.It is strange that the years teach us patience; that the shorter our time, the greater our capacity for waiting.
   
8. I don't think President Bush is doing anything at all about AIDS. In fact, I'm not sure he even knows how to spell AIDS.
9. The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they're going to have some pretty annoying virtues.

Elizabeth Taylor was an amazing woman. I admired her. She was a  beautiful woman -- inside and out. I wish I could have done more with my outfit, but honestly -- I think she would have liked it. It was fun. She loved life, and that's what I tried to portray in my outfit.
 

"Tonight I am asking for your help. I call upon you to draw from the depths of your being to prove that we are a human race. To prove that our love outweighs our need to hate. That our compassion is more compelling than our need to blame. That our sensitivity to those in need is stronger than our greed. That our ability to reason overcomes our fear. And that at the end of each of our lives, we can look back and be proud that we have treated others with the kindness, dignity and respect that every human being deserves. Thank you and God bless."  

-- Elizabeth Taylor