THE GLAMOUR GEEK

I call these my Glamour Geeks because they remind me of that fabulous 30’s & 40’s film start Hedy Lamarr. Not only was she the most glamorous woman of her time she was also a mathematic genius or geek if you will. She was the first film star of her time to have done a full body nude scene early on and still have a substantial acting career in Hollywood.

‘You've Got A Date With Danger, A Rendezvous With Romance In The Glamorous, Mysterious Algiers’; that was the tagline of the 1938 movie Algiers, starring Hedy Lamarr and Charles Boyer (Grrrrrrrr). Hedy plays the beautiful and wealthy Parisian; Gaby who's visiting the mysterious Casbah in Algeria. I imagine Gaby wearing these stilettos with her black dress, white jacket and magnificent jewelry, wandering through the mazelike Casbah where she becomes entangled with Pepe Le Moko. Pepe is an international jewel thief who is hiding out with a fortune of stolen jewels, when he meets and falls for the stunning Gaby. I love the scene where you see him gaze upon each piece of her jewelry, lastly looking intently over her face; you can tell he’s intrigued, you just don’t know which he wants to steal more; her jewels or her heart. There is an extreme close up of her mouth as she smiles at him while he's admiring her and although the movie is in black and white you just know her lips are a vivid rich red.

I also love the art of the innuendo of the old movies:
Pepe le Moko: What did you do before?
Gaby: Before what?
Pepe le Moko: Before... the jewels.
Gaby: I wanted them.

Hedy’s real life had a lot of intrigue of its own; her first husband was a Viennese munitions dealer who consorted with the Nazi industrialists. At his parties in the mid through late 1930’s you could have had a martini and chatted with Hitler or Mussolini. It was during one of these parties Hedy wore all her expensive jewelry and afterwards with the help of her maid they drugged her husband and she made her escape out of the country with the jewelry, fleeing to Paris, where she obtained a divorce. She then moved to London and of course on to Hollywood to become the screen siren of the 30’s and 40’s.

I do believe she preferred her ‘geek’ side because she is quoted as saying: "Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid." I wonder what more she could have done had she pursued the intellectual part of her life instead of the acting side.

As for the geek side; she was co-inventor of the earliest form of the telecommunications method known as "frequency hopping", which used a piano roll to change between 88 frequencies and made radio-guided torpedoes harder for enemies to detect or jam. The method received a U.S. patent in 1942, under the name "Secret Communications System". I can see her in the stilettos and a sleek suit, jacket off, silk shirt underneath unbuttoned just to there…. In an office with her co-inventor, sitting on the desk leg dangling, cigarette between her red nails, chalk boards filled with code we don’t understand (the perfect Glamour Geek). Now if you think since their invention was used during WWII it is outdated well…. frequency hopping is now widely used in cell phones and other modern technology. However neither she nor her co-inventor profited from it, because their patents were allowed to expire decades before the modern wireless boom. In 1997 she received an award from the Electronic Frontier Foundation for her pioneering work in spread-spectrum technology.

For me Hedy Lamarr with her jet black hair, pale alabaster skin, dark red lips and sultry on-screen demeanor in conjunction with the intellect she exuded will forever be the epitome of GLAMOUR!

So today when I went to our corporate office for a test, I decided I had to wear my Glamour Geeks. Although the test was nothing mathematically challenging, it was only on our new sales techniques. I not only felt stylish in my charcoal grey pants, white silk shirt (unbuttoned just to there…), vivid red lipstick and pearls; I also felt more intelligent. It must have worked because I passed with flying colors and looked chic doing it!

EYE CANDY

EYE CANDY

LOVE is in the air; its Valentine's Day today so I decide even though I'm not going to be receiving a dozen or so white roses delivered in the arms of an adorable man and I may not be having a wonderfully romantic dinner with someone special, I'm still worthy of a treat!  Unlike my myriad of friends whose husbands, boyfriends or lovers cooked for them or brought them flowers or sent them off for some pampering or even served them breakfast in bed; no one is around to pamper me; except me.  In contrast to my eldest daughter whose loving and thoughtful husband made personalized cards sending her on a scavenger hunt around their house for a new Coach purse (in her favorite lilac color); nothing nearly that romantic is going on in my life today, which is okay.  I just wish more of my single friends would do something special for themselves today; whether it's a mani/pedi or going to a movie no one else wanted to see or just staying home with a good book and sour apple martini - I want to say to all of them, Do something for yourself, you deserve it!

Today I decide to indulge myself and spend the day with me!  First I head out for a good morning workout with my daughter (yes, the one with the thoughtful husband - who is now off coaching his swim team all day while she relaxes). Then it's off I go to have a pedicure, a nice lunch, maybe some window shopping and if something should catch my eye then I just might have to buy myself something.

I begin at my favorite shoe store (of course) and there she is; Candy, she's sitting on a shelf all by herself or at least she's the only one I notice, I'm drawn to her like a moth to a flame, instantly seduced by her beauty; all I can think is she looks just like a shiny red candy apple!  Although not round like an apple, she has pointy toes, 4" stiletto heels and her patent leather coating is so rich and is the perfect shade of red, I mean just look at her!  They are the ideal Valentine's Day high-heel; red, seductive and flirty, what more could you ask for?  Besides, I never need an excuse to buy red or black shoes because they go with everything!  I try on several other pairs, but none compare to Candy, she's a must-have.

Next it's off to my pedicure appointment; I relax in the chair and feel myself unwinding during my foot massage.  Mmmmmmm, it's so soothing, this masseuse has really strong hands and it's just what I needed.  I've chosen red toe-nail polish to match my new shoes.  When my ten little toes are all pretty in red, I head across the way to Starbucks to let them dry completely.  I sit sipping my latte and people watching, I'm noticing a lot of anxious looking men rushing about, can we say last minute shopping?  My toes are dry now and I change into my new stilettos, Candy looks magnificent peeking out from under my jeans and she complements the hot pink, red, white and black polka-dot top I have on.

I now feel glamorous and feisty, even though I'm wearing jeans.  My candy apple red stilettos make a statement and are most definitely not for the faint of heart!  "I'm a force to be reckoned with!" Candy says, so off I sashay to do some window shopping.

My next stop is one of my favorite department stores where I peruse the handbag, jewelry and shoe sections, I don't find anything I must have, so I head upstairs to the fashion department, deciding on the way I need a new pair of jeans.  I try on many different pairs, and the fit on most are really nice, however I've noticed lately that the majority of jeans start to sag in the rear after one wearing and I have to wash them after every wear (I think it's the amount of spandex they're using in nearly all jeans these days).  My daughter swears by the brand 'Seven' and says they won't lose their shape. I try on a few pairs of 'Sevens' and really like the way they look and fit me and although they are more expensive than most of the jeans I own, I decide what the heck, I'm worth it!  While standing in line to pay for them the lady behind me comments on Candy.
"What beautiful shoes, they're a great color." She says.
"Thank you, I just bought them, I saw the color and couldn't resist." I reply.
I notice the nice looking man standing behind her admiring Candy too, I arch my foot seductively, when he looks up I smile and chuckle, he smiles back coyly.  After I happily leave the store with the perfect jeans (which by the way look great with Candy) I set out to get some lunch.

I sit outside on the patio during lunch and indulge in one of my favorite appetizers and a lemon drop martini, enjoying the time by myself watching people pass by, knowing I have absolutely no obligations today, ahhhhh, peaceful!  At the end of my meal, I treat myself to the perfect dessert; Creme Brule with raspberries, yummy decadence.

After my leisurely lunch I decide it's time to head home.  I take my time walking through the mall, enjoying the looks Candy is getting; all the way through to the other end where the parking structure is. I put my bags in the trunk and notice my cell phone is missing, uggggggh!  I head back into the mall and start backtracking:
Shoe store: NO
Starbucks: NO
Nail salon: NO
Macy's: NO
Restaurant: NO
Mall concierge: NO, damn!

On the way back to my car I ponder when I last saw it, I remember being distracted by that good-looking man in Macy's, did I leave my cell on the counter when I paid for my new jeans? I do believe it's the last place I remember seeing my phone. If I did leave it there accidentally, did he pick it up? Is he roaming the mall searching for me? Eager to meet the woman in those captivating red shoes? Maybe he's hoping to be my knight in shining armor who has rescued my wayward phone... I know, I know, but a girl can dream can't she?  It is Valentine's Day!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to all my single friends, please pamper yourselves, you deserve it!

LUCKY

LUCKY

I purchased these on the best shopping day of the year - the day after Christmas.  My daughters; Macaria and Breann and I have made this our family tradition for the past eighteen years.  We know we will spend the entire day in our jeans and comfy shoes (yes, I own a few pairs of those too! - notice I said a few) roaming the mall, having a leisurley lunch and making several treks to the car with packages.  No matter how often I shop thoughout the year, this is the ideal shopping day, sharing my favorite sport with my daughters and spending time with them, nothing could be better.  Okay, I'm done with the sappy Mom stuff.

When I tried these on in the store I was wearing my black jeans and they looked marvelous together; they are the perfecrt height and color for the jeans.  Both Macaria and Breann said "Oh, Mom you have to have those!" So I bought them.  I decided immediately they weren't really shoes for work, however they were most definitely fun shoes.  I originally named them my Harley Hotties because I thought they would look great peekin out from under a pair of black leather pants on the back of a big sleek Harley, heading out on an adventure along the coast.

The first time I wore my Harley Hotties they went on quite a different adventure then the one I previously thought they would and I would come to realzie I will have to re-name them Lucky.  I decide to pair them with my black jeans and a nice low-cut cobalt blue top that has a really cool blue and silver beaded embellishment on the front and added some really fun big earrings and bracelets.  I was meeting Tyler at one of the many Indian Casinos we have dotted throughout Southern California.  Anyway, I met up with my darling man for dinner at Cielo, it's a nice steak and seafood restaurant on the top floor overlooking the local mountains.  The ambience is wonderful, their stunning chandeliers change colors mimicking the sunsets you can see out the windows.

After a wonderfully romantic dinner we decide to walk around the casino and do our share of gambling.  Tyler likes to paly craps for a few hours, I however am not much of a gambler, I usually put between twenty and fifty dollars into a slot machine and when it's gone I'm done, whether I've played for 5 minutes or 5 hours.  I've won a few hundred dollars on the slots a couple of times in my adult life.  I don't gamble enough to win big which is okay with me because I don't lose big either.  Walking through the casino we're perusing the tables to see which one feels right; we finally stop at the loudest table, the one with the people who seem to be having the most fun.  There's some open space so we slide into it and Tyler starts betting.  I stay to watch for awhile; and cheer him on, I blow on the dice for luck when it's Tyler's turn to roll.  Someone yells "C'mon, momma needs a new pair of shoes." Tyler whispers to me "You've got enough; by the way, I love the ones you're wearing."  I'm having fun just watching, laughing, yelling and mostly enjoying the high energy from the crowd of people.  After about an hour I guess lady luck got bored, because she seemed to have disappeared from the table.  Tyler decides it's time to stop while he's ahead, about $400.00

He hands me $100.00, kisses me and says "This is for being my good luck charm", I laugh and say "We'll have to see how long I can keep the luck going."  Tyler follows me over to the Wheel of Fortune slot machines; my daughter Macaria and my mom love these ones and always seem to have good luck on them.  "Five cents! You could at least play the dollar slots." Tyler says.  "Yes, but this one caught my eye first." I reply.  I put in $20.00 and hit the 5 lines and 3 bets per line buttons and nothing happens.  Tyler asks "How do you know what lines you're playing and how much you'll win if you only bet 3 per line?"  "I have no idea; I wish these were like the old ones that had only 1 to 3 lines and you could only bet 1 or all 3 lines." I respond.  I decide to play max lines and max bet and hit the spin button, at least this way I know I'll receive the maximum payout whatever that might be, but again nothing.

I hit the repeat bet button and now the fun begins; the maching starts chanting "Wheel of Fortune" over and over again.  I look up to see the wheel at the top spinning; it stops on the red panel and a red banner starts flashing on the screen "$650.00 WINNER" and the machine is cheering.  "Are you kidding me?" Tyler yells.  I start laughing; jump out of the chair and start hugging him, we're both laughing and hugging like a couple of teenagers. Once I regain my senses, I decide to keep playing, but tell myself I will stop at $600.00 and not go any lower.  I play for another half hour and cash out at $599.75.

When each of my daughters turned 21 we had their birthdays in Las Vegas and I taught them when you win, you buy yourself something so you can enjoy the win, then you put the rest away or pay bills.  So..... Momma is gonna get a new pair of shoes - stilettos that is!

I cash out my ticket and when I try to pay Tyler back the money he gave me to gamble with, he nuzzles my neck and whispers "You can buy me dinner next week, until then I have other ideas my lucky lady."  I think to myself; Hmmmmm, I think I need to rename these stilettos LUCKY!