The Norma Desmonds: finding a director

Before starting with the photostory, I want to thank you all again for you kind words, sympathy, prayers and sweet comments. I really love being part of this community. I usually don't share personal things on my blog but I felt I had to give an explaination for my sudden disappearance. 
And the warmth of your response  really gave extra strenght. A  huge kiss to all of you!
Tecla's story is almost finished so it is possible I'm going to post several chapters in a row, if I'll be able to take and fix the pictures.

Nicola: Hi guys, I think I've managed to find us all a fancy job!
Omero: Uh?
Orso Maria: Are you serious?
Nicola: I'm serious as I can be. Just listen. I've just met Madame Tecla, she's planning a "return" and she offered me to write the script.

Orso Maria: Very nice, what it will be about?
Nicola: Salome. In her own words "What a woman. What a part. A princess in love with a holy man. ... He rejects her so she lays his head on a golden tray kissing his cold dead lips"....ha ha ha
Omero: Creepy
Nicola: Well, she's creepy enough to fit the part
Orso Maria: Where we do fit in?
Nicola: She's looking for a young director and cameramen. So I thought of the two of you.

Omero: Very kind of you, but it sounds like a crappy project
Orso Maria: Not really. If she plays Salome it would make  a nice horror movie. Do you think it will ever leave the ground?
Nicola: It is possible, she's got the money. She just have to find someone to actually produce it and get her a distribution contract. And even if we don't actually get it finished we could get some real doe out of this.

Orso Maria: I'm not convinced. I really want a real project to work on, I'm tired of commercials.
Omero: I agree with you brother. Nicola, your plan sounds as crazy as her movie. Besides, are you able to write this script?
Nicola: Thanks for the nice words guys, this is the reward for having though of you. And yes, she asked me a ten page treatment in a week's time. I believe she won't notice if I'm going to rip off Oscar Wilde.

Orso Maria: Oh oh.....Hot stuff. Now that I think about it, the Rambova movie was a mess but had a lot of interesting costumes and settings.
Omero: Don't tell me you are seriously thinking to go along with his plan!
Orso Maria: We can meet the lady, and if she's crazy as a bat as they say, we just go away. But if there's only one chance this is going to be a serious movie we should be in it!
Omero: You and your damned avant-guard silent movies!

Orso Maria: Well the dance in the Rambova's is completely still, it would be perfect for an inarticulated actress! Tell me Nicola, how well preserved is she? I mean do you think she can look the part?

Nicola: She looks very fine, I think that with the right lighning she could actually be perfect.
I was sure you would have liked the idea in the end! Now guys you just have to help me with this treatment.

Orso Maria: Uhmmm, I think she's got a De Mille thing in mind

Omero: If it is so, and you're going to direct this, she's in for a shock.
Orso Maria: Just try to be open minded for once!



Later on they are going through Sebastiano's library and Nicola is taking down some notes

Orso Maria: It was nice of Sebastiano to give us access to his library.
Nicola: He's a real friend, now he's busy rehearsing with his band so we have plenty of time.
Omero: Too bad he left this stinking dog here.
Orso Maria: Don't be rude with Winston! He's such a cutie. You're just nervous and you pick on the poor thing.
Omero: Ok, ok.

At home

Omero: Do you really think this will work out?
Orso Maria: I don't know, but she was a big star, and her butler was a great silent director. It will be interesting. And maybe Nicola will be able to write in a part for Camilla.
Omero: Improbable. And I do not feel comfortable with the whole idea.

Urban Safari: An Hommes Collection

I've been working on this "collection" for a while, almost six monthts, now the guys are proud to present the Urban Safari Collection for Hommes:

Of course you have seen some of these dresses and you shall see them in the next adventures of the guys, expecially Carlo shall use them in the next travelling dolly posts, but I thought the collection deserved a post of his own!

The guys look pretty handsome, perhaps these colours aren't really befitting for the pale ones, with the noticeable exeption of Carlo, he looks wonderful whatever the colour of the clothes is!

Carlo

Vittorio

Enrico

Orso Maria

Alessandro

Now you know what I've been up to in the last months!

African Tales: The short happy life of Francis Macomber

I love Hemingway, I love expecially  his short stories. I was a bit disappointed nobody noticed it by the quality of my prose ..... LOL
Ok, my prose is what it is, anyway, I was re-reading the complete collection of the shorts stories and I had an ispiration from "The short happy life of Francis Macomber". If you never read it just click on the link, it's worth the time.
The inspiration was for this set of pictures, it took me a while to prepare the dresses but here they are:

Camilla (as Margaret) is wearing a leopard printed mini dress inspired by a dress I own by Kookai,

Orso Maria (as Wilson - the white hunter) wears a simple safari suit,

Vittorio (Francis Macomber, who's happy life was really short) a more trendy safari suit.

And this is the picture inspired by the novel

The "Redhead Connection" presents: Roman Holidays featuring Carla and Valeria

I've been thinking a lot about showing some love to my MM girls, expecially to Carla and Valeria, who are simply beautiful. At first I simply thought of finding inspiration in some of Robert Best's fashions for silkstone, in particular I adore Market Day Barbie

Then I decided that sewing some floral dresses  and photoghraph them wouldn't do them justice. Ok, they are not poseable but they sure can strike that ONE pose....again Silkstone was a great source. As Mattel's latest campaing for silkstone is set in Rome, and I love Rome,  I decided to make an exercise in photomontages.
But, at least in my mind, Rome+lovely girls=Roman Holidays!!!!
I must add that sometime ago I found on e-bay a  wonderful blue Barbie Vespa for a nice price.
Mix everything together with my Redheaded Dolls Obsession, and you have "The Redhead Connection"!!!

I've been in Rome several times, in fact I have to go there due to work duties several times each year, but I never had any time to take pictures, so the photomontages are on stock images.
But I can tell you Rome is a very special place. Each time I go there, even for a few hours for a meeting I feel elated, there's something in the air.

These are the dresses I sew for Valeria and Carla, they are now ready to see some wonderful places and meet interesting people......

Let me introduce you to Orso Maria. He and Carla are in front of the Coloseum, Orso Maria is one of the new guys and soon you shall see him in all his glory, all the girls here are crazy about him. He's wearing a black tailored suit (D&G style, at least that's what I was trying to do) and a piquet white shirt

Borgo Pio is a lovely neighborood on the outskirts of Vatican City

Beautiful redheads posing in front of Fontana di Trevi:

Valeria and Giacomo visiting the Caracalla's Thermae. Giacomo is wearing a nice blue sweater I made out of a sock, and a pair of simple jeans. So far I can tell you he is Samuele little brother. More about him soon!

And before leaving  Giacomo shows Valeria around Rome by night. This is Piazza di Spagna, the atmosphere is pure magic!

Don't know yet if this is going to be the first of a series, but it was real fun!!! Possibly the Redhead Connection should present the "grand tour of Italy": Cinqueterre, Florence, Rome and Venice, let's see if I can keep up with my sewing and photomontages and all the projects around here!!! Maybe a "yearly instalment" LOL....hope you'll be patient enough....

As it took me ages to prepare this, our soundtrack shall be: Morcheeba "Rome wasn't built in a Day"

See you soon
Kisses, Billa