Miranda Coutts

http://www.missbudd.com/posing.html I received an email recently from D'iora suggesting I take a look at this website. After I finally found time to peruse the site at my leisure, I thought I'd share it with you, too. I think you'll appreciate it. This is a design company in London specializing in accessories with the pin-up girl theme. Do take a look, some of their designs are just delightful.

Seasons greetings. kittens! This year we are commencing our celebrations with the original kitty-cat - Eartha Kitt and her rendition of "Santa Baby". Just as a side fact, my mother used to babysit Eartha's baby girl. Wishing you a happy and festive Xmas or Hannukah and a healthy, prosperous new year. May next year be better than 2010!

For the inaugural edition of Ms Laure's Song of the Month, I've chosen to debut with a song from the classic film "Funny Girl" complete with overture, in which Barbra Streisand plays a female version of Al Jolson (although she's a friendlier version!) and she sings this solo with such heart-felt emotion. It's called My Man. It's from the final scene of the film when her husband returns from jail, visits her backstage at a concert and then breaks her heart and leaves her. I also love Billie Holiday's version of this song.

From top: Print ad by Tom Munro - Jusin Timberlake with Noot Sear, Justin Timberlake, Kate Moss and Marc Jacobs. Do you think there are just too many celebrities launching their own range of perfumes? Do you think most modern American perfumes smell, well. . . somewhat synthetic? Remember how lovely Audrey Hepburn looked clad from head to toe in Givenchy haute couture. We love Hubert de Givenchy! We love him for having our divine Ms Hepburn as his timeless muse! We love Liv Tyler as the face of the Givenchy cosmetics line. Well, now the legendary house of design has a new celebrity fragrance to promote. The film to follow the launch of the new scent has footage of Mr Timberlake and model of the moment Noot Sear running around Paris and up the Eiffel Tower at night. Justin Timberlake's first fragrance for Givenchy was Play for Him. Now he has launched his first perfume for the ladies and it's called Play for Her (you'd have guessed that name, wouldn't you?). Very sma...

According to female readers of Esquire magazine, Christina Hendricks is currently the sexiest woman in the world. Christina is both British and American and although she's most famous for her divinely curvaceous figure and luscious red hair, she is actually really a natural blonde. Watch Christina as head secretary Joan Holloway in Emmy Award winning TV series Mad Men and you'll be adoring her too.

Let me share with you one of my favourite recipes. Calabrese Salad Ingredients: 2 vine ripened assorted organic tomatoes 1 small bunch fresh organic basil 2 balls of bocconcini 1 pinch sea salt flakes 1 dash of cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. Method: Roughly chop the tomatoes, basil and bocconcini. Mix them up on a plate or bowl and then sprinkle with salt and olive oil.

In my perfect world, on a good day the Rockettes would be dancing behind me whilst I take a leisurely stroll down the street. Entire orchestras would play overtures to match my feelings. Random people would enthusiastically dance in unison around me and sing. Even the poor people on the streets would juggle the fresh fruits they are pedaling and the homeless would skip along the sidewalks. Of course, this is my PERFECT world. On any given day, these scenarios quite regularly do play through my mind, though I will vary the themes, the costumes and the songs. But alas, life is not a stage show or the climax scene of an 80's dance movie. Nobody will break into a dance when I enter a room, or cartwheel before me when I walk down the aisle in a cinema. Nobody will run after me with a bunch of long-stemmed roses and there will be no spotlight on me during my heartfelt, Tony Award winning solo. Reality, which I'd like to choose to deny is I am not...

The majority of my training schedule is late in the days. I usually have a driver collect me. Today he'll be here at 3:45pm and I'll meet him in the lobby. Until then I'm at leisure. I slept in today, wandered down to the relaxing hotel pool area and bathed (that's my exercise done!), lounged and read sections of the latest Tatler magazine. I love it how they have a double outdoor shower, it's fantastic! Sometimes I'll wander down the street for a coffee and some brunch. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow...

Tony Curtis (real name Bernard Schwartz) passed away on September 29th 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Star of one of my all time favourite films "Some Like It Hot". He is the man the handsome prince charming in Sleeping Beauty was drawn to reflect. Sparticus has passed away... It seems as though all of the REAL stars of Hollywood are disappearing.

Well petals, I just can't stay away, can I?! I've packed up my humble boudoir, said goodbye to the kind boy downstairs, given away my furnishings to the less fortunate and the just-willing-to-take, sent my feathered-son (my divine bird) to board with a dear friend. Now I am languishing about in a fine hotel in Sydney for a while. Cest la vie... I have a new job, as an air hostess. Yes, that is correct - an air hostess! God bless the airline industry! The company is trying so very, very hard to teach me how to be a good air hostess as they have plans of flying me up to London so I can fly friendly in the sky. Queue the British anthem...

Her name is Anne Jacqueline Hathaway and we are the same height and also like me, she is the daughter of a stage actress. People tend to call her Annie. The first time I heard someone talk about Anne Hathaway, I just assumed they were talking about William Shakespeare's wife. As you can tell, I was very confused indeed. Yes, she shares the same name as Mrs Shakespeare, but this Anne isn't british, she a Yankie born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in New Jersey. Anne is an award-winning soprano and an award-winning actress. Like all good bombshells, she loves animals and has a very happy 6 year old chocolate labrador named Esmerelda. Another Bombshell bonus about Annie is she spent a week in July 2006 in Nicaragua helping vaccinate kids there against Hepatitis A and it was an experience she regards as "..an eye opener". We should ALL go and spend a week in Nicaragua (we should also all learn now to spell Nicaragua). The following is a list of her favourite actresses...

One item of furniture most crucial to every Bombshell's boudoir is a Fainting Couch or a Chaise Longue. These are uphosltered chairs which are long enough to support the legs. A duchesse brisee is similar, but looks like a sideways-facing chair together with a long footstool. A chaise longue with a backrest at both ends is known as a recamier. Any of these will do handsomely, just as long as you have one for yourself. I love the whole sublime idea of a fainting couch. They were very popular with women in the 19th century. This was because women in Victorian-era societies almost universally wore corsets which put substantial strain on the wearer's midsection and restricted their blood flow. When a woman would ascend stairs in a house or other structure, she would often feel faint – and a well-appointed home or building would have a fainting couch at the top of every set of stairs for her use. Some houses would take this to the level of having separate fainting rooms wher...

Vanessa Paradis is one very lucky girl. Her long-term Bombshell boyfriend, actor and musician Johnny Depp bought her an island in the Bahamas so they can be alone with just their two children Jack and Lily-Rose. Tres cosy. She's a singer, actress, model... like most Bombshells. She wears hats and looks fabulous in them like all Bombshells do. She's not a conventionalist and she smokes (again, like most bombshells - though I don't promote smoking). She was born just outside of Paris and has one younger sister who is also an actress, of mainly french horror films. Vanessa has been modelling since she was a child and has a long-term afilliation with the fashion house Chanel for which she began working for in the 1980's campaign for the perfume Coco (a perfume I favor). She was dressed somewhat like a bird. Vanessa is an unconventional beauty as she has petite and has a sizeable gap between her two front teeth. She's more bohemian than standard Bombshells. Her family ...

It just so happens that whilst languishing in the bathtub or just on the verge of sleep, Bombshells have their most noteworthy ideas. Like last night, whilst I was feeling low (as you know from my previous post), simultaneously running a high fever. I thought of an entire plot-line for a book. Or a script. Or a TV special. It's just not fair to have these creative habits, we all know we need our 9 hours of beauty sleep! But do you think I remember it all? Something else that isn't fair is ferociously training for an audition and entirely losing your voice just in the nick of time. Is it also ironic that both my sister and my little red kabbalah bracelets broke? Or was it just shabby craftsmanship? I'd prefer to think the latter. . .

Please forgive me for not posting anything lately, I've been completely overwhelmed in life's little surprises. These are a few of the reasons it has been a while since my last entry... My sister's cancer has returned, my neighbour was robbed, my grandmother died, I'm obscenely septic with the flu and my voice is gone once again, the theatre was set on fire by arsonists and my little bread-and-butter job has been made obsolete. The show must go on!

These items were chosen for sale by Kitty Larue and will be available within the next 3 months. The chillis remind me of Jane Russell. You can find them at: http://www.madeit.com.au/storecatalog.asp?userid=18478

The first thing I will tell you about this Miss Hungary of 1936, is her name is Sari Gabor, but everyone calls her Zsa Zsa. Zsa Zsa, her sister Magda and her actress sister Eva (oh, I adore Eva in "Green Acres") are from Budapest, Hungary and besides Holly Golightly and Jeannie Little she's one of the most famous women to use the world "dahling" when addressing people. Zsa Zsa is most famous for her many fantastic quotes and also her many marriages. I think she's had nine husbands. But so many great quotes. Amongst her noteworthy quotes are: "I have never hated a man enough to give his diamonds back." "A girl must marry for love, and keep on marrying until she finds it." "To a smart girl men are no problem - they're the answer." "I never remember anybody's name. How do you think...

Winter is definitely not the season for hiding away and mourning the absence of sunny days gone by. Embrace this season with excitement and joy. Winter is the time to wear your silken stockings, luxurious fabrics, beautiful hairstyles and glamorous hats. There are bountiful positive aspects to winter as I'll explain. You can rest assured that your makeup will endure far longer in winter as you won't glow/sweat during the colder seasons. Make moisturizing your skin a regular ritual as skin becomes drier due to windy air and indoor heating. Your tactile and olfactory senses come into full use. You can wear your winter perfume and your favourite stockings which weren't appropriate during the sticky heat of the summer months. You can also afford to indulge a little more at your favourite bistro as you can cover up any excess weight with cashmere cardigans and woolen coats. Red lips look better in winter and we all know a good lipstick m...

Carine Gilson is a Brussels-based lingerie designer. Her undergarments are like precious little works of art. She uses chantilly laces and finest silks. Her garments are hand made with exquisite precision. It is a treat to own one of these little sweeties. Her website is www.carinegilson.com It's entirely in french, but if you can't read french, you can click the button for it to translate into english. It's well worth a sneaky-peek. Or two.

I've decided it's due time to compile a list of perfumes a bombshell would and would not wear. A smaller list can be found in Laren Stovers book - Bombshell Manual of Style. Please keep in mind that a Bombshell would NEVER wear: "Anything that smells like food: vanilla, single fruit notes like strawberry or apple. Jolting, loud or overwhelming fragrances like Opium, Poison and Giorgio (leave those perfumes to the Divas!). True Bombshells also never wear overtly green scents like Calyx, Laura Ashley - too innocent. Obsession. CK One. Eternity. Musk. Tea Rose. Charlie." Bombshell perfumes loved by Bombshells past and present: Arpege by Lanvin Bombshell users: Jayne Mansfield, Rita Hayworth, Jacqueline Bissette and Diana Princess Of Wales Femme by Rochas Bombshell user: Mae West Chan el "all except Allure which a bombshell might buy for a niece but finds it too girlish for herself" No 22 : Catherine Deneuve No 5 : Marilyn Monroe, Jessica Al...

Such a sad life for such a strong, beautiful lady battling against so many odds. I've been meaning to post something on Dorothy Dandridge for sometime. Dorothy Jean Dandridge died alone in her apartment on 8495 Fountain Ave, West Hollywood, on November 8th, 1965 of an overdose of barbituates. There was only $2.14 in her bank account. Her money struggles had forced her to admit her young, brain-damaged daughter into a mental institution. She never did perform at Basin Street East in New York the following day, as planned. Dorothy was the elder of two sisters who sang and danced in a traveling act before and during the Great Depression with Ruby, their theatrically-inclined divorced mother, before settling in Hollywood in desperate hopes of finding work. Although she was an amazing cabaret performer, she did not like it and suffered from crippling stage fright. As a struggling actress, she befriended others in the same boat such as Ava Gardener and Mar...

"Schnauze" means "snout" in German. These dogs are called schnauzers due to their disctinctively furry muzzles. I choose this dog as a top select companion as they are kind, loyal, calm, easy to train, affectionate and so intelligent. They also don't malt their fur, which makes them a fine choice for the allergy-prone Bombshell. Originally bred to be rat-catchers, guard dogs and yard dogs. Schanuzers come in 3 categories - miniature, standard and giant. They have black or grey and white curly fur, especially on their legs. They have lovely long eyelashes, tufty eyebrows and long beards. Of this breed, I'm particular to the miniature version as they make fabulous lap-dogs. You must have them groomed at least 2 times a year by a professional who knows what impeccably groomed scnautzers should look like. For this particular breed of dog, considering the temperament and personality, I prefer the miniature version. They stand only a foot tall and weigh up to ...

Bombshells love powder puffs and we keep them on our vanities, in our bathrooms, in our knicker drawers and anywhere we can display more pretty things. Powder puffs aren't just ornamental for us, we use them to dust luxurious powders after bathing. We use them to disperse precious scents over our bodies, to dab away an unwanted sweat-glow or to create subtle shimmers in strategic places. I even like to use it on my tootsies before slipping them into my favourite heels. This is a picture of Elizabeth Arden's Pretty fragranced powder puff. It's not my perfume of choice, but it's so feminine and pretty I thought I'd show you. It is available for sale and you can find it at your local prefumery.

Ms Larue wishes to thank the following bloggers and website people for their support and encouragement, for mentioning and following her Bombshell Blog - The Kitty Larue Review. classicmovieblog.blogspot.com, www.thisisyour.name , connect.in.com and the fabulous maxieetzuel.blogspot.com Again, thank you.

Who likes pretty things? I know you do! You're really going to love this. I'm organising my very first spectacular giveaway! Yes kittens! Club members keep your pretty eyes on alert as I reveal more details about the goodies and how you can get your little mittens on some sweet, sweet loot! Kitty x

I have been absolutely enamoured by burlesque dancing for such a long time. I love the glamour of old-fashioned show-girls. Now, I'm not talking about the brash show-it-all strippers of the millenium. I'm talking about the girls who use their skills to entertain yet leave some things to the imagination. One thing I've always loved is the famous fan dances. It's so graceful, skillfull and beautiful. I love that burlesque dancing involves fun, amazing facial expressions and it really celebrates the beauty of womens' curves. Maybe I should learn some burlesque dancing lessons to compliment my ballet lessons. Something to think about. As for now, all I have to show you is a website where you can buy great quality ostrich feather-fans. http://www.ostrich.com/fan

In the midst of the economic crisis in Paris, November 1932, Madame Gabrielle Chanel decided to create a collection of Haute Joaillerie, her fine jewellery collection. It was a very audacious collection with diamonds being the key feature. She used the camelia, a symbol of purity and beauty in her watches, jewellery, leathergoods and clothing. However, Chanel doesn't only produce accessories adorned with diamonds. I love her little camelias. Each season the house of Chanel come up with new fabrics and textures for their dear little camelias. I keep them tucked away safe in their lovely little Chanel boxes. For elegance, you can wear them anywhere you'd wear a scarf.

Something so incredibly important, so cherished, so coveted and so close to our hearts (excuse the pun) is our exquisite bombshell lingerie. As I'm constantly aware of our beautiful and usually rare underpinnings and sourcing brilliant and talented designers of such, here's an amazing corsetiere from Spain. Her name is Maya Hansen. This is her website: http://www.mayahansen.com/

He's been gone for 2 years. We miss our Paul Newman.

Julie London is amongst the vocalists I prefer to listen to in the evenings whilst relaxing in my bathtub. I love her slow, smoky and sensual voice so I thought I'd share with you what I know about this beautiful bombshell. Nicknamed "The Liberty Girl" for helping establish the reputation of recording company Liberty Records, Julie London was born in California on September 26, 1926. Her original name was Gayle Peck. Being a spokesperson for Marlboro cigarettes during the late 1950's through to the early 1960's ended up backfiring on Julie as she died of poor health in her later-life resulting from her long-term cigarette habit. Julie was the daughter of a vaudeville singing/dancing couple. She attended the Hollywood Professional School and was discovered (though I prefer the phrase "given her first big chance") by talent agent Sure Carol whilst Julie was working as an elevator operator. Julie had a long, successful career as a singer and an actress. She...

One thing we share a passion for as bombshells, is scarves. We wear them in myriads of different ways, on our wrists, in our hair, around our hair, around our necks, on our handbags, around our waists, around our bodies and there are just so many more ways and techniques we use to wear our scarves. That's why I've decided it's due time to introduce you to my personal favourite scarf. The Hermes silk twill scarf. The very first scarf in the Hermes collection was produced in 1928 (and was inspired by the scarves worn by Napoleon's soldiers) when Hermes had pretty much only been producing leather goods. It was such a huge success that a workshop for scarf production was set up at Lyon in 1837. This was the birth of the Hermes silk twill scarf. Ok, here's the low-down on the classic Hermes silk twill scarf: It weighs 65grams and measures 90cm x 90cm. Each scarf requires about 450kms (250 cocoons) of the finest silk thread available. It takes two years to create from ini...

http://opheliafancy.com/ This little retro-inspired lingerie company was founded in 2005 by a couple of burlesque-loving young English lassies. Essex girls no less. You can't always believe what they say about those notorious Essex girls! Have a look at their website. I told you so. Kitty x

Screen legend Bette Davis once said of Jayne, "dramatic art in her opinion is knowing how to fill a sweater." Born Vera Jane Palmer from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. This girl became Jayne Mansfield, famous for being, well, Jayne Mansfield. You probably know of her daughter, actress Mariska Hargitay from the TV show Law and Order SVU. At the age of 16, Jayne eloped to marry Paul Mansfield. She had a baby girl with him, Jayne Marie. Then she divorced Paul 8 years later, but kept his surname. She married former Mr Universe Mickey Hargitay a mere 5 days after the divorce. He gave Jayne a 10 carat diamond and Jayne wore a pink lace gown for the wedding. The house they lived in was called "The Pink Palace" on Sunset Boulevard. It had a fountain full of champagne, all rooms furnished in pink and they even had a pink heart-shaped pool piped underwater music. To compliment their insanely pink home, they also housed a menagerie of 30 dogs, 1 elephant, monkeys, donkeys, ocelots ...